Is solar worth it in Charlotte in 2026?
A roof in Charlotte produces about 1,425 kWh a year per kW of panels. For a home with a $150 monthly bill, a 8.5 kW system costs about $34,665 at North Carolina's median price and pays for itself in roughly 21.9 years, with no federal tax credit.
1,425kWh per kW a year
Source: PVGIS, NSRDB data
14.9¢per kWh
Source: EIA, 2026 year to date
$4.10per watt
Source: Berkeley Lab
Calculator · 2026 data, no federal tax credit
How long would solar take to pay for itself?
Simple payback
21.9 years
- System size
- 8.5 kW
- Installed cost
- $34,665
- Savings, year one
- $1,584
- Net over 25 years
- $2,648
Sized to cover your yearly use at today's price. Panels lose 0.5% a year; prices held flat. Method
How Charlotte homes get paid for solar
Export rules are set at the state and utility level, not by the city. Charlotte is under North Carolina's net billing: Duke Energy's Residential Solar Choice (since Oct 1, 2023) nets use and production each month, then credits surplus at avoided cost, below retail. New customers move to it in 2027. The full rules, incentives and sources are on theNorth Carolina page.
Why the city matters
Two things change from one city to another in the same state: the sun, which sets how many panels you need, and the utility, which sets what exported power is worth. Charlotte gets 1,425 kWh per kW a year on a south-facing roof at a 20° tilt, so covering a year of use for a $150 bill at 14.9¢ takes about 8.5 kW, roughly 22 panels of 400 W. Electricity prices in the calculator are the North Carolina residential average; your utility's rate can be higher or lower, so put your own bill in.
Other North Carolina cities: Raleigh.
Method: how we calculate payback. Compare all states in theranking or size a system with the panel calculator.