Original research
Solar for Farms in Mount Pleasant, SC
An honest look at farm solar around a suburban town, using the county’s own agricultural census.
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Charleston County agriculture at a glance (2022)
| Measure | Charleston County |
|---|---|
| Farms | 370 (−8% since 2017) |
| Land in farms | 38,727 acres; average 105 acres |
| Market value of products sold | $57,163,000 |
| Vegetables, melons, potatoes, sweet potatoes | $11,872,000 (7th of 46 SC counties) |
| Nursery, greenhouse, floriculture, sod | $6,070,000 |
| Fruits, tree nuts, berries | $4,409,000 |
| Poultry and eggs | $139,000 |
| Acres irrigated | 1,089 (3% of land in farms) |
| Farms selling under $2,500 | 160 (43%) |
USDA NASS, 2022 Census of Agriculture county profile, Charleston County. Retrieved 5 October 2026.
Which farm loads near Mount Pleasant suit solar
For the vegetable, fruit and nursery operations that make up most county sales, the steady daytime loads are walk-in coolers and cold rooms, greenhouse ventilation, packing and washing lines, and irrigation pumps during dry spells.
Coolers and fans run on summer afternoons when solar output is high, which is the best match. Irrigation is seasonal and covers few acres here, so a pump-only system would sit idle much of the year.
Livestock is a small part of county agriculture; horse operations ($187,000 in sales) and barns with lighting and water pumps are modest loads.
Ground-mount, rooftop and batteries on Charleston County farms
Barn and packing-shed roofs are often the cheapest place for panels if the structure can take the load and coastal wind design.
Ground mounts suit farms with spare, unshaded, well-drained land; in low-lying parts of the county, check the flood zone first, since the Town of Mount Pleasant and the county both regulate building in Special Flood Hazard Areas.
A battery is worth it mainly where a power cut means lost produce in cold storage.
Inside town limits, permits come from the Town of Mount Pleasant; outside them, from Charleston County Building Inspection Services. The Mount Pleasant installation page covers the Town process.
Utility terms, incentives and payback for farms near Mount Pleasant
Berkeley Electric Cooperative serves more than 100,000 member accounts across Berkeley, Charleston and Dorchester counties.
Its Renewable Surplus Rider credits exports at 6.03¢/kWh for small commercial systems up to 100 kW AC on non-demand rates; accounts over 100 kVA can install larger systems but get no credit for surplus.
Dominion Energy customers should get the applicable commercial rate in writing. Check the address on Berkeley’s territory search.
A system serving the farmhouse can use the 25% state solar credit (up to $3,500 a year). A system serving the farm business looks to the state Clean Energy Credit (TC-54) and federal §48E within its deadlines.
We have not verified the current status of USDA energy grant programs for this page, so ask your USDA Rural Development state office before planning around one.
Payback depends on how much of the output the farm uses itself; size to the cooler and shed loads, not the land available.
See commercial solar in Mount Pleasant and Mount Pleasant incentives, and the state view on South Carolina farm solar.
Questions a Charleston County farm should ask before going solar
House, barn and pump meters may be on different rates; solar only offsets the meter it is connected to.
Berkeley’s rider is not available on either.
Interval data from the utility shows whether daytime load matches output.
It decides where a ground mount and inverter can go.
Mowing and spraying around a ground mount, and inverter service.
Questions
Are there many farms near Mount Pleasant?
What do Charleston County farms grow?
Can a farm on Berkeley Electric export solar power?
Can a farmhouse use the SC solar tax credit?
Who issues permits for a farm solar system near Mount Pleasant?
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