2026 incentives · Myrtle Beach, SC
Solar incentives in Myrtle Beach, SC
Two things changed for Myrtle Beach in 2026: the 30% federal credit ended on December 31, 2025, and Santee Cooper moved new solar customers onto Santee Cooper's net metering and rebate programme. Here is what is actually left, and what it is worth on a real roof.
The short answer · as of July 2026
Myrtle Beach homeowners can claim South Carolina’s 25% state tax credit (Form TC-38), capped at $3,500 per tax year with a 10-year carry-forward, plus property-tax exemption on qualifying systems of 20 kW or less and sales-tax exemption on equipment. Santee Cooper credits exported power at about 4.16¢ per kWh in summer and 3.84¢ outside summer under Santee Cooper's net metering and rebate programme. The 30% federal credit is no longer available.
Local incentive reality
The incentive picture in Myrtle Beach
Myrtle Beach is the one market in our territory with a genuine upfront utility rebate: Santee Cooper runs a real residential programme. It has also been waitlisted, which is the part that matters when you are comparing quotes. Ask any installer whose price depends on it to state plainly what your cost and payback become if the rebate does not arrive, because a projection that only works with a waitlisted incentive is a hope rather than a forecast.
Horry Electric Cooperative serves many addresses around the city rather than Santee Cooper, and the cooperative sets its own terms with no equivalent rebate to assume. So the first question is not which incentive you qualify for but which utility bills you, and the answer is on your bill rather than inferable from the address. Get that settled before any comparison begins.
The state credit applies as it does everywhere: 25% of installed cost capped at $3,500 a tax year with carry-forward, plus the property- and sales-tax exemptions, administered here through Horry County. Worth noting alongside it that Santee Cooper's retail rate is around 11.4 cents, the lowest we work with, so each kilowatt-hour you offset is worth less here than in Dominion or Duke territory. The incentives are the same; the value of what they buy is not.
Written for Myrtle Beach specifically. Your own roof, bill and meter still decide the answer, which is what the free assessment settles.
Start here, it matters most
What Santee Cooper pays you for solar in Myrtle Beach
People search for incentives and mean tax credits. In Myrtle Beach the bigger lever is what your utility credits you for the power you send back, because that applies every month for 25 years rather than once at tax time.
| Item | Current position (July 2026) |
|---|---|
| Programme | Santee Cooper's net metering and rebate programme, which replaced one-for-one net metering for new residential systems from January 1, 2026 |
| Retail rate you avoid | about 11.4¢ per kWh for power you use as you generate it |
| Export credit | about 4.16¢ per kWh in summer and 3.84¢ outside summer for power you send back, on a time-of-use basis |
| Monthly rider | None specific to this programme, though standard service charges still apply. |
| Annual true-up | Leftover credits settle each November at an avoided-cost rate |
| Upfront utility rebate | Santee Cooper runs a rebate of $950 per kW up to $5,700, which requires a NABCEP-certified crew and Trade Ally participation, is capped at 6 kW-AC over the lifetime of a meter, and is funded annually with a first-come waitlist. It is real money and it materially changes the numbers, but it is rationed, so we confirm current-year availability for your address before it forms part of any figure we give you. |
| Who confirms your territory | We do, at the assessment. In and around Myrtle Beach, Horry Electric Cooperative serves many addresses around the city, and terms differ. |
The practical consequence: a kilowatt-hour you use yourself is worth roughly three to five times a kilowatt-hour you export. That is why we size to your consumption rather than to your roof area, and why load shifting or storage now matters more in Myrtle Beach than it did two years ago.
Rebates
Why Myrtle Beach has no utility rebate, and who does
Santee Cooper runs a rebate of $950 per kW up to $5,700, which requires a NABCEP-certified crew and Trade Ally participation, is capped at 6 kW-AC over the lifetime of a meter, and is funded annually with a first-come waitlist. It is real money and it materially changes the numbers, but it is rationed, so we confirm current-year availability for your address before it forms part of any figure we give you.
Statewide rules
The parts that are the same everywhere in SC
Three incentives apply identically across South Carolina, so we explain them once rather than eighteen times. In short: a 25% state income tax credit on Form TC-38 capped at $3,500 per tax year with a 10-year carry-forward, property-tax exemption on qualifying systems of 20 kW or less, and sales-tax exemption on equipment. The 30% federal credit expired for systems placed in service on or after 1 January 2026.
The cap is the part that catches people out. Because you can only claim $3,500 a year, a system whose 25% credit is $6,000 arrives across two tax returns rather than as one payment, and low state tax liability stretches it further still.
Full mechanics, worked examples and the utility-by-utility comparison →
Eligibility depends on your circumstances and none of this is tax advice, so confirm with a tax professional. Property-tax treatment is administered locally, see Horry County below.
Horry County
What the exemption is worth in Horry County
An eligible rooftop system of 20 kW or less should not increase your assessed value in Horry County, so you are not paying annually for an improvement that is reducing your power bill.
The exemption's cash value scales with local millage, so it is worth more in higher-millage jurisdictions. We do not publish a millage figure for Horry County without an auditor-current schedule on file, because a wrong number here is worse than no number. Your assessment walks through how the exemption works for your parcel instead.
The 20 kW threshold matters if you are considering a large system in Myrtle Beach. Sizing past it can cost you the exemption entirely, which is another reason right-sizing beats maximising, and another reason Santee Cooper's export rate of about 4.16¢ per kWh in summer and 3.84¢ outside summer should shape the design.
Adding it up
What a Myrtle Beach homeowner actually nets in 2026
An illustrative stack on a 9.5 kW system at the local benchmark. An example to show the shape of it, not a quote and not a promise.
| Line | Amount |
|---|---|
| 9.5 kW system at $2.53 per watt | $24,035 |
| State sales tax | Exempt |
| Federal credit | $0, expired for 2026 installs |
| Santee Cooper rebate | See above |
| SC 25% credit (TC-38) | −$6,033, claimed across 2 tax years |
| Net cost | about $18,026 |
| Annual property tax added | $0 on qualifying systems ≤20 kW |
For what that net figure means as a payback period, and why the answer depends far more on when you use power than on which panels you buy, see solar panel cost in Myrtle Beach.
Businesses
Incentives for Myrtle Beach businesses
Commercial solar is treated differently from residential. Federal commercial provisions and depreciation treatment may still apply where the residential credit does not, and the structuring genuinely matters.
We are installers, not tax advisers, so we will not model your commercial position for you. What we will do is scope and build the system, document it properly for your accountant, and route the tax questions to your CPA rather than guess at them.
Commercial solar in Myrtle Beach · how we approach commercial projects
Permits and approvals
What approval takes in Myrtle Beach
This is the part most quotes leave vague, and it is the part that decides how long a job takes. Below is what a system at a Myrtle Beach address actually has to clear. We handle all of it, and you file none of it yourself, but you should know what you are agreeing to a timeline for.
- 01A building permit and a separate electrical permit for a rooftop system
- 02Standard plan review for systems of roughly 10 kW and above
- 03A zoning review as well for any ground-mounted array
- 04An additional electrical permit where battery storage is included
- 05Structural review, roof-access pathways and setbacks under high-wind coastal requirements
- 06A NABCEP-certified crew and Trade Ally participation if the Santee Cooper rebate is being claimed
- 07Utility interconnection approval before the system is allowed to energise
Requirements are read from the authority that reviews your address, not assumed from the county. In SC that distinction is routinely the difference between a permit issued and a permit returned.
Our work
Real systems our crews have installed
Genuine job photos, not stock images and not renders. Every system here was designed, permitted and installed by our own crews, and the same crews cover Myrtle Beach.Horry County is a high-wind coastal zone with heavy salt exposure, so structural review, roof-access pathways and corrosion-rated hardware all matter.
CommercialCommercial rooftopTilt-mounted rooftop system
ResidentialStanding-seam metal roofLakeside multi-facet install
ResidentialDetached garage arrayFarmhouse-style home
ResidentialShingle rooftop arrayBackyard-facing slope
CommercialDowntown flat roofLow-slope membrane rooftop
ResidentialClean rooftop layoutBlack-framed panels
Photo locations are not published at customer level. Where a customer has agreed to it, we name the job and the market on the completed-job records above.
Free assessment · Myrtle Beach, SC
Get a straight answer for your Myrtle Beach roof
We read your bill, confirm your Santee Cooper export terms, and tell you what your roof in Horry County will actually carry. If solar does not make sense at your address, we will say so, and that answer is free too.
- We confirm whether Santee Cooper or Horry Electric Cooperative serves many addresses around the city serves your meter before we quote anything
- Permitting runs through A building permit and a separate electrical permit for a rooftop system, and we handle it
- A wide mix of HOAs across the resort and residential developments, with real rules on street and beach-side visibility.
Prefer to talk? (843) 310-1128
Myrtle Beach incentives FAQ
Common questions about solar incentives in Myrtle Beach
What solar incentives can I get in Myrtle Beach, SC in 2026?
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 30% federal credit expired for systems placed in service on or after January 1, 2026.
Does Myrtle Beach still have net metering?
Not in the original form. One-for-one net metering closed to new applicants in South Carolina before the current programme took over, and new customers are enrolled in Santee Cooper's net metering and rebate programme instead. Under that programme exported power is credited at about 4.16¢ per kWh in summer and 3.84¢ outside summer rather than at the about 11.4¢ per kWh retail rate, and settled against your usage over the year.
How do I claim South Carolina’s 25% state tax credit?
You claim it on South Carolina Form TC-38 with your state income tax return for the year the system is placed in service. Because the credit is capped at $3,500 per year and at 50% of your state tax liability, most systems are claimed across two or three returns using the 10-year carry-forward. Keep your final invoice and commissioning documentation. Confirm your own eligibility with a tax professional.
Is there a Santee Cooper rebate for solar in Myrtle Beach?
Santee Cooper runs a rebate of $950 per kW up to $5,700, which requires a NABCEP-certified crew and Trade Ally participation, is capped at 6 kW-AC over the lifetime of a meter, and is funded annually with a first-come waitlist. It is real money and it materially changes the numbers, but it is rationed, so we confirm current-year availability for your address before it forms part of any figure we give you.
Will solar panels increase my property taxes in Myrtle Beach?
Qualifying residential systems of 20 kW or less are exempt from South Carolina property tax. Confirm your own position with Horry County and a tax professional, since eligibility depends on your circumstances.
Are there solar incentives for Myrtle Beach businesses?
Commercial solar is treated differently from residential and federal commercial provisions such as 48E and depreciation may still apply. We do not give tax advice on commercial structuring, and we will route those questions to your CPA rather than guess. See our commercial solar page for how we scope the work itself.
Nearby
Solar incentives near Myrtle Beach
Keep reading
Incentive and financing guides
- Financing & Ownership
Georgia Solar Contracts: Scope, Terms and Cancellation
Review Georgia solar cancellation conditions, notice delivery, separate financing and contract changes before signing or seeking advice on an existing agreement.
17 min read - Incentives & Tax Credits
Federal Solar Tax Credit in 2026: Recheck Your Georgia Proposal
Understand the federal homeowner solar credit cutoff, earlier carryforwards and the Georgia proposal figures that must change when an expired credit is removed.
16 min read - Financing & Ownership
Solar Financing Quote Checklist for Georgia Buyers
Use this Georgia solar financing quote checklist to reconcile contracts, payments, approvals, and tax assumptions before signing. Request a project assessment.
16 min read - Financing & Ownership
Solar Financing in Georgia: Choose a Route Before Applying
Explore solar financing in Georgia with a practical route-selection guide covering ownership, cash reserves, utility fit, and contract review before applying.
16 min read - Financing & Ownership
Solar Loan vs HELOC in Georgia: Compare Cost and Risk
Compare a solar loan vs HELOC in Georgia by cash price, collateral, rate changes, repayment phases, and total costs. Request a project assessment.
16 min read - Financing & Ownership
Solar Loan Recast in Georgia: Check the Later Payment
Review a Georgia solar loan recast or tax-dependent payment schedule, compare lump-sum options, and budget the full obligation before committing.
16 min read
Free, no-pressure assessment
See which incentives you actually qualify for in Myrtle Beach
We will confirm your utility and territory, size a system to your real usage, and show you what the state credit is worth in your tax position, with no guaranteed-savings math.
Mon–Sat, 10am–6:30pm ET · We typically follow up within the hour.