Solarize Charlotte

Qualifications include:

• Own a home within Charlotte, NC;
• Household income up to 80% AMI for a no-cost, fully installed solar system;
• Your electricity is provided by a utility company that has acceptable solar policies including Duke Energy;
• Have a roof under 15 years old (priority given to roofs that are ten years or less);
• Have a roof that gets a lot of sunlight;
• Home is in good structural condition;
• Home has already been weatherized for energy efficiency;
• Pre-qualification through Solarize Charlotte partner organizations including Centralina;

If you think you are qualified and want to join the program, you will be connected with Centralina and the Solarize Charlotte team to talk further. For those that are selected for the program, the solar installer for Solarize Charlotte, Renu Energy Solutions, will walk you through the process of getting solar installed, including a physical site assessment, and you would then enter into a contract with you for a 4-kilowatt solar energy system. Based on your income qualification, Solarize Charlotte will fund 100% of the installed system. Your solar panels will be installed within the next four to six months and will get connected to the electric grid, inspected, and turned on!

This depends on your home insurance policy. Once a rooftop solar panel system is installed on your home, it is considered part of your home under most home insurance plans. In many cases, covering your solar panels under your home insurance won’t create the need for a special add-on, won’t change your plan, and won’t increase your premiums. That being said, every insurance policy is different, which is why you should still contact your insurance company to confirm that your solar panels are covered and whether your policy coverage limit will need to be raised so that you can be confident you’re covered for all possibilities.

Solar panels (and battery storage) do not increase a homeowners property tax/valuation. NC Gen. Stat. 101-275(16) exempts non-business property from being taxed. This letter from the NC Department of Revenue makes clear that it is exempt. Systems installed on the premises of a business are most likely taxable; however, they would be subject to an 80% exclusion (so only taxed at 20% of their value), per NC Gen. Stat. 101-275(45).

Solarize Charlotte solar energy systems will come with a 25-year warranty for the panels, 25-year warranty for the inverter, and 10-year workmanship warranty from Renu Energy Solutions. If there are any issues, contact our NC solar installer partner, Renu Energy Solutions at 704-525-6767 or service@renuenergysolutions.com.

This depends on your household’s electricity consumption. A home that currently has a $100 per month power bill will typically see at least 50% average savings per month. Renu Energy Solutions will work with you to help you understand how to read your utility bill including the base charge.

Solar electric panels are very durable and designed to sustain one-inch hail falling at approximately 50 miles per hour. The solar electric panels themselves are warrantied for 25 years but have a longer life expectancy than that. There are solar electric systems that were installed in the 1970's that are still functioning today! For instances caused by extreme weather that may result in a tree falling on your home and/or damaging your solar panels, you would contact your home insurance provider to file a claim.

Solar panels generally require very little maintenance in order to function. The only thing they need is a periodic light cleaning to make sure dirt, leaves, and other debris aren't obstructing the sun's rays. This can normally be accomplished via seasonal rainfall without any action needed on your part.

Yes.

• Significant tree cover can provide lots of shade for your home and reduce your cooling costs, but solar panels need sun to produce energy
• If your roof is more than 10 years old or is in need of replacement, you should consider your plan to reroof before installing solar panels. There are significant costs for removing and then re-installing solar panels.
• Your roof is situated in such a way that it limits the size of a system that can be installed; in other words, there isn’t enough roof space to install a 5 kW system.

If a shade tree is in the sun's way, there are other ways to save money on energy. For example, insulation and air sealing are the two most cost-effective upgrades to your home that will lower the energy you use, but also make your home a healthier place to live. Energy conservation upgrades are beneficial not just for your wallet, but for the internal air quality of your home too. Consumer advocates at Centralina are available to connect you with people who can help you make energy upgrades when they’re needed, without exorbitant cost.