Solar power in North Carolina facts for kids

A solar power setup at Fort Bragg.

North Carolina is becoming a leader in using Solar power, which is energy from the sun. In 2007, the state had very little solar power, but by 2019, it had grown to 6,152 MW (megawatts). This made North Carolina the second-biggest state for solar power in the U.S.

This growth happened because of help from the government. The state has a plan called a Renewable Portfolio Standard. This plan aimed for 12.5% of the state's energy to come from renewable sources by 2021. North Carolina also offered tax credits for renewable energy. Both of these things helped more solar farms get built.

Did you know that North Carolina is also known for something called "solar shepherds"? This is when farmers let sheep graze around solar power plants. The sheep eat the grass, which saves money on trimming it. It's a clever way to combine farming and clean energy!

By June 2019, about 5.81% of North Carolina's electricity came from solar power. The state was ranked second in the country for total installed solar panels.

Source: NREL

Solar Power Plants in North Carolina

Many large solar power projects are currently working in North Carolina. These projects help power homes and businesses across the state.

Dominion Energy Solar Farms

Dominion Energy runs several solar farms in North Carolina. Here are some of their biggest projects:

Duke Energy Solar Farms

Duke Energy also has many solar projects. Some of these projects sell electricity to other companies or universities.

Duke Energy also operates solar farms that are part of their main power grid:

Solar panels at Sandy Grove Middle School in Robeson County.

In 2014, Duke Energy promised to invest $500 million to build more solar power in North Carolina. This included plans for several new large solar farms:

• Warsaw Solar Facility (65 MW) in Duplin County. This was planned to be the largest solar plant east of the Mississippi River at the time.
• Elm City Solar Facility (40 MW) in Wilson County.
• Fayetteville Solar Facility (23 MW) in Bladen County.

Duke Energy also planned to buy energy from five other new solar projects across the state.

Other Large Solar Producers

Other companies also operate big solar farms in North Carolina. Recurrent Energy, which is part of Canadian Solar, has two large projects:

How Much Solar Energy is Made?

The U.S. Energy Information Agency collects data on how much electricity is generated. Here's a summary of North Carolina's solar energy production:

Note: GWh means Gigawatt-hours, a way to measure a lot of electricity. "How Well it Works" (Capacity factor) shows how much power a solar farm actually produces compared to its maximum possible output.

How solar energy was generated in North Carolina in 2017.

Here's a closer look at how much solar energy was generated each month by large power plants in North Carolina:

Besides large solar farms, there are also smaller solar setups, like on homes or businesses. These are called "distributed solar." Here's how much extra energy they added in North Carolina:

Duke Energy Solar Rebates

In 2018, Duke Energy offered a $62 million program to help people and businesses install solar panels. This was part of a new law signed by Governor Roy Cooper in 2017. The program needed approval from the North Carolina Utilities Commission.

Here's how the rebate program worked:

Customers could also choose to rent solar equipment from another company.

The North Carolina Utilities Commission approved the program in April 2018. It helped Duke Energy customers who installed solar systems and a special meter called a bi-directional meter after January 1, 2018. A bi-directional meter can measure electricity flowing both into and out of your home.

See also

In Spanish: Energía solar en Carolina del Norte para niños