Top Tier — South Carolina Battery Sales Reference

Duke Energy Carolinas · Upstate South Carolina (Greenville · Spartanburg · Anderson)

Sales reference for reps working Duke Energy Carolinas territory on the SC side. This is the deep reference — how to sell it up top, full utility detail below. SC moved off retail net metering under Act 62 (the Solar Choice tariff), and Duke has a LIVE battery VPP (EnergyWise) — the two facts that shape the SC pitch.

What kind of market this is

Duke Energy Carolinas (SC) is a net-billing market under Act 62's Solar Choice tariff, with statutory grandfather cohorts and a LIVE battery VPP (EnergyWise Home Battery Control). Four defining facts:

1. SC moved off retail net metering under Act 62. New solar customers are on the Solar Choice tariff (net billing, not 1:1 retail). Grandfather cohorts are statutory and set by application date (see the Cohort Map) — with the biggest cohort's full-retail deal ending 5/31/2029.
2. EnergyWise Home Battery Control is LIVE in SC — Duke's battery VPP launched in SC on August 1, 2025, paying output-based monthly bill credits (roughly $35–53/mo depending on battery count/output). This is a real, current income pillar — a genuine differentiator vs. most SC utilities.
3. The SC 25% state tax credit (TC-38) is live and has no expiration — the only tax incentive left for SC buyers now that the federal ITC has expired. It covers the solar portion; the battery portion isn't confirmed (verify with a tax advisor).
4. Hurricane Helene (Sept 2024) hit the SC Upstate hard — Duke had ~508,000 SC customers out; resilience is a lived, recent concern here, not hypothetical.

Your lead is rate protection + the live VPP + resilience. Net billing means exports earn less than retail, so a battery that self-consumes captures the spread; EnergyWise adds real monthly income; the 25% state credit offsets cost; and after Helene, backup is a concrete need. Duke SC is one of the stronger SC battery markets because the VPP is actually live.

Default configuration: backup-capable.

• Backup-capable: $18,500 cash / $23,942 financed / ~$228/mo
• Self-consumption-only: $17,000 cash / $22,068 financed / ~$210/mo

Confirm pricing in the tool before quoting.

PART A — The Pitch (Problem → Solution → Urgency → Close)

The spine is multiple beats per section. Each beat = customer headline + statement + rep layer (+ objection where noted). Beats marked (BACKUP ONLY) render only for backup config; beats with Self-consumption:/Backup: branches swap the customer line by config.

The Problem

Why you still have a bill — and why it depends on when you went solar. Under South Carolina's Solar Choice rules, most solar customers now export their surplus for less than they pay to buy power back — you send power to the grid cheap and buy it back at full price. If you went solar years ago you may still have the old full-retail deal, but that has an expiration date now. Either way, your solar does nothing when the grid goes down.

Rep layer: This opener splits by cohort (see Cohort Map). Net-billing customers: the export-vs-retail spread is the leak. Grandfathered full-retail customers: no current leak, but the 5/31/2029 cliff (for the biggest cohort) is coming — lead rate protection + VPP + resilience + "lock in before the cliff." Objection — "I get credits for my solar." At the Solar Choice export rate, which is below retail — not the full rate you pay to buy it back. That gap is what the battery closes.

Your system is orphaned. Whoever installed your solar is likely gone, merged, or unreachable — especially after so many installers folded when the federal tax credit expired. If something goes wrong, there's no one accountable. You own the system and the risk.

Rep layer: Ask who installed it. Sets up the takeover section. Objection — "My installer's still around." Would they answer a service call within a week — and cover it?

Your inverter is on the clock. Your inverter is several years old. When it fails out of warranty, that's about $3,500 to $5,000 out of pocket — and your system produces nothing until it's replaced, typically 4 to 8 weeks.

Rep layer: SolarEdge string inverters ~12-yr warranty, real failure window 8–15 years; Enphase 25-yr, real issues 10–20 years. 70–90% of systems see inverter failure within the panel lifespan. Objection — "Still under warranty." Good — until it isn't, and then it's $3,500–5,000.

(BACKUP ONLY) No protection when the grid goes down — and after Helene, you know why that matters. Your solar shuts off during an outage — anti-islanding, a safety cutoff. A battery keeps your critical systems running, and with sun it recharges through a multi-day outage.

Rep layer: Renders ONLY for backup config. Upstate SC context: Hurricane Helene (Sept 2024) knocked out ~508,000 Duke SC customers — the Upstate (Greenville/Spartanburg/Anderson) was hit hard, unusual for an inland region, and restoration took days. Ice storms are also a recurring Upstate winter risk. Objection — "We don't get many outages." After Helene, most Upstate customers take it seriously — that storm reached far inland.

The Solution

A battery keeps your power — and earns you money through Duke's VPP. Stores your daytime solar and uses it at night and during peak instead of buying at full retail — and Duke's EnergyWise program pays you a monthly credit for letting the battery support the grid.

• Self-consumption: "Use your stored solar in the evening instead of buying it back — and earn the EnergyWise credit on top."
• Backup: "Keeps your home running when the grid goes down AND earns the EnergyWise credit the rest of the time."

Monthly Cost Chart and Net Bill Breakdown render here.

Rep layer: First cure beat. Two income mechanisms unique to Duke SC: (1) self-consumption captures the net-billing spread; (2) EnergyWise VPP pays ~$35–53/mo output-based (LIVE since Aug 1 2025). Track the VPP as separate income, not a bill offset. Enphase/FranklinWH/SolarEdge/Tesla eligible.

We take it over. Top Tier becomes the single point of contact for your entire system — a new 10-year workmanship warranty, the 5-year Align Solar Protection contract ($0 deductible, non-transferable), and manufacturer warranty coordination.

Rep layer: Answers the orphaned-system problem. Be precise on transfers: workmanship with written consent; Align non-transferable; manufacturer per OEM terms.

Thousands you don't pay. The $11K+ Hidden Costs Avoided bundle — built into the takeover, not sold as extras.

Rep layer: Reframes total cost. "Your payment buys the battery plus warranty plus service plus inverter-replacement coverage — over $11K of value."

The long game. Duke SC rates are climbing — a ~4.3% increase in 2026, plus generation buildout and Helene recovery costs. And if you're on the old full-retail deal, it expires (5/31/2029 for the biggest cohort). A battery locks in the cost of your own power against that.

Rate Justification + Own vs Rent render here.

Rep layer: 25-year case: conservative 3%, moderate 5%, aggressive 7%. Duke SC drivers: the 2026 increase + generation buildout + Helene recovery. For grandfathered customers, the 5/31/2029 cliff is the concrete rate-protection anchor. Objection — "Rates might not go up that much." Duke has a 2026 increase already, plus Helene recovery riders — the trend is up.

What you actually own. The savings hero — combined value: net-billing spread capture (or protected full-retail) + EnergyWise VPP income + the 25% state credit + resilience + the takeover bundle.

• Self-consumption: "Maximizes bill savings + VPP income. Does not provide backup — ask about the upgrade."
• Backup: "Does everything self-consumption does, plus keeps your critical loads running in an outage."

Rep layer: Duke SC combined value = spread + VPP + state credit + resilience. The live VPP is the differentiator. No-backup disclosure fires ONLY for self-consumption config.

Urgency

The clocks that make acting now better than waiting.

The grandfather clock (grandfathered customers). If you're on the old full-retail net metering, it has an expiration date — 5/31/2029 for the biggest cohort. A battery lets you lock in your energy independence before that transition.

Rep layer: This beat is strongest for the 5/16/2019–5/31/2021 cohort (full-retail until 5/31/2029). Honest — it's a real statutory date, not manufactured. For customers already on Solar Choice, lead the spread + VPP instead.

The rate + VPP clock. Duke rates are climbing (2026 increase + Helene recovery), and EnergyWise is paying real money now. Getting the battery in positions you for the VPP income and hedges the rate climb.

Rep layer: The VPP is live and paying — a concrete "money now" urgency. Don't manufacture a VPP deadline, but enrollment income starts once installed.

System aging. Your inverter is aging toward its failure window. The longer you wait, the closer you get to an out-of-warranty replacement at $3,500–5,000 out of pocket — with no service relationship to handle it. Installing now means Top Tier covers the inverter coordination from day one.

Rep layer: Universal urgency beat.

The Close

1. Verify credit + confirm application date. Run the credit check. And confirm when the solar was interconnected/applied — it determines the Act 62 cohort and the pitch.
2. Customer reads and signs the service agreement. Walk through the key disclosures honestly — including the Solar Choice net-billing terms, the EnergyWise VPP enrollment, and that the 25% state credit covers the solar portion (battery portion to be verified with a tax advisor).
3. Complete the Welcome Call. Finalizes the sale and sets expectations for installation.

Standing Rules (Do NOT Violate)

• ❌ NEVER coach reps to disqualify based on home tenure. Resale story is real — not "walk away."
• ❌ NEVER claim "all warranties transfer." Workmanship: with written consent. Align: non-transferable. Manufacturer: per OEM terms.
• ❌ NEVER fabricate inspection findings.
• ❌ NEVER quote a bill-reduction factor as a guarantee.
• ❌ NEVER quote a REP buyback rate as fixed/guaranteed — plan-dependent, confirm the customer's actual plan.
• ❌ 85+ confirmation call required. Customer confirms own finances, no POA, sound mind.
• ❌ Financing ends before age 91. 75 → 15-year max. 80 → 10-year max.
• ❌ Honest cancellation window. Overselling = free customer exit + $1K–$1.5K clawback.
• ❌ Certified before selling.

Go get the sale. A battery is a strong product — clean energy, independence, backup, long-term savings, and in Texas real VPP income. A customer who wants one for any honest reason is a good sale. We never walk away over price or low savings — that's the customer's call. Do right by the customer, protect the company, be honest.

PART B — The Deep Reference

1. Orientation

• Utility: Duke Energy Carolinas — the SC-side service area (regulated by the SC PSC).
• Territory: Upstate South Carolina — Greenville, Spartanburg, Anderson, and the northwestern part of the state.
• Market type: Net billing under Act 62's Solar Choice tariff, statutory grandfather cohorts, live EnergyWise battery VPP.
• Default config: Backup-capable ($18,500 / $23,942 / ~$228). Self-consumption-only optional ($17,000 / $22,068 / ~$210).

2. Cohort Map — Act 62's statutory cohorts (SC dates, NOT the NC Duke dates)

Three cohorts, set by application date under Act 62 — statutory and uniform across all three SC IOUs. Ask the sorting question first.

THE SORTING QUESTION: "When did you apply for / interconnect your solar?" The Act 62 cohort follows the application date, and it determines the net-metering terms.

Cohort 1 — NEM 1.0 (applied before 5/16/2019). Had full-retail 1:1 net metering until 12/31/2025, then moved to the Solar Choice TOU rate on 1/1/2026. So this cohort is now (2026+) on Solar Choice TOU. Battery value: spread capture + VPP + resilience + rate protection.

Cohort 2 — NEM 2.0 (applied 5/16/2019–5/31/2021). Full-retail 1:1 net metering until 5/31/2029, then moves to Solar Choice TOU. This is the cohort with the live grandfather + a concrete cliff — the "lock in before 5/31/2029" pitch. Battery value: protect + extend the full-retail position + VPP + resilience.

Cohort 3 — Solar Choice (applied on/after 6/1/2021). On the Solar Choice tariff (Interim from 6/1/2021, Permanent from 1/1/2022) from interconnection — net billing, exports below retail. Battery value: capture the spread + VPP + resilience + rate protection.

Why this matters — and the critical cross-state note: these are the Act 62 SC statutory dates, NOT the NC-side Duke dates. (NC Duke = legacy 1:1 closed 9/30/2023, Bridge deadline 12/31/2026, sunset ~2027 — those are a DIFFERENT state's rules.) A rep who carries the NC dates into SC will misstate every cohort. SC = Act 62: the 5/16/2019 and 5/31/2021 application windows, the 12/31/2025 and 5/31/2029 cliffs.

Boundary note: the statute reads "between May 16, 2019 and May 31, 2021"; if a customer's application date is right on 5/16/2019, confirm the exact boundary treatment before pinning their cohort.

3. Rate Reality + Why Rates Climb

The export credit is flagged: Duke SC's Solar Choice export credit (the NEEC / avoided-cost value) should be verified against the current 2026 rider — a January-2022 value was roughly 2.70¢/2.30¢, and the exact 2026 figure isn't pinned. Quote it as "below retail" and flag the specific ¢ for verification. (TODO: confirm 2026 Duke SC NEEC export credit + move recent installs to the mandatory-TOU peak-shift rate model.)

What's driving Duke SC's rate increases (named forward drivers):

1. The 2026 rate increase — ~4.3% approved, flowing to bills.
2. Generation buildout — Duke is building new generation (gas + other) to meet Carolinas load growth; recovered through rates.
3. Hurricane Helene recovery — the September 2024 storm caused massive damage; restoration + hardening costs are recovered via riders.
4. Grid modernization — reliability and grid investment recovered through rates.
5. Load growth — the Carolinas are growing fast (population + economic development), driving capacity needs.

Documented vs. speculation (say this right):

• ✅ "Duke SC has a ~4.3% increase in 2026" (documented)
• ✅ "Helene recovery costs are recovered through riders" (documented mechanism)
• ✅ "EnergyWise is live and paying monthly credits" (documented, launched 8/1/2025)
• ❌ "Your bill will be $X by 2030" (speculation)

4. Bill Anatomy — Reading a Duke SC Bill

Why a Solar Choice customer still has a bill even with solar. A Solar Choice (net-billing) Duke SC bill has:

1. The fixed monthly customer charge — every month, solar or not.
2. Energy bought from Duke at the retail rate — nighttime, cloudy, and peak hours when solar is fading.
3. A below-retail export credit — your exported surplus credited at the Solar Choice rate (below retail), not the full retail rate.

The leak: you export surplus below retail but buy back at full retail — losing the spread. The battery fixes this by storing surplus for self-use (worth full retail avoided) instead of exporting it cheap. For grandfathered full-retail customers (Cohort 2 until 5/31/2029): no current spread leak — the battery's value is VPP income + resilience + protecting the position before the cliff.

How to read the customer's bill (the page-2 skill):

• Confirm the cohort — application date sets it; check whether they're on full-retail (grandfathered) or Solar Choice net billing.
• Find the export credit rate — if it's below retail, they're on Solar Choice (spread pitch applies).
• Check EnergyWise enrollment — if they're not enrolled in the battery VPP, that's income they're leaving on the table.

Seasonal shape (Upstate SC): hot, humid summers (heavy AC, the highest bills) and cool winters with occasional ice. A solar customer's bill is lowest in spring/fall and highest in summer. The battery's self-consumption value concentrates in the summer evening peak, and its resilience value spans summer storms + winter ice + the Helene-style inland-hurricane tail risk.

5. The Savings Story — Worked 25-Year Analysis

The savings story is net-billing spread capture + EnergyWise VPP income + rate protection — with the 25% state credit offsetting cost up front.

Representative Solar Choice customer: ~1,100 kWh/mo, below-retail exports, EnergyWise-eligible.

Without battery — annual bill, three rate-growth scenarios:

With battery — annual net cost (spread self-consumption; EnergyWise VPP income tracked separately below):

EnergyWise VPP income (tracked separately as earnings, not a bill offset): roughly $420–636/yr depending on battery count/output (~$35–53/mo). Over 25 years that's real, additive income on top of the bill savings above — confirm the exact SC credit at enrollment.

Cumulative 25-year comparison (bill only; VPP income + 25% state credit additional):

Plus EnergyWise VPP (~$420–636/yr) and the 25% SC state credit on the solar portion (up-front cost offset). Rates + export credit flagged pending verification — tool computes the customer's actual figure. Don't quote a specific export ¢ until the 2026 NEEC value is pinned.

Break-even calendar (approximate; VPP income + state credit accelerate it):

The Year-1 honesty script (Duke SC version):

"Here's the honest math. Under South Carolina's Solar Choice rules, you export your surplus below retail but buy it back at full price — so a battery that keeps your power instead saves you that spread. On top of that, Duke's EnergyWise program pays you a monthly credit — real money, live right now — for letting your battery support the grid. And South Carolina's 25% state tax credit offsets the solar cost. Your total with the loan may be roughly flat the first year, then pulls ahead as Duke's rates climb — plus you're earning the VPP credit and you've got backup after what Helene did up here."

6. Pitch Framework — Archetypes

Archetype A — Grandfathered full-retail owner (Cohort 2, until 5/31/2029).

• On the old full-retail deal, worried about the coming transition.
• Fit: strong — protect + VPP + resilience.
• Opening: "You've got the old full-retail net metering, but it expires in 2029 under South Carolina's rules. A battery lets you lock in your energy independence before that — plus earn Duke's EnergyWise credit and have backup after Helene."

Archetype B — Solar Choice owner (Cohort 1 or 3).

• On net billing, feels the export-vs-retail spread.
• Fit: strong — spread + VPP.
• Opening: "You're exporting your surplus below retail but buying it back at full price. A battery keeps your power instead — and Duke's EnergyWise program pays you monthly for it."

Archetype C — Reliability-motivated (post-Helene).

• Lived through Helene's inland reach; values backup.
• Fit: strong.
• Opening: "Helene knocked out half a million Duke customers up here — inland, which nobody expected. A battery keeps your essentials running through the next one, and earns you VPP income the rest of the year."

7. Market-Specific Plays — the Duke SC edge

PLAY 1 — The live EnergyWise VPP (the differentiator). Duke's EnergyWise Home Battery Control launched in SC on August 1, 2025 — a real, current battery VPP paying output-based monthly credits (~$35–53/mo; Enphase/FranklinWH/SolarEdge/Tesla eligible). Most SC utilities have NO battery VPP, so this is a genuine Duke SC advantage: "Your battery earns you money every month, not just saves it." Confirm the exact SC credit at enrollment.

PLAY 2 — The Act 62 cohort clock (get the SC dates right). SC's grandfather cohorts are statutory (Act 62): the biggest live-full-retail cohort expires 5/31/2029. For grandfathered customers, that's the concrete "lock in before the cliff" anchor. CRITICAL: use the SC Act 62 dates, NOT the NC Duke dates — they're different, and mixing them misstates the customer's position.

PLAY 3 — The 25% SC state tax credit (the only tax incentive left). Now that the federal ITC has expired, SC's TC-38 25% state credit is the only tax incentive for SC buyers — and it has no expiration. It covers the solar portion (confirmed). Frame it as a real, current cost offset. (Battery-portion eligibility isn't confirmed — see Incentives.)

PLAY 4 — Helene resilience (the inland-hurricane wake-up). Helene (Sept 2024) reached the SC Upstate — inland — and knocked out ~508,000 Duke SC customers, which shocked a region that doesn't think of itself as hurricane-exposed. That plus recurring winter ice makes backup a genuine, recently-proven need here.

8. Incentives & Programs

• EnergyWise Home Battery Control (VPP) — LIVE (Category 1): launched in SC 8/1/2025, output-based monthly credits ~$35–53/mo (e.g. 2× Enphase IQ 5P ≈ $35/mo/$420/yr; 3× ≈ $53/mo/$636/yr). Eligible: Enphase, FranklinWH, SolarEdge, Tesla. Confirm exact SC credit at enrollment.
• SC 25% state tax credit (TC-38) — LIVE, no expiration: 25% of cost, $3,500/yr cap, $35,000 lifetime, limited to 50% of annual tax liability, non-refundable (carries forward). Covers the solar portion (confirmed). ⚠️ Battery/storage eligibility is NOT confirmed — TC-38 describes a "solar energy system"; whether a standalone battery qualifies isn't pinned. Do NOT tell a customer the battery gets 25% back. Frame: "the solar qualifies for SC's 25% credit; whether the battery portion qualifies isn't confirmed — verify with SC DOR or your tax advisor." (TODO: pin TC-38 battery eligibility.)
• Federal ITC: expired 12/31/2025. Do not quote 30%.
• Utility battery rebate: none in SC (Duke's PowerPair solar+battery rebate is NC-only — do NOT apply it in SC).

9. System Rescue Value — The System Takeover

This applies to any customer with existing solar — and it's identical across every Top Tier market. These are takeover facts, not TX-specific.

The Orphaned Solar Customer Problem. Many Texas solar customers installed during the 2019–2024 growth years and now face:

• An original installer that's gone out of business, been acquired, or stopped servicing residential (especially common after the federal tax credit expired Dec 2025)
• A 10-year workmanship warranty that's unenforceable (installer is gone)
• An inverter approaching or past typical failure windows
• No service relationship, and most companies refuse to service systems they didn't install

The Inverter Failure Reality. Inverters are the weakest link. Panels last 25–30 years; the inverter fails much sooner.

• SolarEdge string inverters: 8–15 years (12-yr standard warranty)
• Enphase microinverters: 10–20 years (25-yr warranty)
• Industry-wide: 70–90% of systems experience inverter failure within the panel lifespan
• When it fails on an orphaned system: production stops, bills jump to full retail, most providers won't quote it, out-of-pocket replacement is $3,500–5,000, and the customer is down 4–8 weeks.

What Top Tier's takeover provides (formalized through a Service Warranty Agreement with a brand-new 10-year Limited Workmanship and Roof Penetration Warranty):

• A new 10-year Top Tier workmanship warranty (regardless of system age)
• Manufacturer warranty claim handling (Top Tier chases the claim + labor, not the customer)
• Inverter replacement coverage when it fails within manufacturer warranty (customer pays nothing for the work)
• Single point of contact; monitoring setup help; performance verification at inspection

The $11K System Takeover Bundle (the exact 5-tile bundle on the proposal):

How to use it: "On top of the bill math, you're picking up over $11K of bundled services that aren't sold separately. If your inverter fails in year 12, the warranty handling alone is worth a few hundred; the replacement coordination saves $3–5K; the Align contract is $1,500 you'd otherwise pay. It adds up."

Align Solar Protection — the terms (get these right):

• 5-year term, $0 deductible, insurance-backed by American Bankers Insurance Company of Florida, non-transferable to subsequent owners.
• Covers: mechanical breakdown of existing PV (panels, inverters/optimizers, racking) — parts, labor, service calls.
• Does NOT cover: the new battery (own warranty), wear-and-tear, weather/hail, pre-existing conditions, roof issues.
• Age limits: panels/microinverters under 15 years; string/central inverters under 7 years. Not every system fully qualifies — disclose at inspection.
• It's ONE of three layers: (1) equipment manufacturer warranties, (2) Top Tier's 10-yr workmanship, (3) the 5-yr Align contract. Never call it "full coverage."
• NEVER say: "Everything's covered" / "never worry again" / "Align is your full coverage" / "you can extend beyond 5 years" / "Align transfers when you sell."

Quantifying the rescue value:

This is independent of bill savings — the rescue alone can be worth $4,000–7,500.

10. Outage Reality — Resilience in the SC Upstate

Why outages happen here. The SC Upstate and the Duke Carolinas grid face:

• Hurricane Helene (September 2024) — the defining recent event: a Cat-4 that reached far inland, knocking out ~508,000 Duke SC customers, with the Upstate (Greenville/Spartanburg/Anderson) hit hard. It shocked a region that doesn't think of itself as hurricane country — restoration took days, and it's the concrete, recent resilience anchor.
• Winter ice storms — the Upstate gets recurring ice storms that load lines and trees and cause multi-day outages.
• Severe thunderstorms + wind — summer convective storms bring down lines.
• Hurricane Hugo (1989) — the generational SC hurricane memory (worse on the coast, but statewide awareness).

What a battery does — and the honest mechanism. When the grid goes down, grid-tied solar shuts off automatically (anti-islanding — a safety requirement). So a solar-only customer has no power in an outage even in daylight. A battery with backup keeps essential loads — AC or heat, refrigerator, well pump, medical devices, connectivity — running, and with solar recharges through a multi-day event.

How to pitch it honestly: don't promise whole-home indefinite backup unless sized for it. The honest pitch: "A battery keeps your essentials running through an outage, and with your solar it can carry you through a multi-day event. After Helene reached all the way up here, you know that's not hypothetical." Helene makes this concrete for the Upstate — a recent, inland, multi-day outage.

11. Hidden Costs Avoided / What You Own vs What You Rent

• What you rent: grid power on Duke SC's climbing rates (2026 increase + Helene recovery), with exports credited below retail (Solar Choice), and no protection when the grid fails.
• What you own (with the battery): your production, stored and used at today's locked cost, earning EnergyWise VPP income — plus backup, plus (grandfathered) your protected full-retail deal until the cliff.
• Hidden costs avoided: the $11K takeover bundle + exposure to the rate climb + the spread on the power you'd otherwise keep buying.

12. Battery Products

• Backup config (Duke SC default — resilience + VPP + self-consumption): Tesla Powerwall 3 (11.5 kW), FranklinWH aPower 2 (10 kW).
• Self-consumption config: Enphase IQ 5P (10 kWh), SolarEdge Home Battery (9.7 kWh usable), SolarEdge Nexis (self-consumption only pending crew backup training).
• EnergyWise eligibility: Enphase, FranklinWH, SolarEdge, and Tesla are all EnergyWise-eligible — so any of the standard configs can earn the VPP credit. Confirm config + enrollment in the tool.

13. Objection Handling

Universal objections (swap in Duke SC figures) + SC-specific objections.

"I have net metering — why would I add a battery?" (SC-specific — cohort-dependent)

"It depends when you went solar. If you're on the newer Solar Choice rules, you're exporting below retail and buying back at full price — a battery keeps that power instead. If you're on the old full-retail deal, it expires in 2029, so a battery locks in your independence before that. Either way, Duke's EnergyWise program pays you a monthly credit for the battery, and you get backup after Helene."

"Does the battery earn me money?" (SC-specific — the VPP)

"Yes, actually — Duke's EnergyWise program pays a monthly credit, roughly $35 to $53 depending on your battery, for letting it support the grid during peak times. It's live right now. That's on top of the bill savings from using your own stored power."

"Why is the loan more than the system price?"

"The cash price is $17,000–18,500 depending on config. Service Finance adds dealer fees bringing the financed amount to about $22,068–23,942. Cash or a HELOC is cheaper if that's an option — and South Carolina's 25% state tax credit offsets the solar portion."

"Is there a tax credit?" (SC-specific)

"South Carolina has a 25% state tax credit — that's the one still around now that the federal credit expired. It covers your solar, up to $3,500 a year with a lifetime cap. Whether it covers the battery portion isn't something I can promise — check with your tax advisor — but the solar part qualifies."

"What if I sell the house?"

"Resale asset — your closing equity pays off the loan, and the new owner inherits a fully-owned system with backup. Your net-metering cohort stays with the system, so a grandfathered position can transfer. Top Tier's 10-year workmanship warranty transfers with written consent; the Align contract is non-transferable."

"What if my inverter fails after you install the battery?"

"If it fails within its manufacturer warranty, we handle the claim and the labor — you pay nothing for the work. If it's out of warranty, you'd pay for equipment, but we still handle the labor under our 10-year workmanship coverage. Either way you're not scrambling."

14. DO SAY / NEVER SAY

15. Reading the Bill — cohort → pitch

16. Required Disclosures

1. ☐ Savings are estimates; Duke SC rates + the Solar Choice export credit should be verified against current riders.
2. ☐ 25-year projections are scenarios, not guarantees; depend on SC PSC rate cases.
3. ☐ SC net-metering cohorts are statutory (Act 62); full-retail grandfathering expires by cohort (12/31/2025 for NEM 1.0; 5/31/2029 for NEM 2.0), then moves to Solar Choice.
4. ☐ Solar Choice is net billing (exports credited below retail), not 1:1 retail.
5. ☐ EnergyWise VPP credits (~$35–53/mo) are estimates; confirm the exact SC credit at enrollment.
6. ☐ The SC 25% state tax credit (TC-38) covers the solar portion; battery/storage eligibility is not confirmed — verify with SC DOR or a tax advisor. No federal ITC after 12/31/2025.
7. ☐ Align Solar Protection is non-transferable; workmanship warranty transfer requires written consent; manufacturer warranties transfer per OEM terms; net-metering cohort transfers with the system.
8. ☐ Align coverage is contingent on inspection + age limits (panels <15 yr, inverters <7 yr); one of three coverage layers, not full coverage.
9. ☐ Backup duration depends on system sizing and load; whole-home indefinite backup is not implied.
10. ☐ Pricing confirmed in the tool before commitment.

17. Quick-Reference Numbers (dated — confirm before quoting)

• Net metering: Solar Choice (net billing, below-retail exports)
• Grandfather cohorts: NEM 1.0 → Solar Choice 1/1/2026; NEM 2.0 full-retail until 5/31/2029 (Act 62 SC dates)
• Export credit: below retail (2026 NEEC value — verify)
• EnergyWise VPP: LIVE, ~$35–53/mo output-based
• SC state credit: 25%, $3,500/yr, $35K lifetime (solar confirmed; battery unconfirmed)
• Federal ITC: expired 12/31/2025
• Recent increase: ~+4.3% (2026)
• Inverter replacement out-of-pocket: $3,500–5,000
• System takeover bundle: ~$11,800
• Rescue value: $4,000–7,500+
• Default config: backup $18,500 / self-consumption $17,000

18. Sell Hard, Sell Honest — the standing rules

• Never coach tenure disqualification. The battery is a resale value-add; on sale the loan pays off, the buyer inherits a fully-owned system, and the net-metering cohort transfers with the system.
• Never claim all warranties transfer. Align is non-transferable; workmanship needs written consent; manufacturer per OEM terms.
• Never use the NC Duke cohort dates in SC — SC is Act 62 (different dates); mixing them misstates the customer's position.
• Never promise a specific EnergyWise credit before enrollment — confirm the exact SC figure.
• Never tell a customer the 25% state credit covers the battery — only the solar portion is confirmed; battery eligibility must be verified.
• Never quote the federal ITC (expired).
• Always confirm the application date — it sets the Act 62 cohort and the pitch.