Top Tier Battery Sales Reference — North Carolina (Duke Carolinas + Duke Progress + Dominion NC)

Three-utility market. Top Tier's NC launch covers the three investor-owned utilities serving residential solar customers:

• Duke Energy Carolinas (DEC) — ~2M households, central/western NC including Charlotte / Durham / the Triad — SERC (NOT PJM)
• Duke Energy Progress (DEP) — ~1.6M customers, central/eastern NC + Asheville region — SERC (NOT PJM)
• Dominion Energy NC — smaller NE NC footprint (Norfolk metro extension into NC) — PJM Dom Zone

Cooperatives (NC Electric Membership Cooperatives, EnergyUnited, Blue Ridge EMC) and municipals (ElectriCities member systems) are out of scope for the initial NC launch — rep-demand driven if expansion needed later.

Three cohort treatments coexist in NC:

1. Duke Carolinas + Duke Progress: Bridge Rate / RSC EDG net billing since July 1, 2023 (when legacy 1:1 NM closed to new enrollment). Maps to edg_net_billing cohort.
2. Duke Carolinas + Duke Progress LEGACY customers (pre-7/1/2023 install): full retail 1:1 NM grandfathered through Jan 1, 2027 cliff. Maps to cliff_grandfathered framing in conversation (not yet structured into the proposal cohort routing — TODO).
3. Dominion NC: 1:1 retail NM preserved. Maps to one_to_one_nm cohort.

Two RTOs in NC:

• Duke (DEC + DEP) is OUTSIDE PJM — operates under SERC (Carolinas Reliability Coordinator). Duke has publicly resisted joining PJM as an RTO. PJM capacity-cost dynamics (833% 2025/26 auction spike) DO NOT apply to Duke NC.
• Dominion NC is in PJM Dom Zone (same RTO as Dominion VA). PJM framing applies.

The rep's first job: confirm utility AND service-territory county. Duke vs Dominion is the first split; for Duke customers, confirm install date (pre vs post 7/1/2023) for cohort routing.

The Opening: Lead With Takeover, Not Math

The customer booked the appointment because they're frustrated about their utility bill AND their installer is unreachable. Don't open with savings math. Don't open with the PowerPair $9K rebate (it's near-exhausted anyway). Don't open with the Bridge Rate / RSC technical pitch. Open with:

1. The free system inspection. "I'm here to inspect your existing solar system at no cost. If it's running well, we'll confirm that. If anything's wrong, we'll surface it. Either way, you walk away with a clearer picture of what you own."
2. System takeover. "When your inverter fails — and inverters do fail, usually between year 8 and year 20 — you need someone to handle the warranty claim and the replacement. Top Tier becomes your single point of contact for the next 10 years on the entire system, not just on anything new we install."
3. Then bridge to the bill. "You're still seeing a [Duke / Dominion] bill after going solar. Let me walk you through why, given your specific cohort, and what changes when we add storage."

The battery is the upsell that makes the deal economic for Top Tier; takeover/inspection is the lead the customer agreed to.

North Carolina-specific note on the LEAD: Hurricane Helene 2024 is the dominant emotional anchor for NC reps. After the takeover lead, transition naturally: "And given the last 18 months — Helene took out 703,000 NC customers, two Swannanoa substations submerged, multi-month rebuild — the system rescue isn't just about inverter warranties. It's about whether your home keeps running when the next storm hits." Then bridge to the cohort-specific bill anatomy.

Standing Rules (Do NOT Violate)

• ❌ NEVER coach reps to disqualify based on home tenure. Resale story is real and positive.
• ❌ NEVER claim "all warranties transfer." Workmanship transfers WITH WRITTEN CONSENT. Manufacturer warranties transfer per their own terms. The 5-year Align Solar Protection service contract is NON-TRANSFERABLE.
• ❌ NEVER fabricate inspection findings. The inspection is education + bill diagnosis + future-failure prevention.
• ❌ NEVER pitch PowerPair as a guaranteed $9K upfront credit. As of May 31, 2026: Duke Progress is CLOSED to new applications (since Nov 7, 2025); Duke Carolinas Cohort B is WAITLISTED (April 28, 2026) and Cohort A is near-exhausted (projected fully exhausted June-July 2026). Treat as forward-framed: "Top Tier tracks reopen at NCUC; current applications are unlikely to land in this funding cycle."
• ❌ NEVER pitch PowerPair or EnergyWise to a Dominion NC customer. Both programs are Duke-only.
• ❌ NEVER import PJM capacity-cost framing for Duke NC. Duke is SERC; PJM 833% auction spike doesn't apply. Dominion NC IS in PJM, so PJM framing applies for Dominion NC specifically.
• ❌ NEVER pitch the Section 25D federal battery-with-solar 2026 residual credit without tax-counsel review. Federal solar ITC expired 12/31/2025 — pitch THAT as fact, not a workaround.

Why You Still Have a Bill — Cohort-Aware Bridge (multi-cohort)

Use AFTER you've opened with takeover/inspection. NC is multi-cohort — match the right template to the right customer.

Cohort identification (during the appointment):

1. Which utility? Duke Carolinas / Duke Progress / Dominion NC. (Service-territory county is the cleanest test for Duke vs Dominion.)
2. For Duke customers: When did the existing solar interconnect? Pre-July 1, 2023 = LEGACY (1:1 NM through Jan 1, 2027 cliff). Post-July 1, 2023 = Bridge Rate (most likely; enrollment ran through 2026) or RSC.
3. For Dominion NC customers: 1:1 NM preserved; cohort is one_to_one_nm.

Template 1: EDG NET BILLING (Duke Bridge Rate / RSC — post-July 2023 installs)

Verbatim from the proposal copy (lib/why-bill-own-rent.ts, edg_net_billing template) — reps see the exact same language the customer sees:

You went solar and still see a bill. Here's why.

[Duke Energy Carolinas / Duke Energy Progress] doesn't pay you the same rate for the energy you export as the rate you pay when you import. They credit your exports at an export rate (their "EDG" or net-billing rate), but you buy electricity back at the full retail rate. The spread between the two is where your residual bill comes from. Every kWh your solar produces during the day that you don't use immediately gets credited at the lower export rate. Every kWh you import after sunset costs you retail. A battery stores your daytime production for nighttime use — closing the spread by self-consuming what you'd otherwise export.

Per-cohort specifics for Duke NC customers:

• Bridge Rate (Duke transitional, enrollment through Dec 31, 2026, 15-year lock):
  • Export credit: fixed ~9-13¢/kWh
  • Retail import: ~$0.13-0.15/kWh
  • Spread: ~3-5¢/kWh — battery captures this on each kWh of self-consumption
• RSC (Residential Solar Choice — permanent successor):
  • Export credit: ~3.4¢/kWh Net Excess Energy Credit
  • Retail import: TOU rates (off-peak ~$0.13/kWh, on-peak ~$0.22/kWh)
  • Spread: ~9¢/kWh at off-peak; up to ~18¢/kWh at on-peak
  • PLUS Critical Peak Pricing — Duke can call up to 20 Critical Peak Days/year with very high prices during on-peak hours
  • Battery captures the spread AND shields the customer from Critical Peak Day exposure
• Duke NC retail rate trajectory: typical bill rose to $140.33/mo in 2024, $144.52 by Jan 2025, $148.62/mo by Jan 2026 — documented Duke rate cases continue post-Helene grid hardening

Template 2: ONE-TO-ONE NM (Dominion NC — preserved 1:1)

Verbatim from the proposal copy (lib/why-bill-own-rent.ts, one_to_one_nm template):

Your bill should be small. Here's what it covers.

Dominion Energy NC credits your exports at the same rate they charge for imports — so your annual kWh charges should mostly zero out. The bill you still see covers fixed monthly charges (basic service / customer charge, riders, taxes), any consumption above what your solar produces, and time-of-day or seasonal imbalances. A battery doesn't change your daily bill math much under 1:1 NM today — but it's how you lock in your position when net metering rules change.

Template 3: CLIFF GRANDFATHERED (Duke pre-July 2023 install customers)

For Duke Carolinas + Duke Progress customers who interconnected solar before July 1, 2023, the cohort copy that fits is the cliff-grandfathered template:

You're grandfathered today. Here's what happens at the cliff.

[Duke Energy Carolinas / Duke Energy Progress] put you on full 1:1 net metering when you went solar — your annual kWh charges largely zero out. That arrangement is grandfathered through January 1, 2027. After the cliff, you transition to Bridge Rate (if enrolled by Dec 31, 2026) or Residential Solar Choice (RSC) — exports get credited at a lower rate (Bridge ~9-13¢/kWh; RSC ~3.4¢/kWh), and your bill goes up by the spread × your annual exports. A battery doesn't help your day-to-day bill today — you're already at full offset. The value is HEDGING the cliff: whatever you store and self-consume isn't subject to the regime change. By the time the cliff lands, you've shifted most of your value behind the meter.

(Note: The proposal output today routes Duke NC customers to the EDG cohort regardless of install date. The legacy-cliff cohort treatment is a TODO for a follow-up branch — would use the grandfathering schema similar to FL KUA / SC DESC. Reps handle pre-7/1/2023 customers via this template verbally in the meantime.)

How to use it in conversation

After takeover/inspection lands, transition with: "You're on [Duke Carolinas / Duke Progress / Dominion NC] — and your [install date / utility] tells me you're on [Bridge Rate / RSC / Legacy 1:1 NM / 1:1 NM preserved]. Let me walk you through why you still see a bill, and what changes when we add storage."

What NOT to say:

• ❌ "All NC customers are on the same tariff." (Three cohorts: Bridge Rate, RSC, Legacy 1:1 — plus Dominion NC.)
• ❌ "Net metering is gone in NC." (Imprecise — Legacy customers retain full retail 1:1 through Jan 1, 2027; Dominion NC preserves it indefinitely.)
• ❌ "Your bill will go to zero with a battery." (Sub-retail export credits + fixed charges + TOU mismatch all leave residual bill on Duke EDG cohorts.)
• ❌ "Apply PJM capacity-cost framing to Duke NC." (Duke is SERC; PJM dynamics don't apply.)

Hidden Costs Avoided: The $11K System Takeover Bundle

Pillar 3 of the pitch (after Bridge and Takeover/Inspection lead). When Top Tier takes over the system, you bundle in services the customer would otherwise pay out of pocket over the 25-year horizon. These are estimates, not firm line-item quotes — but they total over $11K of value the customer doesn't see on the proposal's headline savings number. Applies to all 3 NC IOUs equally.

Verbatim from the proposal copy (components/multistate/sections/HiddenCostsAvoided.tsx):

How to use it in conversation

The pitch: "On top of the bill math we walked through, you're picking up over $11K of bundled services that aren't sold separately. We don't quote them as line items because they're built into the takeover. But if your inverter fails in year 12, the manufacturer warranty handling alone is worth a few hundred dollars. The replacement coordination saves you another $3-5K. The 5-year Align contract on your existing system is $1,500 you'd otherwise pay if you went looking for it. It adds up."

Especially powerful for NC because of the Helene 2024 + Florence 2018 + Isaias 2020 hurricane pattern — service-call wait times spike after major storm events. Western NC restoration is still ongoing in 2026 (Swannanoa substation rebuilds are multi-month projects). Having a service contract pre-paid into the takeover means the customer isn't on a 90-day waitlist for a $500 truck roll when the next event hits.

What NOT to say

• ❌ Don't promise line items as standalone products (Top Tier doesn't sell Align separately)
• ❌ Don't pitch "Over $11K" as a guarantee (estimate framing only)
• ❌ Don't confuse Align (non-transferable) with manufacturer warranty (transferable per its own terms)
• ❌ Don't conflate the $11K bundle with PowerPair's $9K (different programs, different mechanics — and PowerPair is near-exhausted/closed)

What You Own vs What You Rent — Cohort-Routed Values Reframe

Pillar 4 of the pitch. NC has both qualitative and dollar-comparison cohorts. Match the right template to the customer.

DOLLAR-COMPARISON template — for Duke NC EDG cohort customers (Bridge Rate / RSC; the dominant case)

Use for: Duke Carolinas + Duke Progress customers on Bridge Rate or RSC (post-July 2023 installs, or pre-2023 customers post-cliff). Sub-retail export credits + retail import = real dollar-spread compounding.

Verbatim from the proposal copy (components/multistate/sections/OwnVsRent.tsx, DOLLAR-COMPARISON branch):

Over 25 years: are you renting power or owning it?

The 25-year horizon isn't about which line is lower on the chart — it's about whether you walk out with an asset.

Two columns:

What You Rent (red column)

• 25-yr cumulative utility payments at the moderate 6%/yr scenario
• Typical Duke NC: $60K-$120K depending on bill size
• Money paid to Duke, escalating year after year. You own nothing at the end. Post-Helene grid hardening capital and Duke's documented rate-case cycle ($140.33 → $148.62/mo by 2026) drive the trajectory.

What You Own (green column)

• Total loan payments over 15 years: ~$41K ($228/mo × 12 × 15) + the system itself
• Loan paid off at year 15. Years 16-25 you own outright with no payment.
• Incremental home value: $3K-$10K per Berkeley Lab storage-premium research.

QUALITATIVE template — for Dominion NC + Duke Legacy customers pre-cliff

Use for: Dominion NC customers (1:1 NM preserved) AND Duke Carolinas/Progress legacy customers (pre-7/1/2023 install) pre-Jan 2027 cliff. Rent number is smaller than loan total under preserved 1:1 NM — dollar comparison would undermine the pitch.

Verbatim from the proposal copy (components/multistate/sections/OwnVsRent.tsx, QUALITATIVE branch):

Your bill is small today — your solar's doing what it should.

That depends on net metering rules continuing as-is. The 25-year horizon for you isn't about a dollar gap on the chart — it's about what your monthly loan payment actually buys you that your current bill doesn't.

What ~$41K over 15 years buys:

• Ownership of generation + storage (loan paid off year 15)
• Incremental home value: $3K-$10K (Berkeley Lab)
• Hurricane resilience (Helene / Florence / Isaias pattern; western NC + coastal NC + NE NC all exposed)
• Locked-in position before the cliff (Duke Legacy customers: Jan 1, 2027) OR before any future regulatory change (Dominion NC: rules favorable today but Dominion VA SCC cycle every few years could reach into NC)
• 10-year Top Tier workmanship warranty + service path

How to use it in conversation

Cohort-screening matters here as much as in the Bridge. Quote the wrong template and the customer either dismisses your math (DOLLAR-quote a Dominion NC customer with rent compounding to $30K over 25 years) or misses the strongest framing (QUALITATIVE-quote a Duke RSC customer who'd respond to the $9¢/kWh spread compounding to a real dollar gap).

Duke Legacy pre-cliff customers are a special case: today they look like Dominion NC (preserved 1:1 NM, qualitative pitch). At the Jan 2027 cliff, they look like Duke EDG (dollar comparison kicks in). Frame the cliff hedge as the load-bearing reason to install before Jan 2027 — same dynamic as SC DESC's May 2029 cliff or FL KUA's October 2028 cliff.

What NOT to say

• ❌ Don't QUALITATIVE-frame a Duke EDG customer (Bridge or RSC) — they have active dollar spread today
• ❌ Don't DOLLAR-frame a Dominion NC customer or a Duke Legacy pre-cliff customer — rent is small today
• ❌ Don't oversell the home-value range ($3K-$10K is incremental battery premium, NOT total)

Duke PowerPair — Forward-Framed Talk-Track

THIS IS WHAT YOU TELL CUSTOMERS WHO ASK ABOUT POWERPAIR (and they will ask).

The status (verified May 31, 2026)

• Duke Energy Progress: CLOSED to new applications since November 7, 2025. Pilot capacity (30 MW) fully allocated. Waitlist closed.
• Duke Energy Carolinas: Cohort B WAITLISTED April 28, 2026. Cohort A residual capacity (less attractive economics; mandatory TOU, customer-controlled-battery) projected to fully exhaust June-July 2026 (this month at the time of this commit).
• NCUC has not approved a residential successor or reopen program. Duke has been ordered to design a NONRESIDENTIAL PowerPair successor, but that doesn't help residential customers.
• Dominion NC customers are NOT eligible for PowerPair — it's a Duke-only program.

The closing pitch (verbatim, when a customer asks)

"You may have heard about Duke's PowerPair — up to $9,000 combined for solar + storage. Honest update: as of May 2026, Duke Progress closed to new applications back in November 2025. Duke Carolinas' more popular cohort waitlisted in late April 2026, and the residual cohort is projected to fully exhaust this month or next. The original NCUC pilot cap of 30 megawatts per utility is essentially hit. NCUC has not approved a residential reopen or successor program — they did order Duke to design a nonresidential version, but that doesn't help homeowners. We don't pitch PowerPair as a current dollar credit because we can't honestly promise you'll land in the funding window. What we CAN do: Top Tier monitors the NCUC E-7 docket; when a residential successor or reopen is filed, we notify customers we've installed for. In the meantime, the case for the battery rests on the bill math we already walked through, the Hidden Costs takeover bundle, the EnergyWise Home Battery Program (which is still ACTIVE and pays up to $92/month independently of PowerPair), and the resilience pillar."

Common customer questions (4)

Q: My neighbor got the $9K — why can't I?

"Your neighbor probably enrolled before April 2026, when Duke Carolinas Cohort B still had capacity. Duke Progress closed back in November 2025; Carolinas closed Cohort B at the end of April. The pilot was capped at 30 megawatts per utility, and that cap is essentially full. Until NCUC approves a residential successor, your install positions you for the next program rather than for the same PowerPair your neighbor caught."

Q: Should I wait for the reopen?

"Strong no, for three reasons. First, NCUC hasn't filed a successor program — there's no published reopen date. Second, every month you wait is a month of bill exposure under the current Duke Bridge Rate / RSC EDG structure. Third, when programs reopen, customers who already have batteries installed are typically first in line; trying to coordinate install + application at the same moment usually puts you behind. The four pillars of the pitch (takeover, bill math, Hidden Costs, resilience) don't depend on PowerPair."

Q: What about EnergyWise Home Battery — is that still around?

"Yes. EnergyWise Home Battery Program is ACTIVE separately from PowerPair. It pays up to $92 per month in bill credits — about $1,100 a year — plus $6.50 per kilowatt of continuous discharge capacity per month. For a 5 kW battery that's another $32.50/month. Duke dispatches the battery 30-36 times per year; you're notified before each event and can opt out up to 4 times per year and keep full credits. Never discharges below 20%. Eligible batteries: Enphase, Franklin, SolarEdge, Tesla. Top Tier coordinates the enrollment paperwork."

Q: Can I get PowerPair as a Dominion NC customer?

"No — PowerPair is a Duke Energy program, applies only to Duke Carolinas and Duke Progress service territories. Dominion NC customers aren't eligible, and Dominion NC doesn't have an equivalent program today. The Dominion NC pitch is straight forward-positioning + system takeover + resilience — and your 1:1 NM is preserved, which Duke customers gave up on July 1, 2023."

What NOT to say

• ❌ "PowerPair pays $9K off your install" — install cost is the same; PowerPair is post-install application via Duke Trade Ally
• ❌ "It'll reopen in a few months" — NCUC has not filed a successor; no timeline
• ❌ Pitching PowerPair to Dominion NC customers — they're not eligible
• ❌ "Top Tier handles your PowerPair application" — Top Tier is a Duke Trade Ally so we CAN coordinate, but the application is to Duke through their portal; we set expectations honestly

Duke EnergyWise Home Battery Program — Present-Tense Pillar (Duke customers only)

This is the live battery incentive in NC today — distinct from the closed/near-exhausted PowerPair, and available to all Duke customers regardless of PowerPair status.

The mechanics

• Up to $92/month bill credits (~$1,100/year)
• Plus $6.50/kW of continuous discharge capacity per month (a 5 kW battery = +$32.50/mo)
• Duke accesses battery 30-36 times/year; customer notified before each event
• Opt-out up to 4 times/year with full credits retained
• Never discharges below 20% (preserves backup reserve)
• Eligible batteries: Enphase, FranklinWH, SolarEdge, Tesla
• Available STANDALONE for batteries NOT in PowerPair — a Duke customer who didn't catch PowerPair can still enroll in EnergyWise
• Tesla VPP via Duke partnership — specifically for Powerwall owners
• Duke-only — Dominion NC customers not eligible

How to use it in conversation (verbatim talk-track)

"Separate from the PowerPair conversation, Duke runs a program called EnergyWise Home Battery — it's a virtual power plant. Duke pays up to $92 a month in bill credits plus $6.50 per kilowatt of your battery's continuous discharge per month. For a typical 5 kW battery that's about $125 a month, or $1,500 a year. The catch — and it's a fair one — is Duke can dispatch your battery during peak demand events, about 30 to 36 times a year. You're notified before each event, can opt out up to 4 times a year without losing credits, and the battery never discharges below 20% so you keep backup reserve. Top Tier coordinates the enrollment paperwork. This is real ongoing income, not a one-time pop, and it's active right now — no waitlist."

What NOT to say

• ❌ Don't quote specific $/yr as guaranteed (Duke can change tariff)
• ❌ Don't pitch to Dominion NC customers (not eligible)
• ❌ Don't conflate with PowerPair ($9K is upfront pilot; EnergyWise is ongoing VPP)
• ❌ Don't promise specific battery selection — eligibility list (Enphase, Franklin, SolarEdge, Tesla) follows what's installed

Rate Increases: Duke NC + Dominion NC Trajectory

Duke NC (SERC — distinct from PJM)

Duke's documented rate cases drive the trajectory; PJM capacity dynamics do NOT apply.

• 2024: typical Duke NC residential bill $140.33/mo
• Jan 2025: +$4.19 → $144.52/mo
• Jan 2026: +$4.10 → $148.62/mo by 2026
• Post-Helene: Two Swannanoa substations submerged in September 2024 — multi-month rebuild. Western NC distribution restoration is multi-year capital recovery. Flowing through subsequent rate cases.

Three scenarios for Duke NC:

• Optimistic 4%/yr: NCUC moderates rate-case asks; post-Helene capital spreads over longer window
• Moderate 6%/yr: Continues documented 2024-2026 cadence + ongoing capital recovery
• Aggressive 8%/yr: Hurricane Helene multi-month rebuild + data-center load growth in NC (Microsoft, AWS, Google all expanding NC footprint) compound

Dominion NC (PJM Dom Zone)

PJM capacity-cost dynamics apply (same as Dominion VA):

• PJM capacity prices spiked 833% in 2025/26 auction
• Same Dominion data-center cost allocation debate that affects VA carries through to NC

Three scenarios for Dominion NC:

• Optimistic 3%/yr: PJM capacity recovery spreads; VA General Assembly data-center reform succeeds
• Moderate 5%/yr: Continues Dominion VA 2025-2027 trajectory
• Aggressive 7%/yr: Data-center reform stalls; PJM 833% precedent compounds

Federal & State Tax Credits

What's Gone

• Federal ITC expired December 31, 2025 per the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. New 2026 cash or financed installs do not qualify. ~$5,000-7,000 of lost incentive value.

What Remains for North Carolina

• No NC state solar income tax credit. (None on legislative horizon.)
• 100% residential property tax exemption for solar systems — automatic, no application required. Worth $200-600/yr in avoided property-tax assessment over the system lifetime.
• Solar equipment generally sales-tax exempt at the state level.
• No NC battery rebate equivalent to MD's RCES or VA's pending Community Energy Act VPP. NC's incentive story is PowerPair (Duke-only, near-exhausted) + EnergyWise VPP (Duke-only, active). Dominion NC customers have neither.
• Section 25D battery-with-solar residual 2026 eligibility uncertain — installer-blog claim, primary IRS guidance does not affirm. Do not pitch without tax-counsel review.

How to Handle the Conversation

"You may have heard about the 30% federal tax credit. That expired at the end of 2025 for direct purchases. North Carolina doesn't have a state solar income tax credit either — South Carolina has one, several states do, but North Carolina doesn't. NC DOES have a residential solar property tax exemption — your install doesn't add to your property's assessed value — and solar equipment is generally sales-tax exempt. The incentive story in NC is PowerPair (which is Duke-only and effectively closed for new applications right now) and EnergyWise (Duke-only and still active). For Dominion NC customers neither applies; the pitch rests on structural value — 1:1 NM preservation, system takeover, resilience."

Loan Economics

Service Finance loan structure for the backup-capable configuration (NC default):

Note: Service Finance loans cannot be re-amortized. Extra payments shorten the loan term but do not lower the monthly payment.

Objection Handling

"What if I sell the house before the loan is paid off?"

"Solar plus battery raises your home's value at sale. Your closing equity pays off whatever's left on the loan, so the new owner inherits a fully-owned system with no payment to take over. Most warranties carry over: Top Tier's 10-year workmanship and roof penetration warranty transfers to the new owner with written consent (we coordinate this at closing), and the manufacturer warranties on your inverter and battery transfer per the manufacturers' own terms. The 5-year Align Solar Protection service contract is non-transferable — the seller benefits from the inspection and 5-year coverage. The next owner gets a turnkey, manufacturer-warrantied home with hurricane backup built in; you get a higher sale price. North Carolina-specific: if you applied for EnergyWise enrollment and want the dispatch credits to follow the property, the new owner needs to enroll separately — credits don't transfer with the home."

"My Duke bill is high. Why is the battery only saving me a few dollars a month?"

"Two things going on. First, you're on Bridge Rate or RSC — Duke credits your exports at well below retail (Bridge ~9-13¢/kWh, RSC 3.4¢/kWh) but bills your imports at full retail ($0.13-0.15/kWh). The battery captures that spread by self-consuming what would otherwise export. So the bill savings is real but it's the spread × your nighttime consumption — not the full bill. Second, Duke's rate cases continue ($140.33 → $148.62/mo by 2026) and post-Helene grid hardening costs are still flowing through. The battery savings compound as Duke rates rise. The other layers — EnergyWise VPP credits ($1,500/yr), Hidden Costs Avoided ($11K bundled), and resilience for the next Helene-class event — round out the case."

"What about PowerPair?"

(See the dedicated PowerPair talk-track section above for the verbatim script.)

"What if the Jan 2027 cliff doesn't come?" (Duke Legacy customers)

"Honest answer: the cliff is set by NCUC docket, and the Bridge Rate enrollment window through Dec 31, 2026 is structured around it. NCUC could theoretically extend the grandfathering, but every signal — including Duke's own rate filings — points the other direction. The point of the battery is that it's the only customer-side hedge that works regardless of whether the cliff lands on schedule, gets delayed, or surprises everyone with a faster transition. You're not buying a cliff bet; you're buying optionality."

"What about the 30% federal tax credit?"

"It expired December 31, 2025 for direct purchases. Some lease and PPA models still qualify at the leasing-company level. For cash or financed purchases like ours, there's no federal credit. NC has no state income tax credit either — but NC's residential solar property tax exemption is automatic, so your install doesn't add to your home's assessed value. That's $200-600/yr in avoided property tax over the system lifetime."

What To Say · What NOT To Say

Key Disclosures for North Carolina Customers

1. 3 IOUs, 3 cohort treatments, 2 RTOs. Confirm utility + install date + (for Duke) cohort routing before quoting.
2. Duke NC = SERC (NOT PJM); Dominion NC = PJM Dom Zone. Different rate-trajectory framing applies.
3. Duke Bridge Rate enrollment closes Dec 31, 2026. After that, new Duke customers go straight to RSC (~3.4¢/kWh + TOU + CPP).
4. Duke Legacy 1:1 NM cliff: Jan 1, 2027 for pre-7/1/2023 installs.
5. PowerPair status (May 31, 2026): Duke Progress CLOSED since Nov 7, 2025; Duke Carolinas Cohort B WAITLISTED April 28, 2026 + Cohort A near-exhausted June-July 2026. Forward-framed; NO present-tense $9K guarantee.
6. EnergyWise Home Battery Program: Duke VPP, up to $92/mo + $6.50/kW. ACTIVE. Duke-only.
7. Dominion NC has NO PowerPair, NO EnergyWise (Duke-only programs).
8. No NC state solar income tax credit. Residential solar property tax EXEMPT (automatic).
9. Federal ITC expired 12/31/2025. Section 25D residual eligibility uncertain.
10. Hurricane Helene 2024: 1.34M Duke outages in Carolinas; 703k in NC. Two Swannanoa substations submerged — multi-month rebuild. State-defining event.
11. Battery duration depends on loads (10 kWh = 18-30 hr critical loads).
12. Service Finance loans cannot be re-amortized. Extra payments shorten term.

Recent NC Outage Events (Resilience Anchors)

1. Hurricane Helene (Sept 26-27, 2024) — 1.34M Duke customers out in Carolinas; 703k in NC. Western NC devastation (Asheville/Buncombe/Swannanoa). Two submerged substations expected multi-month rebuild. State-defining event.
2. Hurricane Florence (Sept 2018) — 1.5M Duke outages total. Largest Duke resource mobilization ever (20,000+ workers). Wilmington / New Bern / Jacksonville / Morehead City / Lumberton hardest hit. DEP territory bore the heaviest impact.
3. Hurricane Isaias (Aug 2020) — >200k NC customers restored after. ~60% of 132k Wilmington-area Duke customers lost power.
4. 2026 severe weather (Helene anniversary year) — various events; Duke still rebuilding western NC infrastructure from 2024 damage.

Walk-Away Profiles

When the deal doesn't fit, walk away cleanly. None of these are tenure-based.

• Customer has no existing solar. Top Tier specializes in battery added to existing solar.
• Customer's existing solar is a lease or PPA. Route to Todd for case-by-case.
• Customer is on an NC cooperative or municipal utility (NCEMC, EnergyUnited, Blue Ridge EMC, ElectriCities members). Out of scope at launch.
• Customer is a Dominion NC customer demanding PowerPair / EnergyWise enrollment. Not eligible — both are Duke-only programs. Honest answer required.
• Customer is a Duke Carolinas / Duke Progress customer who specifically wants PowerPair as a hard prerequisite to closing today. PowerPair is near-exhausted/closed; if customer won't proceed without it, document the conversation and wait for NCUC successor. The other four pillars carry the case for customers willing to proceed.

TODO / Follow-Up

• Re-verify Duke Carolinas PowerPair status monthly — the May 31, 2026 pre-flight showed Cohort A projected exhaustion June-July 2026. When Cohort A formally exhausts, update keyDisclosures + rep guide to reflect "fully closed at both Duke utilities". When NCUC files or approves a residential successor, update again.
• Verify Duke NC Schedule R + Dominion NC Schedule M tariff PDFs for customer charge + per-kWh figures. Phase A research couldn't extract via WebFetch (Duke 403s); use pypdf-against-cached-PDF approach.
• Add Duke NC legacy-cliff cohort routing as a follow-up branch. Use the grandfathering schema (similar to FL KUA / SC DESC) to upgrade pre-7/1/2023 Duke customers to cliff_grandfathered cohort with Jan 1, 2027 cliff. Until then, reps handle the cohort verbally via the cliff-grandfathered template above.
• Watch for NCUC E-7 docket activity on residential PowerPair successor / extension. The nonresidential successor Duke has been ordered to design does NOT help residential.
• Optional NC cooperative + muni expansion (NCEMC members, ElectriCities member systems) out of scope at launch.
• Tesla VPP via Duke partnership — verify current enrollment terms for Powerwall owners; mention separately from EnergyWise generic battery list.