Duke Energy Solar Buyback Rates in the Carolinas 2026 — What You’ll Actually Earn

If you’re a Duke Energy customer in North Carolina or South Carolina, one of the first questions you’ll ask before going solar is: what does Duke actually pay me for the power I send back to the grid? The answer is more complicated than a simple cents-per-kilowatt number — and it’s changed significantly in the past few years in ways that affect your return on investment.

Here’s what Duke Energy’s solar buyback and net metering programs actually look like in 2026, what you’ll realistically earn, and what changes are coming that every Carolinas solar buyer should know about.

How Duke Energy’s Net Metering Works in the Carolinas

Duke Energy operates two regulated utilities in the Carolinas: Duke Energy Carolinas (DEC), which serves much of western NC and parts of SC, and Duke Energy Progress (DEP), which serves central and eastern NC and parts of SC. Both offer net metering to residential solar customers, but the specific rates and program terms differ.

Under net metering, when your solar panels produce more electricity than you’re using at that moment, the excess flows to the grid and your meter runs backward — or more accurately, a credit accumulates on your bill. You draw on those credits during evening hours or cloudy days. Most Carolinas solar homeowners see net monthly credits accumulate in summer (long days, high production) that offset winter bills when days are shorter.

Duke Energy Carolinas Net Metering Rate — 2026

Duke Energy Carolinas credits excess solar generation at the full retail electricity rate, which in 2026 is approximately $0.12–$0.14 per kWh for most residential customers depending on rate schedule. That means for every kilowatt-hour you send to the grid, you get the same credit as what you’d pay to buy that electricity back — a favorable arrangement called “one-to-one” or full-retail net metering.

Credits that exceed your monthly usage roll forward to subsequent months. At the end of each year (the “true-up” period), Duke pays out any remaining credit balance, but at the avoided cost rate — which is significantly lower than retail, typically around $0.03–$0.04 per kWh. This means it’s in your interest to size your system to roughly match your annual consumption, not to significantly overproduce.

Duke Energy Progress Net Metering Rate — 2026

Duke Energy Progress operates under a similar structure but has different base electricity rates. DEP residential customers in 2026 pay approximately $0.11–$0.13 per kWh, and net metering credits at that same retail rate. The annual true-up buyback rate at avoided cost applies here as well.

One important distinction: Duke Energy Progress serves areas that were previously Progress Energy territories, and their rate cases have historically moved through the NC Utilities Commission differently than DEC cases. If you’re in a DEP service territory, it’s worth confirming your specific rate schedule with your utility directly before sizing your system.

What’s Changing — The Push to Reduce Net Metering

Duke Energy has been advocating before the NC Utilities Commission for changes to how it compensates solar customers. The utility argues that full-retail net metering doesn’t account for the costs of grid maintenance that non-solar customers bear, and has pushed for a lower compensation rate closer to avoided cost or a “value of solar” rate.

As of 2026, full-retail net metering remains in place for residential customers, but the regulatory pressure is real. Several other states — Nevada, California, Hawaii — have already reduced net metering compensation significantly. North Carolina is not immune to that trend.

The practical implication for 2026 solar buyers: systems installed under the current full-retail net metering structure are typically grandfathered for 10–15 years under their interconnection agreement. Locking in now means your economics are protected even if the program changes for future customers.

Battery Storage — A Way to Reduce Dependence on Buyback Rates

One strategy that’s grown more popular as net metering rates face pressure: pair your solar panels with a home battery. Instead of exporting excess generation to the grid at retail (or potentially lower) rates, you store it and use it yourself at night — effectively “buying” your own power at $0.00/kWh.

Home battery options worth considering for Carolinas homeowners include the Zendure SolarFlow for a modular storage approach, or the EcoFlow DELTA Pro Ultra for a whole-home backup system. If Duke’s buyback rate eventually drops, having storage means the rate change matters far less to your economics.

How to Estimate Your Solar Buyback Income From Duke

Estimating what you’ll earn in net metering credits requires knowing your monthly consumption pattern, your panel system’s expected production, and your seasonal usage highs and lows. Most solar installers in the Carolinas will produce a 12-month production vs. consumption model as part of their proposal — ask specifically to see the month-by-month projection, not just an annual total.

A well-sized 9–11kW system for the average Carolinas home producing around 12,000–14,000 kWh/year against consumption of 13,000 kWh/year will result in minimal end-of-year excess — meaning minimal exposure to the lower avoided-cost true-up rate. That sizing approach maximizes the value of full-retail net metering.

Duke’s Solar Choice and Shared Solar Programs

Duke Energy also offers optional green power programs — Solar Choice and Community Solar in some territories — that let customers pay a premium to source their electricity from solar without installing panels. These are subscription programs, not buyback programs, so they work differently from rooftop net metering. They’re worth knowing about if you can’t install solar (rental property, shaded roof, HOA restrictions) but want to support solar generation.

Bottom Line

Duke Energy’s current net metering program in the Carolinas — full-retail credit with annual true-up — is one of the more favorable structures in the Southeast in 2026. But it’s under regulatory pressure, and history shows these programs tend to get less generous over time, not more. If you’re a Duke Energy customer in NC or SC seriously considering solar, the current program terms are a genuine reason to act now rather than wait. A system locked in under today’s interconnection agreement keeps its rate structure protected even if the program changes for future customers.