NC may quickly lag behind different states in photo voltaic capability

FILED A PETITION AGAINST THE SUCH SUSPECT. NEW AT 4:00, ENERGY BILLS HELP HELP SOLAR INDUSTRY IN A RECORD YEAR. NORTH CAROLINA CURRENTLY RANKS FOURTH IN THE NATION FOR SOLAR ENERGY CAPACITY, BUT A NEW REPORT PREDICTS OUR STATE TO FALL LOWER IN THE NATION. BILL O’NEILL JOINS US FROM GREENSBORO WITH THIS STORY. NORTH CAROLINA RANKED SECOND HIGHER IN THE NATION FOR SOLAR CAPACITY. JUST A FEW YEARS AGO, A NEW SOLAR INDUSTRY REPORT NOW PREDICTS NORTH CAROLINA TO FALL 28TH IN THE NATION IN THE NEXT FIVE YEARS. SOLAR SURPASSED COAL IN NORTH CAROLINA LAST YEAR, PRODUCING 8% OF STATE’S ELECTRICITY. ADVOCATES FOR SOLAR SAY IT IS THE CHEAPEST FORM OF ENERGY AVAILABLE TODAY. WHY DOES THE SOLAR INDUSTRY PREDICT THAT NORTH CAROLINA WILL FALL AHEAD OF OTHER STATES IN SOLAR CAPACITY? IN NORTH CAROLINA IN PARTICULAR, YOU HAVE, UM, VAROUS STRONG UTILITIES. UM, AND THEY WANT TO, UH, THEY HAVE CUSTOMERS OF THEMSELVES. AND SO THAT’S A LITTLE CHALLENGING. SOLAR INDUSTRIES ASSOCIATION HEAD BLAME NET METERING. THAT’S WHERE UTILITY COMPANIES PAY CONSUMERS FOR THE ENERGY THEY SEND BACK TO THE GRID. THAT’S THEY CAN CHOOSE TO DO. UM, AND SOME CHANGES TO NET METERING THAT WOULD MAKE THAT CHOICE HARD. THAT IS WHY WE CANNOT COMMENT PARTICULARLY NOW. THE CHIEF OF NORTH CAROLINA’S SUSTAINABLE ENERGY ASSOCIATION SAYS HE CANNOT COMMENT ON NET METERING BECAUSE OF DUKE ENERGY’S LEGISLATION. MATT ABEL SAYS THE RECENT HIKES IN UTILITY BILLS ARE THE RESULT OF ENERGY COMPANIES BEING OVER RELIANCE ON GAS. HE SAYS THE COMBINATION OF THE 30% FEDERAL TAX CREDIT FOR SOLAR, PLUS DUKE ENERGY’S POWER PAIR PROGRAM GIVES HOMEOWNERS. $9,000 IN UP-FRONT INCENTIVES TO INSTALL SOLAR PANELS AND BATTERIES, MAKING IT A GOOD INVESTMENT FOR MANY HOMEOWNERS. YOU CAN PAY YOUR SYSTEM WELL FOR YOUR SYSTEM. YOU NEED TO REPLACE THE SYSTEM YOURSELF. SO FROM AN INVESTMENT STANDPOINT, UH, WE SEE THIS AS A REALLY GOOD INVESTMENT FOR A LOT OF HOMEOWNERS THROUGHOUT THE STATE. LOCALLY, GREENSBORO INSPECTORS SAID THEY HAVE SEEN AN INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF HOMES AND BUSINESSES INSTALLING SOLAR. THE CITY HAS A WEBSITE TESTING SOLAR INSTALLATIONS. THEY CAN ALSO CHECK THEIR CONTRACTOR, SEE IF THEIR CONTRACTOR IS LEGIT OR HAVE TALKED TO THEM. IT’S ALL ON THE SAME WEBSITE. ALL HISTORY. THE DIRECTOR OF THE NORTH CAROLINA SUSTAINABLE ENERGY ASSOCIATION PREDICTS A BIG REBOUND IN THE COMING YEARS, THANKS IN PART TO THE FEDERAL TAX BREAK. THE DUKE ENERGY POWER PAIR AND THE LOWER COSTS OF SOLAR PANELS AND BATTERIES. IN GREENSBORO, I’M BILL O’NEILL, WXII 12 NEWS. BILL. THANK YOU. IF YOU WANT MORE DETAILS ON INSTALLING SOLAR PANELS IN YOUR OWN HOME, YOU CAN VISIT THE NC SOLAR CONSUMER GUIDE ONLINE ADDRESS YOU CAN FIND