Duke Energy customers that invested in solar have an opportunity to apply for up to $4,000 in rebates in 2021, but applying for the Duke Solar rebate can be challenging. In the past, the rebate has filled quickly, especially in January of 2021, when it sold out in minutes. Our customers have many questions surrounding the next application
How Much Rebate Could You Get?
If you are a residential Duke Energy customer, you could get up to $.40 per watt of solar that you installed in 2021. So a 10-kilowatt solar system would qualify you to apply for $4,000. (Commercial rebates are eligible for $.30 a watt, and non-profits for $.75 per watt.) Allocations are 5,000 kilowatts for the residential program. If every system was 10 kilowatts, that would make the rebate available to 500 homeowners. The average size is smaller than 10 kilowatts, but probably 7.5 to 8.0 kilowatts, which would predict an estimated 600-700 residential customers could get the rebate.
Learn more about rebates and tax incentives.
Application Process
With the rebate selling out so quickly, it is imperative that applicants fully understand the process and are ready to apply. In January of 2020, Duke Energy’s website crashed, and Duke has taken precautions to prevent that in 2021, but Yes Solar Solutions is advising our clients to take additional steps to improve their chances to win the award. This year, in an effort by Duke Energy to make the rebate more accessible, there will be a second application in July. Although it is not a first-come, first-served system in this application, and it is what Duke Energy is calling Random Selection Process, we have put together a tutorial for our customers to fully prepare them for the application.
- Applications can be submitted between 9 a.m. on Wednesday July 7, 2021 to 9.am. on Wednesday July 14, 2021
- Applications will be reviewed for eligibility as they are submitted.
- Using an application called SAS, NC Solar Rebate Applications will receive a rebate reservation or placed on the waitlist based on a randomly assigned number.
- An additional review of the data will occur to identify if any changes in eligibility have occurred.
- Emails will be sent on July 27, 2021 to customers and installers, to communicate the status of all applications
- The NC Solar Rebate Application will reopen for any customer type with available capacity on July 28, 2021
Timeline for Completing Interconnection Projects
- For years 2021 and 2022, a residential customer who obtains a rebate reservation in January-June must complete the installation by Dec. 31 of the same year; a residential customer who obtains a rebate reservation in July-December must complete the installation by June 30 of the following year.
- For a nonresidential customer who obtains a rebate reservation prior to installation, the installation must be completed no later than 365 days from the date of an executed interconnection agreement by the company.
- For a nonresidential customer with a project under 20kW that does not require an interconnection agreement, the installation must be completed no later than 365 days from the date the rebate reservation was obtained.
Steps to Apply for the Rebate (subject to change by Duke Energy)
- Step 1:Click the “Apply Now” link that will appear at 9 a.m. in the picture banner at the top of the website. The “Apply Now” link will appear before 9:00 a.m. but will not be active until that time. You will want to keep refreshing your screen to catch the activation. Do not use a tablet or mobile device and use either Chrome or Internet Explorer.
- Step 2: Enter your Unique ID number (Enter customer ID) that Yes Solar has supplied to you. Note the application will verify the number when you enter it and you cannot proceed unless the number is correct.
- Step 3: Enter your Name as it appears on your bill, your email address, and our Installer email address: interconnections@yessolarsolutions.com.
- Step 4: Enter your Duke Service address.
- Step 5: Enter your mailing address for your bill, which may be different than your service address.
- Step 6: Choose your customer type (Residential, Commercial, or Non-Profit).
- Step 7: Enter your system size (AC kW). Enter customer system size (as shown on your contract).
- Step 8: Agree to the acknowledgments and click “Submit”. Note this step will include an “I am not a robot” CAPTCHA verification.
- Final Confirmation: Once the application is successfully submitted, a confirmation page will display the date and time of the application.
Important Tips for Applying for the Duke Solar Rebate
- Print AND save the final Application Confirmation Page at the end.
- During the 2020 application, Duke experienced technical issues that resulted in some delayed and/or incomplete submissions and would only consider awarding rebates to people that had time-stamped proof of their issue (screenshots, photos, browsing history, etc). They have assured the industry that the application has been reprogrammed and it will not happen again, although if you experience an unforeseen issue (web page not refreshing, application not moving onto a next step, no confirmation page at the end, etc) we still recommend you take a screenshot or a photo of your screen documenting the issue with proof of the time. You might even consider video-recording yourself during the application as a safeguard in the event we need to address anything with Duke Energy after-the-fact.
- If you do experience technical issues, keep attempting to submit the application and/or restart it completely while you are contacting us or Duke for clarification as we don’t want any time to lapse for when we can give you an answer. Our phones rang constantly last time and we will have extra people answering but it may delay your submission to call.
- If you did not get the rebate awarded you will be placed on the waiting list. Spaces do open up during the year, so all is not lost, but it is not a guarantee.
- Contact Information:
Yes Solar Solutions Office: 919-459-4155
interconnections@yessolarsolutions.com
NCSolarRebate@duke-energy.com Duke Renewables Center: 866-233-2290
Next Rebate Application
Watch this space for more information about applying for the Duke Energy Solar Rebate application in July 2021 or let us know to add you to our information emails.