Palmetto is offering Solar + Storage Leases across South Carolina, opening access to a new customer base with regulated lease offerings.
SC Disclosure Forms
The South Carolina Department of Consumer Affairs requires a Marketing Pamphlet and Standard Disclosure for the sale or lease of renewable energy facilities, including solar. Neither document requires the customer signature, however, must be provided.
Marketing Pamphlet - Located inside the LightReach Lease contract packet.
Standard Disclosure - Must be completed by the EPC and submitted with Milestone 1 (M1). Must be provided to the customer at time of contract execution. Blank Copy & LightReach Sample
The Standard Disclosure requires the Make and Model of the inverter, which are not captured from integrated platforms at point of sale and therefore, cannot be included in the Lease contract packet.
15 kW DC Limit in Duke Energy
Palmetto LightReach enforces a maximum 15 kW DC system size limit in Duke Energy South Carolina |
The 15 kW DC limit applies to both Duke Energy Carolinas and Duke Energy Progress.
There is NO system size limit in Dominion Energy beyond the utility’s 20 kW AC.
While the utilities will allow up to 20 kW AC to be interconnected for residential, we believe it is in the customer’s best interest to limit to 15 kW DC in order to avoid the $4-6 per month per kW Grid Access Fees in Duke.
Grid Access Fee - As of November 2025
$5.86/kW per month for each kW over 15 kW DC (DEC)
$4.29/kW per month for each kW over 15 kW DC (DEP)
Customers are not locked into these rates. The rates will change over time (likely increasing).
For example,
A system sized 8 kW would NOT have the Grid Access Fee
A 15 kW DC system would NOT have this fee
An 18 kW DC system would pay $17.58 per month in DEC
A 23 kW DC system would pay $46.88 per month in DEC
Duke’s South Carolina monthly net metering policy with TOU required, $30 minimum bills, and smaller non-bypassable charges per kW, plus lower than average utility rates can make savings a challenge. Palmetto LightReach believes limiting system sizes to 15 kW DC to avoid the Grid Access Charge helps maximize the avoided cost of power rate with solar. Learn more
FAQ's
A. | When is a new disclosure required ? | A new disclosure is required in the event the inverter make, inverter model, or kW DC size change. |
B. | What total cost should be entered on the disclosure? | The total cost of all payments over the 25 year lease shall be entered. |
C. | What equipment details are required in the disclosure? | Beyond “"make and model of the facility and related components" it is vague what the regulator’s intention is. LightReach requires the inverter details–not modules, and recommends the full model number. |
D. | Who must sign the disclosure?Does the customer need to sign the disclosure? | There is no customer signature required. There is a signature for the ‘Individual preparing this disclosure” toward the top of page 1. This could be the sales rep or business leader. |
E. | When must the Standard Disclosure be provided and uploaded for Milestone 1 ? | Provide the Standard Disclosure to the customer at the point of sale (contract execution). Upload by or before M1 under Document Type = Disclosures. |
F. | Does the 15 kW DC system size limit apply to all utilities? | The 15 kW DC limit DOES NOT apply to Dominion Energy. It applies to Duke Energy only (Duke Energy Carolinas and Duke Energy Progress). |
G. | Do we enforce or check HOA status? | HOA is an installers responsibility and if there are issues that emerge from bypassing that local approval the installer is liable. |