South Carolina Solar Incentives: 2025 Overview

Code Section 12-6-3587 provides a corporate or individual tax credit of 25% of the costs incurred by a taxpayer in the purchase and installation of a solar energy system or small hydropower system for heating water, space heating, air cooling, energy-efficient daylighting, heat reclamation, energy-efficient demand response, or the generation of electricity in or on a facility in South Carolina and owned by the taxpayer. The taxpayer may not claim the credit before installation is complete. The amount of the credit in any year may not exceed $3,500 for each facility or 50% of the taxpayer’s tax liability for that tax year, whichever is less. If the amount of the credit exceeds $3,500 for each facility, the taxpayer may carry forward the excess for up to 10 years.

Established by The Energy Policy Act of 2005, the federal tax credit for residential energy property initially applied to solar-electric systems, solar water heating systems and fuel cells. A taxpayer may claim a credit of 30% of qualified expenditures for a system that serves a dwelling unit located in the United States that is owned and used as a residence by the taxpayer. Expenditures with respect to the equipment are treated as made when the installation is completed. If the installation is at a new home, the “placed in service” date is the date of occupancy by the homeowner. Expenditures include labor costs for on-site preparation, assembly or original system installation, and for piping or wiring to interconnect a system to the home. If the federal tax credit exceeds tax liability, the excess amount may be carried forward to the succeeding taxable year. The excess credit may be carried forward until 2016, but it is unclear whether the unused tax credit can be carried forward after then.

SCE&G offers incentives for residential customers and nonresidential customers. Incentives are limited to approximately 42 megawatts (MW) of installed capacity, with 33 MW for distributed systems under 1 MW and 9 MW for systems under 20 kilowatts (kW). The performance based incentive (PBI) for residential systems under 20 kW are as follows: 0 MW to 2.5 MW cumulative capacity: 4 cents per kilowatt hour, 2.5 MW to 5 MW cumulative capacity: 3 cents per kilowatt hour, 5 to 7 MW cumulative capacity: 2 cents per kilowatt hour, 7 to 9 MW cumulative capacity: 1 cent per kilowatt hour. The PBI residential incentive is retroactively available for systems installed after January 1, 2015 for all customers who join the new Net Metering tariff. At the discretion of the customer, some incentives may be claimed by the customer or applied to companies installing or leasing systems.

SCE&G offers incentives for residential customers and nonresidential customers. Incentives are limited to approximately 42 megawatts (MW) of installed capacity, with 33 MW for distributed systems under 1 MW and 9 MW for systems under 20 kilowatts (kW). The performance based incentive (PBI) for residential systems under 20 kW are as follows: 0 MW to 2.5 MW cumulative capacity: 4 cents per kilowatt hour, 2.5 MW to 5 MW cumulative capacity: 3 cents per kilowatt hour, 5 to 7 MW cumulative capacity: 2 cents per kilowatt hour, 7 to 9 MW cumulative capacity: 1 cent per kilowatt hour. The PBI residential incentive is retroactively available for systems installed after January 1, 2015 for all customers who join the new Net Metering tariff. At the discretion of the customer, some incentives may be claimed by the customer or applied to companies installing or leasing systems.

SCE&G offers incentives for residential customers and nonresidential customers. Incentives are limited to approximately 42 megawatts (MW) of installed capacity, with 33 MW for distributed systems under 1 MW and 9 MW for systems under 20 kilowatts (kW). The performance based incentive (PBI) for residential systems under 20 kW are as follows: 0 MW to 2.5 MW cumulative capacity: 4 cents per kilowatt hour, 2.5 MW to 5 MW cumulative capacity: 3 cents per kilowatt hour, 5 to 7 MW cumulative capacity: 2 cents per kilowatt hour, 7 to 9 MW cumulative capacity: 1 cent per kilowatt hour. The PBI residential incentive is retroactively available for systems installed after January 1, 2015 for all customers who join the new Net Metering tariff. At the discretion of the customer, some incentives may be claimed by the customer or applied to companies installing or leasing systems.

SCE&G offers incentives for residential customers and nonresidential customers. Incentives are limited to approximately 42 megawatts (MW) of installed capacity, with 33 MW for distributed systems under 1 MW and 9 MW for systems under 20 kilowatts (kW). The performance based incentive (PBI) for residential systems under 20 kW are as follows: 0 MW to 2.5 MW cumulative capacity: 4 cents per kilowatt hour, 2.5 MW to 5 MW cumulative capacity: 3 cents per kilowatt hour, 5 to 7 MW cumulative capacity: 2 cents per kilowatt hour, 7 to 9 MW cumulative capacity: 1 cent per kilowatt hour. The PBI residential incentive is retroactively available for systems installed after January 1, 2015 for all customers who join the new Net Metering tariff. At the discretion of the customer, some incentives may be claimed by the customer or applied to companies installing or leasing systems.

A taxpayer may claim a credit of 26% of qualified expenditures, after deducting incentives, with no upper limit for a system that serves a dwelling unit located in the United States that is owned and used as a residence by the taxpayer. Expenditures with respect to the equipment are treated as made when the installation is completed. If the installation is at a new home, the “placed in service” date is the date of occupancy by the homeowner. Expenditures include labor costs for on-site preparation, assembly or original system installation, and for piping or wiring to interconnect a system to the home. If the federal tax credit exceeds tax liability, the excess amount may be carried forward to the succeeding taxable year. The excess credit may be carried forward until 2019, but it is unclear whether the unused tax credit can be carried forward after then.

A taxpayer may claim a credit of 22% of qualified expenditures, after deducting incentives, with no upper limit for a system that serves a dwelling unit located in the United States that is owned and used as a residence by the taxpayer. Expenditures with respect to the equipment are treated as made when the installation is completed. If the installation is at a new home, the “placed in service” date is the date of occupancy by the homeowner. Expenditures include labor costs for on-site preparation, assembly or original system installation, and for piping or wiring to interconnect a system to the home. If the federal tax credit exceeds tax liability, the excess amount may be carried forward to the succeeding taxable year. The excess credit may be carried forward until 2019, but it is unclear whether the unused tax credit can be carried forward after then.

A taxpayer may claim a credit of 30% for the installation which was between 2022-2032 (Systems installed on or before December 31, 2019 were also eligible for a 30% tax credit), with no upper limit for a system that serves a dwelling unit located in the United States that is owned and used as a residence by the taxpayer. Expenditures with respect to the equipment are treated as made when the installation is completed. If the installation is at a new home, the placed in service date is the date of occupancy by the homeowner. Expenditures include labor costs for on-site preparation, assembly or original system installation, and for piping or wiring to interconnect a system to the home.

This program is part of Duke Energy’s ongoing commitment to making renewable energy more accessible and affordable for customers and communities. With solar photovoltaic (PV) panels on your rooftop, you could be generating clean, renewable electricity and incentives from Duke Energy Progress. The incentive is multifaceted. Customers will receive an upfront payment of $250 for every kilowatt-AC (kW-AC) they install on their home, and they will receive monthly credits on their bill of $4.50 per kW-AC. For instance, if a customer installs a 10 kW-AC system, the largest system eligible to participate in the program, the customer will receive a check for $2500 plus a bill credit of $45 on their monthly bills. To participate in the program, the customer must surrender all their Renewable Energy Credits (RECs*) to Duke Energy Progress for a period of five years and they will receive the $4.50 per kW bill credits throughout those five years.

Duke Energy Progress is committed to bringing more energy solutions for our South Carolina customers. Offering a solar incentive to help lower your upfront, installation costs. The incentive is being offered on a first-come, first-serve basis. The current rebate value is $1 per watt – DC. This value is subject to change.

Santee Cooper is pleased to offer its 2017 Solar Home Program. The Solar Home Program provides rebates to eligible residential Customers for the installation of solar photovoltaic (PV) systems for electric generation at their homes. It provides rebates to residential Customers who subscribe to the Santee Cooper sponsored community share solar farm located inColleton, SC (“Solar Farm”). Rebates for the installation of solar PV systems are set as a one-time payment of $1.60/watt paid based on the system’s power output (watt AC). Solar Home Rebates are capped at $9,600 per account number.

Santee Cooper is pleased to offer its 2017 Solar Home Program. The Solar Home Program provides rebates to eligible residential Customers for the installation of solar photovoltaic (PV) systems for electric generation at their homes. It provides rebates to residential Customers who subscribe to the Santee Cooper sponsored community share solar farm located inColleton, SC (“Solar Farm”). Rebates for the installation of solar PV systems are set as a one-time payment of $1.60/watt paid based on the system’s power output (watt AC). Solar Home Rebates are capped at $9,600 per account number.

Santee Cooper is pleased to offer its 2019 Solar Home Program. The Solar Home Program provides rebates to eligible residential Customers for the installation of solar photovoltaic (PV) systems for electric generation at their homes. It provides rebates to residential Customers who subscribe to the Santee Cooper sponsored community share solar farm located inColleton, SC (“Solar Farm”). Rebates for the installation of solar PV systems are set as a one-time payment of $1.20/watt paid based on the system’s power output (watt AC). Solar Home Rebates are capped at 6 kW AC per meter base.

Santee Cooper is pleased to offer its 2021 Solar Home Program. The Solar Home Program provides rebates to eligible residential Customers for the installation of solar photovoltaic (PV) systems for electric generation at their homes. It provides rebates to residential Customers who subscribe to the Santee Cooper sponsored community share solar farm located in Colleton, SC (“Solar Farm”). Rebates for the installation of solar PV systems are set as a one-time payment of $1.05/watt paid based on the system’s power output (watt AC). Solar Home Rebates are capped at 6 kW AC per meter base.

Santee Cooper is pleased to offer its 2023 Solar Home Program. The Solar Home Program provides rebates to eligible residential Customers for the installation of solar photovoltaic (PV) systems for electric generation at their homes. It provides rebates to residential Customers who subscribe to the Santee Cooper sponsored community share solar farm located in Colleton, SC (“Solar Farm”). Rebates for the installation of solar PV systems are set as a one-time payment of $0.95/watt paid based on the system’s power output (watt AC). Solar Home Rebates are capped at 6 kW AC per meter base.