"Report: Rooftop Solar Already Cheaper Than Utility Rates in Most Major Cities"

"Customers in 42 of the nation's 50 largest cities — including Charlotte and Raleigh — would save money by installing rooftop solar instead of buying all their power from local utilities, says the N.C. Clean Energy Technology Center.

Going Solar in America, a 27-page report by the center based at N.C. State University, argues the perception that solar is too expensive for most homeowners is false.

Residential solar has prospered largely in states with high electricity rates — such as New York and California. But report authors Jim Kennerly and Autumn Proudlove say the data show consumers nationwide can benefit from solar — even in relatively low-utility-rate states such as North Carolina."

John Downey reports for Charlotte Business Journal January 8, 2015.