Charlotte and Mecklenburg County are looking to put recent sunshine to good use. Solar energy can reduce utility bills, but high upfront costs can deter the folks who could benefit most from the savings.
Solarize Charlotte-Mecklenburg is a group-purchase program for rooftop and ground-mounted solar systems. That means the more people who enroll, the lower the price.
Charlotte-based Renu Energy Solutions will conduct free evaluations for interested homeowners. In Raleigh’s 2022 Solarize campaign, 1,500 residents, nonprofits and businesses enrolled, installing more than 3 megawatts of power at $2.65 per kilowatt.
Solar soldiers on despite federal uncertainty
This group-purchase program joins a slew of other initiatives aimed at reducing the cost of clean energy. The 2022 Inflation Reduction Act, or IRA, created a solar tax credit for nonprofits.
“We’re seeing a lot of churches, a lot of schools and folks jump on board,” said Don Moreland, founder of Solar CrowdSource. The company has administered “Solarize” campaigns across the country. “They just haven’t been able to take advantage of it before.”
The U.S. House has proposed a budget that would undercut or eliminate many of the clean energy credits that the Inflation Reduction Act extended through 2034. This uncertainty has already caused an economic stutter step in the state’s clean energy sector, according to solar energy company owner Joel Olsen.
“With this indecision, or the ability for people to say, ‘Let’s just wait and see what’s happening’ — we’re going to feel [that] in nine to 12 to 15 months from now,” Olsen said.
Low consumer demand was already taking a toll on some North Carolina companies, even before the new administration. Charlotte-based Albemarle announced plans last fall to lay off 6% to 7% of its global workforce.
Wesley Davis of Charlotte-based MLS Electric warns that companies up and down the supply chain would suffer if the tax credits are compromised.
“When we got into local communities, we’re also hiring concrete finishers to finish the concrete pads,” Davis said. “We’re hiring earthing companies to dig our trenches and prepare for the underground power infrastructure that we’re putting in.”
More information: Solarize Charlotte-Mecklenburg
