CHARLOTTE, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) — A recent survey ranks North Carolina as a top state for solar power.
According to Forbes Advisor, solar energy powers nearly a million North Carolina homes.
“Year after year, we have seen quite literally 10x growth,” 365 Solar Energy owner William Clementi said.
The Charlotte-based solar panel company has installed solar power systems across the state since 2019.
“I am surprised every day by the people that are inquiring and wanting to go solar with us. We have seen crazy tremendous growth,” Clementi said.
Clementi says it has been a perfect storm for the solar power energy industry. Increasing electric rates, federal incentives, and growing environmental concerns push more homeowners to consider installing solar panels daily.
“People definitely want to help the environment, yes,” Forbes Advisory spokesperson Mark LoCastro said. “But people also want to lower their bills. So given the record high inflation that we have been recently seeing, I believe solar is more of an interest to people because that cost-saving measure in addition to helping the environment.”
In a recent survey by Forces Advisory, North Carolina ranked the sixth-best state for solar power. It used six metrics for this determination, including solar jobs, cost of installations, homes currently powered by solar, and sun exposure.
“Across the board, North Carolina is performing really well across all six metrics, especially compared to the national average,” LoCastro said.
According to Forbes Advisor, there are nearly 7,000 solar-related jobs in North Carolina.
Clementi’s team is contributing to that number. Since 2019, it’s grown from a two-person staff to 60 employees.
“Every home that we install is really pretty much perpetual power. Clean energy from the sun and the panels last a very long time. All of our panels come with a 30-year production guarantee,” Clementi said.
Clementi says his customers purchase solar panels, which come from Texas. His team does all the paperwork and installs them within 60 days.
He said within seven to 10 years, most of his customers have fully paid off their solar panels and are relying strictly on the sun to power their homes.
