NEWS

As announced earlier this year, the Town of Davidson is partnering with the county and several other local municipalities on a project entitled Solarize Charlotte-Mecklenburg. The premise of the effort is to leverage the buying power to reduce the installation cost of solar for residents, nonprofits, and commercial customers.

With all that as background of the effort, the landscape recently changed with the passage of the “Big Beautiful Bill.” The legislation, passed by Congress and signed into law, ends federal renewable energy residential tax credits for federal tax filers at the end of 2025. The Inflation Reduction Act passed in 2022 had originally included 30 percent residential solar tax credits through 2032.

We reached out to the Solarize CharMeck team and to Kayla Kovach, Davidson’s sustainability manager, to find out more about the program and how these recent changes could impact the plan.

Our questions and the answers we received are provided below. News of Davidson will continue to follow this effort. We welcome your questions at contactus@newsofdavidson.org

Note: if you already have solar panels installed and you are interested in sharing your story, please contact us at the email listed above.

Solarize Charlotte-Mecklenburg

Q1) According to the recently signed budget, all federal tax credits for renewable energy are slated to expire in December 2025 – years earlier than previously expected. Will participants in this program be able to take advantage of the credits before they expire?

Yes, participants in this program will be able to take advantage of federal tax credits, if they act quickly. Please note: Only residential tax credits are scheduled to expire December 31, 2025. Commercial and nonprofit projects have until December 31, 2027; however, additional terms and conditions apply.

We encourage people to sign up at solarizecharmeck.com as early as possible to get started. As of now, participants who sign a contract before October 1st are in the best position to take advantage of the federal tax credits. However, that may change. By signing up, participants will receive frequent news and updates pertaining to timelines and recommended contract dates.

Q2) Does Duke Energy currently buy back excess power generated by solar panels in Davidson? If yes, are there any additional details about this you can provide?

Yes, Duke Energy does buy back excess power exported to the grid. Although the legacy net metering policy ended October 2023, participants are able to take advantage of what is called the Bridge Rate Rider. The Bridge Rate is a transitional net metering option for solar customers that allows new solar customers to ease into the time-of-use (TOU) rates by offering a hybrid approach that combines elements of the legacy net metering program with the new TOU rates. This hybrid approach provides 1:1 credits for energy sent to the grid and applies them to the customer’s bill.

Q3) We understand that the premise behind the project is to leverage purchasing in quantity. Will Davidson residents share in the county-wide savings, or will the savings be determined by the number of participants in Davidson specifically?

Yes, all homeowners in Mecklenburg County, regardless of where they are located, qualify for the group purchase, county-wide savings available through the program. Residents outside of Mecklenburg County may also qualify for the group purchase discount rate; however, they may be subject to a one-time “travel fee” to cover any additional costs associated with servicing that customer.

Q4) While each install will be different, can you provide a “ballpark” projected cost(s) for a homeowner wanting to participate? What MUST be installed to make the system operational?

This is a difficult question to answer because there are too many variables to consider and whatever answer we provide should not be relied upon. This is why a free, customized proposal based on each participant’s unique situation is provided as part of the program. Please understand this response is not intended to avoid the question. It’s simply impossible to answer in a way that can be relied upon. For more information about ballpark costs, please contact us at admin@solarizecharmeck.com.

For an installation to be operational, all components should be installed, including racking system, solar panels, inverter(s), battery storage (if applicable) and electrical work completed. Also, the utility should issue a PTO (permission to operate) to be considered operational.

Q5) If a homeowner is looking beyond the “return on investment” savings vs. cost calculation, and simply wants to reduce their carbon footprint – can you quantify the impact of that reduction?

Please see the answer to the above question. Carbon footprint reduction estimates are directly related to the size of the system installed. However, please see general estimates based on systems sizes below:

• A 5kW solar system can offset a significant amount of carbon emissions, with estimates ranging from 4,800 to 6,500 pounds of CO2 per year.
• A 10kW solar system can offset approximately 8,460 to 16,082 pounds of carbon dioxide (CO2) per year.

Q6) What else can we tell our readers about your participation at the upcoming Davidson Farmers Market on July 19?

Representatives of Solarize Charlotte-Mecklenburg will be there and available for one-on-one conversations to answer questions and sign people up for the program. By signing up, Davidson residents will get a free, no obligation evaluation and automatically qualify for county-wide group discount pricing.

Town of Davidson Sustainability

Q1) Is there a “target” number of homes the Town would like to see participate in this program?

The Town hopes to increase adoption of renewable energy systems across the community through promotion of this program but does not have a specific target number of participants.

Q2) What could the “Solarize” effort mean for the Town? 

Energy and Buildings is the second largest emissions contributing source for the Davidson community following transportation sources. Community members who participate are directly contributing to the Town’s Climate Action Plan goal of reaching carbon neutrality for community emissions by 2050. The Solarize Charlotte-Mecklenburg program is an important piece of the Town’s efforts to create a more sustainable and resilient community.

Q3) As you can see with the questions we are posing to the larger program, there are concerns about the potential end to the federal subsidies for renewable energy programs. Does this change alter the Town’s commitment to renewable programs?

The Town’s Climate Action Plan set goals to increase renewable energy usage and the Town will remain committed to those goals.

Q4) What do members of the community need to know about the upcoming event at the Farmers Market on July 19?

On July 19, Town staff and selected solar installer, Renu Energy Solutions, will have a table at the Farmers Market to share resources and information about the Solarize program. Community members can come and learn more about the program, ask questions, and hear directly from Renu Energy Solutions experts. Anyone in Mecklenburg County can participate in the Solarize program, so members of neighboring communities who visit Davidson for the Farmers Market will also have the opportunity to learn more.