CHARLOTTE — A program aiming to get solar on as many homes and businesses in Mecklenburg County will be extended an extra month.
Solarize Charlotte-Mecklenburg, which launched in June aiming to make solar installations easier and more affordable, is accepting signups until Nov. 28. And organizers say with federal policy changes, it could be a final opportunity for anyone looking to go solar to save.
When Solarize launched, Erin Stanforth, the Mecklenburg County sustainability and resiliency manager, explained the goal was to provide savings for homeowners across the county through economies of scale as they all work with one local, vetted installer, Renu Energy Solutions.
“The more people that sign up, the lower the price is,” she said.
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Then, a few weeks into the program, the federal budget bill passed, and the calculus for solar changed. The 30% federal tax credits available to all homeowners installing solar would now only be available to those whose systems were installed and operational before the end of 2025. With so many households waiting for installations, Solarize could only guarantee that savings for those who signed up by Aug. 8.
“There was an onslaught of applicants to solar just in general, not just with our program, because of the expiring tax credit, and so as a result of that, there’s been a mass install kind of craze,” Stanforth said.
In response, Solarize decided to lower its per-watt prices by more than 30% and extended the signup deadline another month. So far, more than 280 households have joined the campaign.
“It’s in the hopes that more people would be able to sign up and be engaged in the program,” Stanforth said.
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Meanwhile, some of the earliest households to sign up are already seeing their systems in action. Just a few weeks into living off his solar and battery installation, and Spence Rogers is already expecting big savings on his power bill.
“At this point, I’m providing considerably more power than I’m using, so I’m sending power back to the grid,” he said.
According to Solarize organizers, everyone who signed contracts for installations so far opted to purchase a battery backup system along with their solar.
“If there is a power outage, you have a battery so you have a natural generator to keep power going,” Mike Jeffries, another program participant, said.
The battery system also allows participants the opportunity to take part in Duke Energy’s Power Pair program, which provides up to a $9,000 rebate.
With battery systems installed, the households can operate almost entirely off their own power, which eases electricity demand for everyone else on the grid.
Ultimately, Stanforth hopes that by the time the program is done, it will make Mecklenburg County a more sustainable and more resilient place.
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