Solar Installations Just Jumped Over 200% in Haywood County. Here's Why.

By Jon Tharp, Broker  ·  June 16, 2026

A 200% jump in anything turns heads, and that is exactly what solar crews in Haywood County dealt with this year as installations more than doubled across the county. Demand climbed fast enough that crews were rushing to keep up.

Haywood sits along US-74 and Interstate 40 just west of Asheville, close enough that Waynesville is about a 30-minute drive from the city. That proximity matters, because the same homeowners weighing a move to the mountains are also weighing how to power a home up here affordably.

Why are so many WNC homeowners switching to solar?

For most of us, the electric bill is one of the bigger lines in the monthly budget, and it does not get smaller on its own. Solar has reached a point where it costs less over time than relying on fossil fuels, and people are noticing.

The math is the real driver. A typical residential system runs about $22,000 to buy outright. It takes roughly 10 years of electric bill savings to earn that back. After that, from year 11 through year 30, you are generating your own power for essentially nothing.

Over the full 30-year lifespan, the average system saves around $61,000. Leasing options exist too, which wipe out the upfront cost if writing a check for the whole system is not in the cards right now.

That combination, a real payback window plus a no-money-down path, helps explain why Haywood crews suddenly had more work than they could comfortably schedule.

What does solar mean for life in the mountains?

There is a reason this resonates here specifically. An increase in solar production reduces reliance on a centralized grid, and anyone who has lived through a mountain winter knows the grid can be fragile when a storm rolls through.

Add battery storage and the picture changes again. You control your own power supply at night and during outages, rather than waiting on a crew to clear a downed line miles away. For folks on more remote properties around Waynesville, Maggie Valley, and Canton, that independence is worth a lot.

Battery storage and panels also tend to raise the value of a home. In a market where buyers increasingly ask about energy costs, a paid-off system that produces clean power is a selling point.

Is solar actually better for the environment here?

The short version from the people advocating for it: carbon in the ground is good, carbon in the atmosphere is bad. Burning coal, oil, and gas releases carbon dioxide and other pollutants, while a solar system produces no direct emissions.

There is an environmental cost in manufacturing the panels and batteries, but according to the figures shared, that gets offset within the first two years. After that, a typical system produces clean energy for upwards of 28 more years.

The argument from local advocates is about timing as much as anything. Move toward solar and other renewables sooner, and we get to keep the lifestyle we love up here without dramatic disruption down the road.

That message comes from Todd Kemmerling of Waynesville, a volunteer with the Environmental Action Committee of WNC. The group shares more on solar and related programs at eacwnc.org.

Is solar worth it for a WNC home?

Like most home decisions in the mountains, the answer depends on your roof, your tree cover, and how long you plan to stay. A shaded north-facing lot is a tougher candidate than an open southern slope, so a real site assessment matters before anyone quotes you a number.

But the broader trend is hard to ignore. When installations in a single county more than double in a year, that is a lot of neighbors running the same math and deciding it pencils out.

If a story like this one has you picturing what owning a home in the Haywood County mountains could look like, Jon Tharp is always glad to talk it through.

 

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does a residential solar system cost in Western North Carolina?

A typical residential solar system in Haywood County and the surrounding WNC area averages about $22,000 to purchase outright. That cost varies based on the size of your roof, your energy use, and whether you add battery storage. Leasing options exist that eliminate the upfront cost entirely, though you give up some long-term savings in exchange. Most homeowners earn back their investment through electric bill savings in roughly 10 years. With a 30-year system lifespan, that leaves about two decades of essentially free energy. Over the full lifespan, the average system saves around $61,000.

Does solar make sense in the mountains with all the trees and shade?

It can, but siting matters more here than in flatter parts of the state. Heavily wooded lots and north-facing slopes are tougher candidates, while homes with open southern exposure and clear roofs do well. A reputable installer will assess your specific tree cover, roof pitch, and seasonal sun angles before quoting a system. Many mountain homeowners clear a few strategic limbs or choose ground-mounted arrays in a sunny part of the property. The strong growth in Haywood County installations this year suggests plenty of local homes are good fits despite the tree canopy that makes our region beautiful.

Does adding solar panels increase home value in WNC?

Solar panels and battery storage generally increase a home's value, and that holds true in the Western North Carolina market. Owned systems, as opposed to leased ones, tend to add the most resale value because the buyer inherits the savings without taking on a lease transfer. Battery backup is an added selling point in the mountains, where storms and grid outages are a real consideration. Buyers increasingly ask about energy costs, and a paid-off system with low or no electric bills is a compelling line in a listing. Leased systems are more complicated and can occasionally slow a sale if the terms are not buyer-friendly.

What does battery storage add to a solar setup?

Battery storage lets you use the energy your panels produce after the sun goes down and keeps your home powered during grid outages. Without a battery, a standard grid-tied solar system shuts off during an outage for safety reasons, which surprises many first-time owners. In the mountains, where winter storms and downed lines can cut power for hours or days, that backup capability is one of the biggest draws. Batteries add to the upfront cost, but they give you genuine energy independence and control over your own supply, even at night and during emergencies.