Is solar worth it in South Carolina?

South Carolina gets good sunshine — about 4.7 peak sun hours a day — and residential electricity runs around $0.15/kWh. For a typical $150-a-month power bill, that points to roughly a 8.7-kW system costing about $26,231 — with no federal tax credit, which ended for installations completed after December 31, 2025 — paying for itself in about 14.6 years and netting on the order of $35,133 over 25 years. Your own numbers will differ — the calculator above uses your real bill.

South Carolina gets solid sun and has had favorable net metering, making payback competitive. Rates are mid-range, so with the federal credit gone it is full-value net metering that carries the savings.

What changes the math in South Carolina

• Your electricity rate — the more you pay per kWh, the more each solar kWh saves you. South Carolina sits at about $0.15.
• Sun hours — more sun means a smaller, cheaper system covers the same usage. South Carolina averages ~4.7 hours.
• Net metering / buyback — how your utility credits power you export swings the payback; check your specific utility's current terms.
• Install cost — quotes vary by installer and roof; the calculator defaults to a typical $/watt you can override.

South Carolina: the rules that actually decide your payback

Who your utility is, and why it matters

Dominion Energy South Carolina serves the Columbia and Aiken region; Duke Energy Carolinas and Duke Energy Progress split the Upstate and the Pee Dee; Santee Cooper and the state's electric cooperatives cover much of the rural state. Each carrier's net-metering terms differ, so the utility is the first fact.

What your exported power is worth

The landscape splits by carrier. Dominion offers a 1:1 retail credit but requires solar customers on a time-of-use rate (with a monthly charge around $14) and trues up annual excess at avoided cost (roughly 2.8-3.4¢/kWh). Duke's Net Metering 2.0 (since October 2023) is a variable, demand-based structure crediting exports around 10-11¢/kWh with an annual payout. Customers who enrolled during the May 2019-May 2021 grandfathering window keep full-retail rates until May 31, 2029.

The South Carolina incentive layer

South Carolina has no state income-tax credit for panels. The 25% state tax credit that once existed is gone; the export structure your utility offers is the entire state-level economics, which makes the choice between Dominion's and Duke's terms the pivotal comparison for any quote.

Battery and self-consumption

On Dominion's mandatory TOU rate, a battery that discharges through the evening peak earns the spread between peak and off-peak pricing, which turns the storage question from a comfort purchase into an arbitrage one. On Duke's demand-based structure, batteries that shave the household's peak demand can reduce the demand charge — the model the utility itself designed the tariff around.

What to check on a South Carolina quote

• Identify your utility before comparing quotes: Dominion, Duke, or a cooperative — the export structures are not interchangeable.
• If Dominion serves you, ask whether the $14/month TOU charge is included in the model, and what the annual avoided-cost true-up does to the assumed credit value.
• If Duke serves you, ask whether the model is based on Net Metering 2.0's variable rates or the pre-2023 structure — the difference is substantial.
• Grandfathered (2019-2021 enrolment) customers: confirm what happens to your terms if you expand or replace the system.

Programme and tariff detail above is summarised from South Carolina PSC — solar choice metering. Last reviewed 20 August 2026 by SolarDime editorial. These rules change — confirm the current terms with your utility and the regulator before you sign.