Duke To Move Forward With Distributed Solar Energy Generation Program

The North Carolina Utilities Commission last Wednesday issued a decision allowing Duke Energy to proceed with its US $50-million proposal to install solar panels on the roofs and grounds of homes, schools, office buildings, shopping malls, warehouses and industrial plants, starting later this year. The electricity will flow directly from the solar sites to the electrical grid that serves all customers.

Duke Energy's solar initiative will be among the nation's first and largest demonstrations of distributed generation, in which electricity is produced at numerous micro generating sites rather than at a large, centralized, traditional power plant.

"We are redefining our boundaries. We're looking ahead and we're looking around the corner," Rogers told shareholders attending the meeting. "We believe the future is a low-carbon world. The 21st century mission of our company is to decarbonize our energy supply and provide universal access to energy efficiency."

Duke Energy will own and maintain the solar panels during their expected 25-year lifespan. The company also will own the electricity generated. It will pay a rental fee to property owners who host the panels for use of their roofs or land, based on the size of the installation and amount of electricity generated at any given site.

RenewableEnergyWorld.com has been tracking Duke's solar energy initiative since its inception.  Click here to read more.