An honest answer · South Carolina · 2026
Are solar panels worth it in South Carolina?
The short answer · as of July 2026
For some South Carolina homes yes, and for others no. More than anything else, your utility decides it: none of them credits exported power at retail any more, and they differ widely in what they do pay. It works best for a home with a sound, unshaded roof, a bill above roughly $150 a month, meaningful daytime use and a plan to stay ten years. The 30% federal credit is gone for 2026 installs; the 25% state credit on Form TC-38 is not.
The variable that decides it
Is solar worth it in South Carolina? It depends on your utility
The same roof produces the same power on two neighbouring streets and can be worth measurably different amounts, because South Carolina is split between investor-owned, state-owned and cooperative utilities. Figures as of July 2026.
| Utility | Where | Retail rate | Export credit | Worth knowing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dominion Energy South Carolina | Charleston, Columbia, Summerville, Aiken and most of the Lowcountry and Midlands | about 14.4¢ per kWh | roughly 2.8–4.1¢ per kWh | Solar Choice rider of about $14 a month. No upfront rebate. |
| Santee Cooper | Horry County and the Grand Strand, plus pockets of the Lowcountry | about 11.4¢ per kWh | about 4.16¢ per kWh in summer and 3.84¢ outside summer | The only upfront rebate in the state, rationed by a first-come waitlist. |
| Duke Energy Carolinas | York County and the Upstate, including Fort Mill | confirmed against your own tariff | roughly 2.6–4¢ per kWh | We do not publish a Duke retail rate we have not verified against your bill. |
| Electric cooperatives (Berkeley, Aiken, Palmetto and others) | Much of rural and suburban South Carolina, often street by street | set by each cooperative board | set by each cooperative, confirmed per account | Cooperatives sit outside the state net metering chapter, so each sets its own export credit. |
Your utility is decided by your address, not your choice, and co-op territory often runs street by street. We read it off your bill before designing anything. The full comparison of the two biggest coastal utilities is in our Dominion vs Santee Cooper buyback guide.
Payback
How long solar takes to pay back in South Carolina
Illustrative simple payback on a 9.5 kW system after the 25% state credit, at three shares of production used on site. The self-use share matters more than any equipment choice, because exported power is worth a fraction of power you use.
| Used on site | Dominion Energy South Carolina | Santee Cooper (no rebate) |
|---|---|---|
| 40% | roughly 20 years | roughly 19 years |
| 60% | roughly 15 years | roughly 16 years |
| 80% | roughly 12 years | roughly 14 years |
Myrtle Beach has the lowest retail electricity rate of any market we serve, at about 11.4¢ per kWh, which lengthens payback because there is less to offset. Pulling the other way, Santee Cooper is the only utility in our territory offering a real upfront rebate. With the rebate secured, payback can land several years shorter than the table below. Without it, the table is the honest picture. The rebate is waitlisted, so we do not assume it.
For your own city, the cost page for your market shows the full ladder: Charleston, Columbia, Myrtle Beach.
What changed
Why the answer changed after 2025
Three things moved in the same direction. One-for-one net metering closed to new applicants on 1 June 2021. Full-retail grandfathering for customers who applied before 16 May 2019 ended on 31 December 2025. And the 30% federal residential credit expired for systems placed in service on or after 1 January 2026. Our guide, is there still a federal solar tax credit in 2026?, sets out the position in full.
What survived is South Carolina's own package. South Carolina offers a 25% state income tax credit on Form TC-38, capped at $3,500 in any one tax year and at 50% of your annual state liability, with a ten-year carry-forward. Qualifying residential systems of 20 kW or less are exempt from South Carolina property tax. Solar equipment is exempt from South Carolina state sales tax. The detail is on our South Carolina solar tax credit page.
None of that means solar stopped working here. It means the margin for error narrowed: right-sizing and daytime self-consumption now matter far more than they did, and an oversized system sold on old assumptions does not pay.
Two lists
Who solar suits in South Carolina, and who it doesn't
Solar usually makes sense if
- Your power bill runs above roughly $150 a month.
- Your roof is sound with 10+ years left, or you are replacing it anyway.
- You have unshaded south, west or east-facing roof area.
- A meaningful share of your usage is during daylight.
- You plan to stay 10 years or more.
- You have South Carolina tax liability to absorb the non-refundable 25% credit.
Solar is probably not right if
- Your bill is under roughly $90 a month, or about $110 in Santee Cooper territory, where the retail rate is lowest.
- Your roof needs replacing within about five years.
- Tree canopy shades your best roof planes for much of the day.
- Almost all your usage is after dark and you will not shift load or add storage.
- You are likely to move within five years.
- You are being sold on a 30% federal credit. That quote is wrong.
Where you live
Is solar worth it in your South Carolina city?
Each city page applies the same test to that market's utility, roofs and permits.
- Is solar worth it in Charleston?
- Is solar worth it in Mount Pleasant?
- Is solar worth it in Daniel Island?
- Is solar worth it in Summerville?
- Is solar worth it in North Charleston?
- Is solar worth it in Columbia?
- Is solar worth it in Beaufort?
- Is solar worth it in Hilton Head Island?
- Is solar worth it in Hanahan?
- Is solar worth it in Bluffton?
- Is solar worth it in Walterboro?
- Is solar worth it in Ridgeville?
- Is solar worth it in Blythewood?
- Is solar worth it in Lexington?
- Is solar worth it in Sumter?
- Is solar worth it in Florence?
- Is solar worth it in Myrtle Beach?
- Is solar worth it in Fort Mill?
Free assessment · South Carolina
Find out if solar is worth it for your home
We read your bill, check who actually serves your meter, and tell you what your roof will carry. If solar does not make sense at your address, we will say so, and that answer is free too.
- We confirm who actually serves your meter before we quote anything
- We pull the permits and handle the interconnection paperwork
- If your HOA needs an architectural-review packet, we prepare it
Prefer to talk? (843) 310-1128
South Carolina worth-it FAQ
The questions people actually ask us
Are solar panels worth it in South Carolina in 2026?
For some homes yes, for others no. The deciding variable is your utility: Dominion Energy South Carolina credits exports at roughly 2.8–4.1¢ per kWh against about 14.4¢ per kWh, and Santee Cooper at about 4.16¢ per kWh in summer and 3.84¢ outside summer against about 11.4¢ per kWh. A home that uses most of its solar production during the day, has a sound unshaded roof, a bill above roughly $150 a month and plans to stay ten years usually makes sense. A home with heavy shade, a low bill, an ageing roof or a likely move within five years usually does not.
Is there still a federal solar tax credit in South Carolina?
No. The 30% federal residential credit expired for systems placed in service on or after 1 January 2026. A 2026 quote that subtracts it is wrong, and that is a reason to walk away from the company rather than from solar.
What incentives are left in South Carolina?
South Carolina offers a 25% state income tax credit on Form TC-38, capped at $3,500 in any one tax year and at 50% of your annual state liability, with a ten-year carry-forward. Qualifying residential systems of 20 kW or less are exempt from South Carolina property tax. Solar equipment is exempt from South Carolina state sales tax.
How long is the payback on solar in South Carolina?
On Dominion Energy South Carolina it runs from roughly 12 years for a household that uses 80% of its production on site to roughly 20 years at 40%, on a typical 9.5 kW system. How much of your production you use yourself matters more than any equipment choice.
Is net metering still available in South Carolina?
Not one-for-one. Full retail net metering closed to new applicants on 1 June 2021 and full-retail grandfathering for the earliest adopters ended on 31 December 2025. Exports are now credited at well below retail, and the rate depends on your utility.
Can my HOA stop me installing solar in South Carolina?
South Carolina has no solar access law, so your HOA’s governing documents decide what is allowed. We read them first and prepare the architectural-review packet as part of every install.
Keep reading
Guides behind the “is it worth it” maths
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What Determines a Monthly Solar Payment?
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27 min read
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