Solar in North Carolina: payback, sun by city and utility-scale capacity
Utility-scale solar in North Carolina: 7,051 MW in 770 plants, 8.9% of 2025 generation; 1,750 MW more under construction or planned. North Carolina pays back in 15.2 years at $3.00 a watt (rank 35 of 51), 1.7 years longer than the middle state. 1,411 kWh per kW (rank 17) at 14.02 ¢ (rank 35 from the top): sunshine drives it. Across 5 North Carolina cities, yearly output runs from 1,370 kWh per kW in Raleigh to 1,450 in Wilmington. May is the best month at 144 kWh per kW and Dec the worst at 83.
Utility-scale solar in North Carolina: 7,051 MW
North Carolina: 7,051 MW of operable utility-scale solar in 770 plants across 82 counties (EIA-860, 2025), rank 4 of 51; 666 W per resident, rank 9. Solar made 8.9% of North Carolina's net generation in 2025 (EIA-923), rank 14, +2.1 points against the national share. Biggest plants: American Beech Solar LLC in Halifax County, 140 MW (2025); Albemarle Beach Solar in Washington County, 130 MW (2020); Oak Solar in Northampton County, 120 MW (2023). By county: Nash 379 MW, Northampton 363 MW, Halifax 352 MW, Bladen 344 MW. Proposed: 669 MW under construction (18 plants) and 1,081 MW planned (15 plants); batteries 310 MW running and 495 MW proposed.
| North Carolina year | MW added | Cumulative share of today's MW |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 506 | 7% |
| 2020 | 611 | 16% |
| 2021 | 608 | 24% |
| 2022 | 278 | 28% |
| 2023 | 526 | 36% |
| 2024 | 122 | 38% |
| 2025 | 249 | 41% |
North Carolina: payback 15.2 years, rank 35 of 51
| Measure | Value | Rank of 51 | Median state |
|---|---|---|---|
| Output of 1 kW a year, kWh | 1,411 | 17 | 1,372 |
| Home price, ¢ per kWh | 14.02 | 35 | 15.37 |
| Value of 1 kW a year | $198 | 35 | $222 |
| Payback at $3.00 a watt | 15.2 years | 35 | 13.5 years |
EIA-861 (2024): 58,016 home net-metered systems in North Carolina, 11.4 per 1,000 accounts (rank 28), average 7.3 kW.
Sun inside North Carolina: 5 cities, 6% apart
| North Carolina city | kWh per kW a year | Against state point | Sun, kWh/m2 a day | Payback at $3.00 | Residents |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charlotte | 1,391 | -1.4% | 5.17 | 15.4 | 886,283 |
| Raleigh | 1,370 | -3.0% | 5.13 | 15.6 | 470,763 |
| Greensboro | 1,444 | +2.3% | 5.17 | 14.8 | 298,564 |
| Fayetteville | 1,431 | +1.4% | 5.12 | 14.9 | 209,692 |
| Wilmington | 1,450 | +2.7% | 5.26 | 14.8 | 118,578 |
North Carolina state point 35.52, -79.64; city points Charlotte 35.21, -80.83; Raleigh 35.83, -78.64; Greensboro 36.09, -79.82; Fayetteville 35.08, -78.97; Wilmington 34.21, -77.89. Panel and method: solar method.
Output by month in North Carolina cities: 12 rows
| North Carolina month | Charlotte | Raleigh | Greensboro | Fayetteville | Wilmington |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 93.1 | 93.7 | 101.7 | 97.5 | 99.0 |
| Feb | 100.0 | 92.6 | 105.4 | 100.7 | 99.3 |
| Mar | 116.6 | 121.8 | 124.8 | 124.4 | 133.9 |
| Apr | 130.7 | 133.8 | 133.3 | 142.2 | 142.2 |
| May | 139.9 | 134.0 | 151.1 | 145.0 | 152.5 |
| Jun | 132.2 | 133.3 | 139.5 | 135.2 | 135.5 |
| Jul | 137.1 | 136.4 | 141.9 | 140.2 | 138.2 |
| Aug | 127.2 | 128.3 | 128.9 | 131.9 | 127.1 |
| Sep | 121.5 | 119.5 | 124.9 | 118.2 | 114.5 |
| Oct | 109.9 | 104.1 | 110.6 | 109.6 | 114.3 |
| Nov | 98.8 | 89.5 | 98.6 | 98.8 | 104.2 |
| Dec | 84.2 | 82.6 | 83.0 | 87.6 | 89.5 |
North Carolina: 5 cities, best month 152 and worst 83 kWh per kW across them.
CSVBest and worst month in North Carolina: May 144, Dec 83 kWh per kW
| North Carolina month | kWh per kW | Price ¢ | Value per kW | kWh per kW per sun unit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 93.7 | 12.51 | $11.72 | 0.81 |
| Feb | 94.6 | 14.19 | $13.42 | 0.79 |
| Mar | 119.6 | 14.80 | $17.70 | 0.78 |
| Apr | 134.1 | 14.53 | $19.48 | 0.75 |
| May | 143.6 | 14.32 | $20.56 | 0.73 |
| Jun | 135.8 | 13.38 | $18.17 | 0.71 |
| Jul | 137.9 | 13.37 | $18.44 | 0.71 |
| Aug | 129.7 | 14.60 | $18.94 | 0.71 |
| Sep | 123.5 | 15.12 | $18.67 | 0.73 |
| Oct | 118.3 | 15.05 | $17.80 | 0.76 |
| Nov | 97.6 | 14.64 | $14.29 | 0.78 |
| Dec | 83.1 | 13.47 | $11.19 | 0.81 |
North Carolina: December to February give 19% of a year (rank 41 of 51, 1 = most winter); the best month is 1.7 times the worst. Output per unit of sun is highest in Jan (0.81) and lowest in Jul (0.71); PVWatts lowers cell output when the panel is hot, and the sun angle changes with the season. Our runs use one fixed 14% loss figure for every place, so snow or soiling in North Carolina is not modelled separately.
Net metering and CO2 in North Carolina
EIA-861 (2024): 58,016 home net-metered systems in North Carolina, 11.4 per 1,000 accounts (rank 28), average 7.3 kW.
6 kW in North Carolina: 8,468 kWh a year displaces 2.4 t CO2 at 0.283 kg per kWh, -0.6 t against the average state.
Sizes and prices per watt in North Carolina
| North Carolina kW | kWh a year | Value a year | Cost at $2.50 | At $3.00 | At $3.50 | t CO2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 5,646 | $792 | $10,000 | $12,000 | $14,000 | 1.6 |
| 6 | 8,468 | $1,187 | $15,000 | $18,000 | $21,000 | 2.4 |
| 8 | 11,291 | $1,583 | $20,000 | $24,000 | $28,000 | 3.2 |
| 10 | 14,114 | $1,979 | $25,000 | $30,000 | $35,000 | 4.0 |
| 12 | 16,937 | $2,375 | $30,000 | $36,000 | $42,000 | 4.8 |
| North Carolina $ per watt | 100% retail | 75% | 50% | 25% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2.00 | 10.1 | 13.5 | 20.2 | 40.4 |
| $2.50 | 12.6 | 16.8 | 25.3 | 50.5 |
| $3.00 | 15.2 | 20.2 | 30.3 | 60.6 |
| $3.50 | 17.7 | 23.6 | 35.4 | 70.8 |
| $4.00 | 20.2 | 27.0 | 40.4 | 80.9 |
North Carolina: 1,411 kWh/kW × 14.02 ¢ = 198 a year per kW; the 30% column (10.6 years at $3.00) is arithmetic only.
CSVNorth Carolina among its neighbours
| Closest to North Carolina | Payback, years | kWh per kW | Price, ¢ | Utility-scale solar, points of generation | Miles away |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Carolina (this page) | 15.2 | 1,411 | 14.02 | 8.9 | - |
| South Carolina | -1.5 | +52 | +0.94 | -5.8 | 132 |
| Virginia | -0.5 | -68 | +1.26 | -0.7 | 203 |
| West Virginia | +1.1 | -213 | +1.39 | -8.5 | 240 |
| District of Columbia | -5.3 | -20 | +7.92 | +9.4 | 274 |
North Carolina against its neighbours in the payback ranking
- -1 places, Virginia -0.5 years against North Carolina
- +0 places, Utah -0.3 years against North Carolina
- North Carolina, rank 35: 15.2 years
- +2 places, Oklahoma +0.1 years against North Carolina
- +3 places, Mississippi +0.5 years against North Carolina
North Carolina utilities and solar payback
| North Carolina utility | Homes | Price ¢ | Value of 1 kW | Payback at $3.00 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC | 1,919,372 | 13.94 | $197 | 15.2 yr |
| Duke Energy Progress | 1,356,079 | 15.54 | $219 | 13.7 yr |
| EnergyUnited Elec Member Corp | 121,995 | 11.54 | $163 | 18.4 yr |
| Brunswick Electric Member Corp | 105,562 | 13.66 | $193 | 15.6 yr |
| Union Electric Membership Corp | 84,602 | 13.37 | $189 | 15.9 yr |
| Jones-Onslow Elec Member Corp | 79,690 | 13.09 | $185 | 16.2 yr |
| Fayetteville Public Works Commission | 75,987 | 12.21 | $172 | 17.4 yr |
| Blue Ridge Elec Member Corp | 71,926 | 14.59 | $206 | 14.6 yr |
| Rutherford Elec Member Corp | 70,743 | 13.13 | $185 | 16.2 yr |
| Greenville Utilities Comm | 65,731 | 11.97 | $169 | 17.8 yr |
| Lumbee River Elec Member Corp | 64,396 | 12.81 | $181 | 16.6 yr |
| Wake Electric Membership Corp | 53,268 | 13.42 | $189 | 15.8 yr |
Your numbers for North Carolina
Limits in North Carolina
North Carolina: with the old 30% credit (IRS, ended 2025) payback would be 10.6 years instead of 15.2, so the calculator starts at 0%. No North Carolina export rates in our data: output counts at 14.02 ¢. All limits.
Sources for North Carolina
- PVWatts v8 (NLR), 5 North Carolina cities and one state point: 1,411 kWh per kW
- EIA-860 2025 and EIA-923 2025: 7,051 MW of solar in North Carolina
- EIA-861 2024: 58,016 net-metered systems in North Carolina
- EIA retail sales 2025: 14.02 ¢ per kWh in North Carolina
- IRS 25D (ended 2025): 10.6 years in North Carolina with it; licences and periods for North Carolina
More about North Carolina
North Carolina electricity hub, North Carolina EV charging: 1,885 stations, where North Carolina ranks for rooftop solar, 15.2 years against 51 states, North Carolina calculators.
Questions
North Carolina utility-scale solar capacity?
7,051 MW in 770 plants (EIA-860), 666 W per resident, rank 9; 1,750 MW proposed.
Winter cut in North Carolina solar output?
December to February give 19% of the year; May makes 144 kWh per kW and Dec 83.
North Carolina electricity from solar, what share?
8.9% of 2025 net generation, rank 14 of 51, +2.1 points against the nation.
Where in North Carolina is solar best?
Yes: 6% between Raleigh and Wilmington in yearly output.
Solar payback in North Carolina?
15.2 years at $3.00 a watt; 12.6 at $2.50; 17.7 at $3.50; 1,411 kWh per kW at 14.02 ¢.
North Carolina sunshine for solar panels?
1,411 kWh per kW a year at the state point, rank 17 of 51; from 1,370 in Raleigh to 1,450 in Wilmington.
Net metering in North Carolina?
58,016 systems, 11.4 per 1,000 accounts, rank 28.
North Carolina pays half price for exports?
Payback 30.3 years at a 50% retail share.
CO2 displaced in North Carolina?
2.4 t a year on 6 kW at 0.283 kg per kWh.
Federal solar credit in North Carolina: still available?
Ended 2025 (IRS 25D); with it North Carolina payback would be 10.6 years, not 15.2.