05/10/2012

Progress Energy Carolinas observes residential solar milestone

SunSense incentive program enrolls more than 150 residential customers

RALEIGH, N.C. (May 10, 2012) - More than 150 residential customers in North Carolina are now producing power from rooftop solar photovoltaic (PV) panels thanks to Progress Energy Carolinas' SunSense® Solar PV program.

The program offers rebates to customers to reduce the cost of installing rooftop solar PV arrays and helps the utility meet the requirements of the state's renewable energy and efficiency portfolio standard (REPS), established in 2007.

"We're committed to offering our customers programs that help reduce their personal environmental impact and advance the development and deployment of renewable energy technology," said Lloyd Yates, president and CEO of Progress Energy Carolinas. "We're pleased to have reached this milestone and encouraged by the continued customer interest in our energy-efficiency and alternative-energy programs."

Launched in 2011, the utility's SunSense Solar PV program offers upfront and ongoing incentives to North Carolina residential customers who are accepted into the program and install a solar PV system at their home. The program is designed to help offset the cost of installing solar power systems, by providing upfront rebates of $1,000 per kilowatt of capacity and monthly bill credits of $4.50 per kilowatt. For more information on this program, visit www.progress-energy.com/SunSense .

A growing number of solar PV systems are being installed in North Carolina due to state tax incentives, utility-sponsored programs and growing requirements for solar energy under North Carolina's REPS. The company successfully met the 2011 REPS target for solar power by purchasing more than 8,000 megawatt-hours of electricity from solar PV systems. The company anticipates 200 to 300 small-scale PV interconnections each year. The number of systems is expected to increase when REPS targets rise and the cost of solar power decreases.

As more solar PV systems are installed, Progress Energy Carolinas is working to ensure it continues to maintain reliable service. The utility is conducting an 18-month project with the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) to evaluate the effects of widespread, small-scale solar PV systems on the electric grid. As part of this distributed solar study, the utility installed twelve 180-watt solar PV panels and monitoring systems on utility poles in Asheville. Progress Energy Carolinas and EPRI are collecting detailed data to study the potential benefits and impacts of installing multiple solar electric generators with variable outputs in concentrated areas.

About Progress Energy
Progress Energy (NYSE: PGN), headquartered in Raleigh, N.C., is a Fortune 500 energy company with  23,000 megawatts of generation capacity and approximately $9 billion in annual revenues. Progress Energy includes two major electric utilities that serve about 3.1 million customers in the Carolinas and Florida. The company has earned the Edison Electric Institute's Edison Award, the industry's highest honor, in recognition of its operational excellence, and was the first utility to receive the prestigious J.D. Power and Associates Founder's Award for customer service. The company is pursuing a balanced strategy for a secure energy future, which includes aggressive energy-efficiency programs, investments in renewable energy technologies and a state-of-the-art electricity system. Progress Energy celebrated a century of service in 2008. www.progress-energy.com .

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