Duke Energy this week announced that it has selected ten new customer sites across North Carolina that will have solar panels installed on their building or grounds as part of the utility’s distributed solar generation program.

The company launched the program in October 2009, when roof space was leased from four large manufacturing and commercial facilities for placement of solar panels.

“Partnering with sites visible to our customers helps build knowledge and understanding of solar energy,” said Brett Carter, president of Duke Energy Carolinas, North Carolina. “This innovative program brings more solar energy to our customers, and helps us meet the state’s renewable energy portfolio standard in a way that balances costs to customers.”



These 10 sites listed below will see approximately 4.1 megawatts of solar capacity installed by 2011.

Lincoln Charter School, Denver

Gaston County Schools, Lowell

Environmental Protection Agency, Durham

Maple View Farm, Hillsborough

City of Charlotte Department of Transportation Facility, Charlotte

Liberty Hardware/Johnson Development, Winston Salem

Childress Klein Properties, Charlotte

Carrier Centers, LLC, Charlotte

Siemens, Winston Salem

Daimler Trucks North America, Cleveland

When the distributed solar generation program is complete, Duke Energy will have invested approximately US $50 million to construct and own a total of 10 megawatts of solar energy capacity in the state.

These sites were selected based on the organization’s interest in solar energy, ready access to the electrical grid and solar potential, in addition to other essential lease agreement criteria. Installations are under way on a few of the sites, and construction is expected to be complete by fall 2010.



North Carolina’s renewable energy standard requires each public electric utility to meet at least 12.5 percent of its North Carolina retail customers’ electricity needs through new renewable energy sources or energy efficiency measures by 2021.