Solar power Solar power is the conversion of energy from sunlight into electricity, either directly using photovoltaics (PV) or indirectly using concentrated solar power. Photovoltaic cells convert light into an electric current using the photovoltaic e ...

has been increasing rapidly in the U.S. state of

North Carolina North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and So ...

, from less than 1 MW (megawatts) in 2007 to 6,152 MW in 2019, when it had the second-largest installed PV capacity of all states. In addition to federal incentives, the state has a Renewable Portfolio Standard of 12.5% by 2021 and a state renewable energy tax credit, both of which have been credited with boosting solar installations. A 2018 ''

Smithsonian Magazine ''Smithsonian'' is the official journal published by the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. The first issue was published in 1970. History The history of ''Smithsonian'' began when Edward K. Thompson, the retired editor of ''Life'' maga ...

'' article described North Carolina as likely being the national leader in the "solar shepherd phenomenon" – combining sheep farming with solar power plants to reduce the high costs of grass trimming. According to a report from the

Solar Energy Industries Association The Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA), established in 1974, is the national non-profit trade association of the solar-energy industry in the United States. In 2019, the group reported at least 1,000 member companies. SEIA is a 501(c ...

, as of June 2019, North Carolina generates 5.81% of its electricity through solar power, and ranks second (up from 3rd in 2018) in total installed photovoltaics.

ImageSize = width:420 height:240 PlotArea = width:350 height:150 left:40 bottom:40 AlignBars = late DateFormat = x.y Period = from:0 till:6 TimeAxis = orientation:vertical ScaleMajor = unit:month increment:1 start:0 TextData = pos:(15,220) textcolor:black fontsize:M text:hrs pos:(205,25) textcolor:black fontsize:S text:Month pos:(90,230) textcolor:black fontsize:M text:Raleigh Sun Hours/day (Avg = 5.04 hrs/day) Colors = id:yellow value:yellow PlotData= width:20 textcolor:black bar:Jan color:yellow from:0 till:3.73 text:3.73 shift:(-10,60) bar:Feb color:yellow from:0 till:4.66 text:4.66 shift:(-10,70) bar:Mar color:yellow from:0 till:5.38 text:5.38 shift:(-10,75) bar:Apr color:yellow from:0 till:5.76 text:5.76 shift:(-10,80) bar:May color:yellow from:0 till:5.55 text:5.55 shift:(-10,75) bar:Jun color:yellow from:0 till:5.77 text:5.77 shift:(-10,80) bar:Jul color:yellow from:0 till:5.53 text:4.87 shift:(-10,75) bar:Aug color:yellow from:0 till:5.58 text:5.53 shift:(-10,75) bar:Sep color:yellow from:0 till:5.35 text:5.35 shift:(-10,75) bar:Oct color:yellow from:0 till:5.33 text:5.33 shift:(-10,75) bar:Nov color:yellow from:0 till:4.34 text:4.34 shift:(-10,60) bar:Dec color:yellow from:0 till:3.51 text:3.51 shift:(-10,50) :Source: NREL

Currently operating

The following tables show some of the major solar power projects currently operating in North Carolina (NC).

Dominion Energy

Duke Energy

On September 15, 2014,

Duke Energy Duke Energy Corporation is an American electric power and natural gas holding company headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina. Overview Based in Charlotte, North Carolina, Duke Energy owns 58,200 megawatts of base-load and peak generation in ...

committed US$500 million to an expansion of solar power in North Carolina. Announced projects include: * Warsaw Solar Facility (65 MW) –

Duplin County Duplin County ()
, from the North Carolina Collection's website at the

...

, developed by Strata Solar. This was scheduled to be the largest PV plant east of the Mississippi River as of the announcement date. * Elm City Solar Facility (40 MW) –

Wilson County Wilson County is the name of four counties in the United States: *Wilson County, Kansas *Wilson County, North Carolina *Wilson County, Tennessee *Wilson County, Texas Wilson County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 202 ...

, developed by HelioSage Energy * Fayetteville Solar Facility (23 MW) –

Bladen County Bladen County ()
, from the North Carolina Collection's website at the

...

, developed by Tangent Energy Solutions In addition, Duke Energy plans to purchase energy from five new projects: * 48 MW – Bladen County, developed by Innovative Solar Systems * 48 MW –

Richmond County Richmond County may refer to places: Australia *Richmond County, New South Wales, a cadastral division Canada *Richmond County, Nova Scotia United Kingdom *Richmondshire, the original Richmond County in Yorkshire, England United States ...

, developed by FLS Energy * 20 MW – Scotland County, developed by Birdseye Renewable Energy * 19 MW –

Cleveland County Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the United States, U.S. U.S. state, state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County, Ohio, Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along ...

, developed by Birdseye Renewable Energy * 15 MW – Beaufort County, developed by Element Power US

Other Generators (20MW+)

Generation

Using data available from the U.S. Energy Information Agency's ''Electric Power Annual 2017'' and "Electric Power Monthly Data Browser", the following table summarizes North Carolina's solar energy posture. Capacity factor for each year was computed from the end-of-year summer capacity. 2018 data is from Electric Power Monthly and is subject to change. 2017 NC Solar Energy Generation Profile

Beginning with the 2014 data year, the Energy Information Administration (EIA) has estimated the distributed solar-photovoltaic generation and distributed solar-photovoltaic capacity."Electric Power Annual"
retrieved 2017 6 17 These non-utility-scale appraisals evaluate that North Carolina generated the following amounts of additional solar energy:

Duke Energy rebates

On January 22, 2018, Duke Energy Renewables proposed a $62 million rebate program for both residential and nonresidential customers. It was the first of three programs Duke is proposing as part of "Competitive Energy Solutions for North Carolina" legislation, signed into law in 2017 by Gov. Roy Cooper. The program requires approval from the

North Carolina Utilities Commission The North Carolina Utilities Commission is a government agency that regulates the various utilities of the state of North Carolina. The Commission also regulates household goods transportation, buses, brokers and ferryboats. The Commission consis ...

. Customers would also have the option of leasing solar equipment from a third-party. On April 16, 2018, the North Carolina Utilities Commission approved the program. It applies to Duke Energy's residential, nonresidential and nonprofit customers who installed a solar system and a bi-directional meter on their property on or after January 1, 2018.

External links

North Carolina solar calculatorRenewable energy policies and incentives

References

{{Portal bar, Renewable energy, Energy, United States Energy in North Carolina