CLEAN ENERGY FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

For the twelve-month period from December 2018-November 2019, the energy mix in NC was as followed: natural gas – 31.6%, utility-scale solar – 5.4%, hydropower – 4.9%, wind – 0.4%, customer owned PV – 0.2%, petroleum liquids – 0.2%, nuclear – 31.5%, coal – 23.5%. Additionally, North Carolina has 1605 EV charging outlets (Level 2 and DC Fast Charge) throughout the state

In 2019, 32% of carbon dioxide emissions in the United States were associated with electricity generation. In North Carolina, electricity generation accounted for 35% of greenhouse gas emissions in 2019. The use of clean energy could lower these numbers significantly.

North Carolina continues to operate under a monopoly energy market. The addition of clean energy has been vital in keeping our rates lower than they would be with only traditional energy sources powering our homes and businesses. Unlike fossil-fuel powered sources, the price of renewables continues to decrease – even as the technology improves. This is just one reason why homeowners, businesses, and utilities across the country are getting on board with renewables – and quickly. Fuel prices, unlike solar and wind, can fluctuate in price at a moment’s notice, highlighting clean energy’s price certainty. Continuing to support our growing clean energy economy is crucial in our effort to keep rates down in the long-term and increase state energy resiliency and security as more energy is produced inside the state.

Sunlight that hits the photovoltaic cell is absorbed by a semi-conducting material, usually silicone, in the panel. The light causes electrons from the semi-conducting material to become loose and flow through the solar cell. This results in an electrical current. Metal plates on the solar panel collect the loose electrons and transfer them through wiring to a solar inverter. Solar inverters transform the electrical current from the solar panels into an AC which allows you to power your homes.

There are many options for owning, purchasing, or supporting solar generation in the state. Check out NCSEA’s ncsolarconsumerguide.com for more information on the options for owning solar. If owning solar PV doesn’t fit your needs, community solar may be a great alternative. Depending on the community solar facility organization, multiple community members can obtain financial benefit and/or power from a subscription, or own a portion of the system. Find out more about this option on NCSEA’s Community Solar page. Many electricity providers also offer renewable energy options through your current bill. Ask your electricity provider what renewable energy options are available.

Net energy metering is beneficial to customers because it frequently results in lower energy bills. During the day, especially in the summer months, solar PV systems oftentimes generate more electricity than what is used by the consumer. Net energy metering adds this excess energy back into the grid and the utility company credits the customer’s account for the amount of excess energy that is generated. This lowers the customer’s energy bill for future months. Net energy metering also promotes job growth and investments in the private sector. It provides an incentive to customers to install solar energy systems in their homes or businesses. The increased demand for these systems results in more jobs being created within the solar industry.

Get involved! You can write to your legislators to let them know that net energy metering policies are important to you, you can reach out to local organizations to learn about the work they are doing related to net energy metering policy, and you can vote during elections for candidates whose values reflect your own regarding net energy metering practices.

Good news – many farmers and land-owners can keep their properties farmable, even when there is clean energy like solar installed on it. By leasing a portion of land for solar, landowners gain a steady stream of income, and as a result, can keep the land in its original form during hard economic times. For example, Sun Raised Farms showcases agriculture and solar working harmoniously together. This collection of farmers raises sheep to maintain the grounds of solar farms. A win-win! Pollinator Friendly Solar is another way to promote the growth of pollinators that are going extinct while simultaneously developing solar power. Check out NCSEA’s story on pollinations.

Tax credits reduce the total amount of income tax you owe. All electric vehicles and plug-in hybrid vehicles purchased new in 2010 or after are eligible for a tax credit up to $7,500. The actual credit amount will vary depending upon the capacity of the car’s battery. Look at this table to see eligible vehicles and full tax credit capabilities.

Although EV charging stations are not as common as traditional gas stations, that doesn’t mean that they aren’t around. It is required that every EV vehicle is compatible with a Level 2 charger (Tesla’s have an adaptor that make them compatible). Level 2 chargers add approximately 20-25 miles to the vehicle’s ranger per hour charging. As of October 2020, the United States Department of Energy has over 27,000 listed public Level 2 charging stations in the United States on their website. For a quicker charge, you’ll need to look for a DC fast charge station which is capable of charging your electric vehicle to about 80% capacity within 30 minutes of charging. There are two standards of DC fast charge stations; Nissan and Mitsubishi cars use the CHAdeMO standard and all other manufacturers use the SAE Combo Combined Charging System (CCS) standard. Tesla has adapters that allow their vehicles to use the CHAdeMo standard. As of October 2020, the United States Department of Energy has over 4,000 of these DC fast charging stations listed on their website. There are several websites and apps that are available to find charging stations near you including Chargeway, Open Charge Map and PlugShare.