- Program to pair home solar installations with battery energy
storage continues to help advance rooftop solar
- Company is looking at ways to enhance pilot to make it
available to more customers
CHARLOTTE, N.C., July 22,
2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK) has
enrolled more than 1,300 customers in North Carolina in its new
PowerPairSM pilot, a one-time incentive-based program
designed to help make a home solar plus battery system more
affordable for customers.
Approved by the North Carolina Utilities Commission (NCUC) in
January 2024 and launched in
May 2024, the pilot program offers up
to $9,000 in incentives for
residential customers who install a new solar plus battery system.
The total incentive is based on the approved capacity of the solar
array and battery installed. PowerPair was designed in
collaboration with numerous stakeholder groups at the direction of
the NCUC.
"North Carolina already ranks
fourth in the nation for overall solar power with approximately
45,000 Duke Energy customers generating about 350 megawatts through
solar panels," said Meghan Dewey,
vice president of products and services for Duke Energy. "PowerPair
is a valuable solution for our customers ready to invest in solar
plus storage for their homes. It is one of several ways we're
helping our customers save energy and money, while continuing to
explore new ways to help manage low carbon grids of the
future."
More customer options encourage participation
Participants in the pilot may choose to enroll in PowerPair on a
residential solar choice rider (RSC) or through a net metering
bridge rider (NMB) and receive a one-time incentive of up to
$9,000. NMB customers additionally
enroll in the company's new Power Manager® and
EnergyWise Home® battery option and receive additional
monthly bill credits for allowing Duke Energy to periodically
adjust their battery system's operating setting for a temporary
period to provide stored electricity back to the grid, which
benefits all customers.
"Duke Energy is diving headfirst into our next iteration of
solar rebate programs to match the increased need to pair solar and
battery," said Dewey. "We're already seeing that PowerPair is
proving to be quite popular with customers, and our team is hard at
work to develop what comes next for innovative solar and battery
storage offerings."
The PowerPair pilot has remaining capacity and continues to take
applications. Customers can view the approved battery vendor list
and information on equipment eligibility (not all systems will be
eligible) at duke-energy.com/PowerPair. Participating PowerPair
customers must employ a Duke Energy Trade Ally, a solar and battery
installer that has been approved by Duke Energy. Customers can use
the company's Find It Duke program here.
Expanded offerings coming soon
As Duke Energy prepares to fulfill incentives for its initial
PowerPair participants, it is also looking at ways to enhance the
pilot for other customers who may not be able to purchase a new
solar and battery system upfront. The company will be collaborating
with stakeholders on several options that could focus specifically
on income-qualified customers, customers dependent on medical
devices, or a comparable program for non-residential customers or
other targeted participants.
"It was important to first commit to a successful initial
PowerPair launch and ensure that the pilot got off the ground
smoothly, and we accomplished that," said Dewey. "We are excited to
now turn our attention to developing additional offerings that fit
a broader scope of our customers' varying needs and
lifestyles."
Duke Energy
Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK), a Fortune 150 company headquartered in
Charlotte, N.C., is one of
America's largest energy holding companies. The company's electric
utilities serve 8.4 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Indiana, Ohio
and Kentucky, and collectively own
54,800 megawatts of energy capacity. Its natural gas utilities
serve 1.7 million customers in North
Carolina, South Carolina,
Tennessee, Ohio and Kentucky.
Duke Energy is executing an ambitious clean energy transition,
keeping reliability, affordability and accessibility at the
forefront as the company works toward net-zero methane emissions
from its natural gas business by 2030 and net-zero carbon emissions
from electricity generation by 2050. The company is investing in
major electric grid upgrades and cleaner generation, including
expanded energy storage, renewables, natural gas and nuclear.
More information is available at duke-energy.com and
the Duke Energy News Center. Follow Duke Energy
on Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook,
and visit illumination for stories about the people and
innovations powering our energy transition.
Contact: Logan Stewart
24-Hour: 800.559.3853
Twitter:
@DE_LoganS
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SOURCE Duke Energy