Residential Solar · Across South Carolina
Residential solar,
done right for South Carolina.
Straight answers on whether solar fits your roof, your utility, and your HOA, then one local team that handles the rest.
Does residential solar work in South Carolina?
For many South Carolina homes, yes, but the answer turns on your utility rather than on the state. One-for-one net metering closed to new applicants on 1 June 2021, so exported power is now credited below retail and the share of production you use as you make it decides most of your payback. South Carolina's 25% state credit on Form TC-38 remains available, capped at $3,500 a tax year. The federal residential credit expired for systems placed in service on or after 1 January 2026.
The real problem
Rising rates, and no straight answer on whether solar fits your home
South Carolina utilities have pushed through back-to-back rate increases, and summer AC bills keep climbing. Meanwhile every national solar ad promises the moon and skips the details that actually matter: your roof, your shading, your utility’s net-metering rules, and your HOA.
We do it the other way around. We start with your specific situation, tell you honestly whether solar is worth it, and only then design a system, no high-pressure pitch, no guaranteed-savings gimmicks.
We handle everything
From first question to switched-on, one accountable local team
- 01
Free assessment & custom design
We review your roof, shading, and utility bill, then model a system tailored to your actual usage. Questions welcome, no pressure, no fixed quote.
- 02
Permitting, utility & HOA, handled
We pull permits, file the utility interconnection (Dominion, Duke, or your co-op), and prepare the HOA architectural-review packet. You don’t chase paperwork; we do.
- 03
Professional installation
Our experienced install teams mount premium, North America–made black-on-black panels, built and warrantied for long-term performance.
- 04
Inspection, activation & monitoring
We handle inspection and activation, then keep monitoring performance and stay reachable long after the system is live.
That includes the parts homeowners dread most, permits, the utility interconnection, and the HOA architectural-review packet. Read more about how we handle HOA solar approval, or what our lifetime warranty covers.
Honest numbers
What it costs, and what brings it down
There’s no honest fixed price for solar. What we can do is show you the real drivers and the 2026 incentives you actually qualify for.
What drives the price
System size (a ~9.5 kW average for the homes we design), roof complexity and shading, and your utility. We size to your bill, not our margin.
2026 incentives in South Carolina
South Carolina’s 25% state tax credit (up to $3,500/year, carried forward up to 10 years) plus property- and sales-tax exemptions. The federal residential credit ended in 2025, we won’t pretend otherwise. See financing & incentives →
What you’ll actually save
That depends on your roof, usage, and utility, so we don’t guess. A free assessment gives you real numbers for your home instead of a national average.
Built to look right
Panels you’ll be proud to have on your roof
Sleek black-on-black, North America–made panels in clean rows, placed on the rear or side of the home where the layout allows, so your street view stays sharp and HOA-friendly.
- Steadier energy costsGenerate your own power and lean less on the utility with every rate increase they announce.
- A home that stands outSleek black-on-black panels and rear/side placement designed for a clean street view.
- Backed for lifeLifetime full-system + roof-penetration warranty, on top of 25-yr manufacturer + 10-yr workmanship.
How we size a system, and why it is not from your roof
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System size follows your electricity usage, not your available roof area. The common failure mode in residential solar is a system sized to fill the roof, because roof area is what an installer can see on a satellite image and usage is what they have to ask for. A system larger than your consumption exports the surplus, and exported power is worth less than the power you avoid buying almost everywhere we work.
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We want twelve months of usage. A single summer bill produces an oversized system; a mild-month bill produces one that disappoints every August. The shape across the day matters too: a household at home during daylight, or with a pool pump, electric water heating or an EV charging in the afternoon, converts far more of its own production at the higher value than a household that is out all day.
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That is also why we will sometimes recommend a smaller system than you came in asking for. Going bigger is easy to sell and easy to regret when the surplus is credited at a fraction of retail.
When we tell people not to do it
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Heavy shading
Heavy shading is the most common reason. Mature tree cover that clears in winter can substantially shade a roof in July, which is why shade has to be modelled across the year rather than judged on the day of the survey. Removing trees to make solar work is a trade some people are happy with and many are not, and it should be an explicit decision rather than a surprise.
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Roof age
Roof age is the second. Installing on a roof with only a few years left means paying to remove and reinstall the array later, which normally costs more than re-roofing first. We say so when we see it, even though it delays the job and occasionally means recommending you spend money with a roofer before spending any with us.
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Low usage
Low usage is the third and least discussed. If your bill is genuinely small, the thing solar is displacing is small, and payback stretches past the point where it is a sensible use of capital. A short conversation about your actual annual spend resolves this faster than a survey does.
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Moving within a few years
Finally, if you are planning to move within a few years, the calculation changes from payback to resale, and the honest evidence on solar and resale value is far less settled than the industry implies. We would rather say that than quote a number we cannot support.
What the money looks like in 2026
- Federal credit, 2026
- The 30% federal residential credit expired for systems placed in service on or after 1 January 2026. We price without it. If you are holding a proposal that subtracts 30% federal from the net cost, that proposal is built on a template that has not been updated, and it is overstating your position by a large margin. It is the single most common error we see on competitor paperwork right now.
- South Carolina
- In South Carolina the 25% state credit on Form TC-38 still applies, capped at $3,500 in any one tax year and at 50% of your annual state tax liability, with a ten-year carry-forward. Because of the annual cap, most residential systems are claimed across two or three returns rather than recovered at once. That shape matters if you are budgeting around it. Confirm your own eligibility with a tax professional.
- Georgia and Virginia
- Georgia and Virginia have no state income tax credit for residential solar. In Virginia what carries a system instead is one-for-one retail net metering; in Georgia it is how much of your production you use on site, because exports earn substantially less than retail. Those are three genuinely different arguments, which is why we do not run one national savings model across all of them.
Who actually does the work
Residential solar FAQ
The questions we hear on almost every call
How much does residential solar cost in the Charleston area?
It depends on your system size, roof, and utility, there’s no honest one-size price. Most homes we design land around a 9.5 kW average, but the right number comes from a free assessment where we model your actual usage. We’ll give you real figures, not a generic quote.
Is solar still worth it now that the federal tax credit ended?
The federal residential tax credit expired at the end of 2025, so we won’t pretend it’s still there. What’s active in 2026 is South Carolina’s 25% state tax credit (up to $3,500 a year, carried forward up to 10 years) plus property- and sales-tax exemptions. Whether solar pencils out depends on your bill and utility, the assessment shows you honestly.
Will my HOA approve solar, and who handles the paperwork?
In most South Carolina neighborhoods, yes, and you won’t manage it alone. We prepare the architectural-review packet and coordinate directly with your HOA as part of every install. Handling the HOA approval is our job, not yours.
Will solar panels look bad or hurt my home’s resale value?
We install sleek black-on-black panels in clean rows, and where the layout allows we place them on the rear or side of the roof to keep the street view clean. Studies have found owned solar can make homes more attractive to buyers, we’ll walk you through what the research shows for your market.
What warranty comes with a Sunburst install, and what if the roof leaks?
A lifetime workmanship warranty on the full system and on roof penetrations, on top of the 25-year manufacturer warranty and 10-year workmanship coverage. If a penetration we made ever leaks, that’s on us to fix, for the life of the system.
How do you decide what size system I need?
From twelve months of your electricity usage and the shape of it across the day, not from how much roof you have. A system sized to fill the roof usually exports a surplus, and exported power is worth less than the power you avoid buying. We will sometimes recommend a smaller system than you asked for.
Can I still get the 30% federal solar tax credit?
Not for systems placed in service on or after 1 January 2026: it expired. Any quote that still subtracts it is working from an outdated template. In South Carolina the 25% state credit on Form TC-38 still applies, capped at $3,500 per tax year with a ten-year carry-forward.
Will you tell me if solar is not worth it for my home?
Yes, and we do. Heavy shading, a roof with only a few years left, or genuinely low usage are the three common reasons. We put it in writing before anything is ordered rather than after.
Should I replace my roof before installing solar?
If it has only a few years left, usually yes. Installing over it means paying to remove and reinstall the array later, which normally costs more than re-roofing first.
Does solar increase my home’s resale value?
The honest answer is that the evidence is far less settled than the industry implies, and it varies by market and by whether the system is owned outright. We would rather say that than quote a figure we cannot support. If you are moving within a few years, that changes the calculation materially.
Read first
Read before you sign a residential solar contract
The same guides we hand homeowners during an assessment, written to help you audit any proposal, including ours.
- Georgia solar
Cobb EMC Solar: Buyback, Rate Plans and Rooftop Approval
Compare Cobb EMC solar using the current buyback tariff, your rate plan and roof. Understand batteries, approval and costs before requesting an assessment.
16 min read - Solar Planning
Solar Savings in Evans: Check Your Bill, Utility and Quote
Review an Evans solar quote against your actual bill, utility export terms and Columbia County property scope before relying on projected savings.
16 min read - Buyer Guide
Georgia Solar Interconnection Studies: Costs, Delays and Decisions
Understand Georgia solar interconnection studies, upgrade costs and approval contingencies before construction. Prepare a clearer solar assessment request.
16 min read - Georgia solar
Georgia Power Solar PTO: From Application to Approval
Track Georgia Power solar permission to operate with a clear application, inspection and approval checklist. Understand responsibilities before signing a quote.
16 min read - Georgia solar
Georgia Power Solar Buyback: Credits, Sizing and Your Bill
Understand Georgia Power solar buyback, 2026 export credits and system sizing. Compare your bill, proposed equipment and backup goals before requesting a quote.
16 min read - Residential Solar
Georgia Solar Savings in Summer and Winter: Use Monthly Data
Compare Georgia solar savings across summer and winter using monthly production, household use, actual tariffs, and a transparent property-specific model.
16 min read
Keep exploring
Related services & resources
Free assessment · South Carolina
Get real numbers for your roof
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
Free, no-pressure assessment
See if residential solar is right for your home
Tell us a little about your home and we’ll put together a clear, honest look at your options, including whether solar is even the right call for you.
Mon–Sat, 10am–6:30pm ET · We typically follow up within the hour.