Lynches River Electric Cooperative and solar
Lynches River Electric Cooperative is an electric cooperative serving about 21,730 homes in South Carolina. Here's what its rates and export rules mean for solar: for a typical customer, solar is worth it.
- Average price (2026 est.)
- 16.9¢8% above South Carolina average
- Typical bill
- $1801,066 kWh a month
- Exports credited
- ~18%Net billing (reduced export credit)
- Typical payback
- 10.9 yrs7.9 kW, cash
Export rules for Lynches River Electric Cooperative customers
Net billing (reduced export credit) (South Carolina rule).
Since June 2021 new solar customers of Duke Energy and Dominion Energy SC are on 'Solar Choice' tariffs: you're billed on time-of-use rates, solar offsets usage within the same period, and monthly excess is credited at the low avoided-cost rate (~2-4 c/kWh). Duke has a $30 minimum bill.
Solar for a typical Lynches River Electric Cooperative home
| System | 7.9 kW (90% of 1,066 kWh/month) |
|---|---|
| Cost | $22,855, $19,355 after incentives |
| First-year savings | $1,864 |
| Payback | 10.9 years |
| 25-year net | $29,678 |
Uses the utility's average price.
Solar adoption
- Homes with solar (2025)
- 184
- Share of customers
- 0.9%
- Residential solar capacity
- 1 MW
- Residential customers
- 21,730
EIA-861, 2025.
Questions about Lynches River Electric Cooperative and solar
Does Lynches River Electric Cooperative have net metering?
Lynches River Electric Cooperative follows South Carolina's rules: Since June 2021 new solar customers of Duke Energy and Dominion Energy SC are on 'Solar Choice' tariffs: you're billed on time-of-use rates, solar offsets usage within the same period, and monthly excess is credited at the low avoided-cost rate (~2-4 c/kWh). Duke has a $30 minimum bill.
How much does electricity cost with Lynches River Electric Cooperative?
Residential customers paid an average of 16.3¢ per kWh in 2025 (EIA), about 16.9¢ adjusted to 2026. The typical home uses 1,066 kWh a month, a bill of about $180.
Is solar worth it with Lynches River Electric Cooperative?
For a typical customer, solar is worth it: a 7.9 kW system costing about $19,355 pays back in about 10.9 years, with $29,678 net over 25 years.
How many Lynches River Electric Cooperative customers have solar?
About 184 homes had net-metered solar at the end of 2025, roughly 0.9% of residential customers (EIA-861).
Legal name: Lynches River Elec Coop, Inc (EIA ID 11355). Data: EIA-861 2025 and monthly data through 2026, state policy research October 2026.