Solar in North Charleston, SC
With Dominion Energy South Carolina's electricity at about 17.0¢ per kWh and 1,437 kWh of sun per kW, solar is worth it for a typical North Charleston home today: about a 11-year payback.
- Payback, typical home
- 11 yrsSouth Carolina: 11.8 yrs
- 25-year net
- $28,900after paying $19,110
- Sun
- 1,437kWh per kW per year
- Electricity
- 17.0¢6% below U.S. average
A typical North Charleston home, by the numbers
| Utility | Dominion Energy South Carolina |
|---|---|
| Electricity use | 1,032 kWh a month |
| Best-value system | 7.8 kW, about 18 panels, 11,208 kWh a year (91% of use) |
| Cost | $22,610, or $19,110 after state incentives |
| First-year savings | $1,826 |
| Payback | 11.0 years |
| Exported power | 3.4¢/kWh (Dominion Energy South Carolina) |
Cash purchase, no federal credit, 1.9% yearly rate increases. Run it with your own numbers.
Homes in North Charleston
- Owner-occupied homes
- 50%
- Single-family detached
- 50%
- Median home value
- $302k
- Median year built
- 1996
- Population
- 119,913
- Roofs suitable for solar†
- 75%
Census ACS 2020–2024. †Share of 23,798 buildings Google Project Sunroof rated technically suitable (2019 snapshot).
Installers working in North Charleston
Public installation records for South Carolina don't name installers, so we can't rank local companies here. Browse installers in South Carolina.
Always verify the license and get at least three quotes. Compare quotes side by side.
Questions about solar in North Charleston
Is solar worth it in North Charleston, SC?
For a typical home in North Charleston, solar is worth it at 2026 prices: a 7.8 kW system costs about $19,110 after state incentives, saves about $1,826 in year one and pays back in about 11 years. Enter your address for an estimate based on your roof and bill.
How much solar power does a system produce in North Charleston?
About 1,437 kWh per year for each kW of panels on a south-facing roof, based on PVWatts and local weather. That's 1% less than the South Carolina average. East- or west-facing roofs produce roughly 10–20% less.
Who is the electric utility in North Charleston?
Most homes in North Charleston are served by Dominion Energy South Carolina, at about 17.0¢ per kWh on average.
How much do solar panels cost in North Charleston?
A fair cash price is around $2.95 per watt before incentives, so about $22,610 for a 7.8 kW system. There's no federal tax credit for homeowners who buy in 2026.
Nearby
- Goose Creek 11.2 yrs
- Charleston 10.8 yrs
- Summerville 11 yrs
- Mount Pleasant 10.6 yrs
- Hilton Head Island 11.6 yrs
- Bluffton 10.9 yrs
- Sumter 11.6 yrs
- Conway 12.5 yrs
- All of South Carolina
Data: PVWatts (National Laboratory of the Rockies), EIA-861 2025 adjusted to 2026, U.S. Census ACS, LBNL Tracking the Sun, state policy research as of October 2026.