We’re Gonna Soak Up the Suuuuun
On Friday, June 20, 2025, Raleigh will bask in 14 hours and 35 minutes of glorious daylight—sunrise at approximately 5:58 AM and sunset around 8:33 PM. That’s nearly five more hours of sunshine than December’s shortest day—perfect conditions for your solar panels to soak up every last photon while you relax and listen to the our Solstice playlist on Spotify.
Why the Solstice Matters for Solar
The summer solstice isn’t just a reason to break out the sunscreen—it’s also a solar super day. Here’s why it matters for your system:
Maximum Power Potential: On the longest day of the year, the sun takes its highest and longest path across the sky. That means your panels are getting more direct sunlight for more hours—translating to maximum energy production.
Grid-Friendly Timing: Your system’s peak output happens right when demand for air conditioning is surging. That overlap helps take stress off the grid and keeps things cleaner for everyone.
Perfect Day for a System Check: Today is one of the best benchmarks of the year. If your inverter isn’t showing strong numbers, it could be time for a quick system check. Reach out to our tech team, they’re awesome and always happy to help!
Local Ways to Celebrate All. That. Sunshine.
| When | What & Where | Why It’s Bright |
|---|---|---|
| Fri, 6/20 – 6:00 am | 🌅 Sunrise Yoga – Dorothea Dix Park, Raleigh | Mats roll out at 5:45 am so you don’t miss a single ray. dixpark.org |
| Friday, 6/20 — 11:00am | 🍓 Summer Solstice Party – Eno River Farm | Enjoy ice cream, pick fruit and more! enoriverfarms.com/ |
| Friday, 6/20 — noon | 🎶 Downtown Durham Solstice Bash – CCB Plaza | Live music, art booths, and a solar-powered bubble machine (yes, really). downtowndurham.com |
| Friday, 6/20 — noon | 🌻 Solstice Wellness Fair – Energessence Studio, N. Raleigh | Sound baths, smoothie bikes powered by the sun, and fun for the whole fam. energ-essence.com |
| Friday, 6/20 — 4:00pm | 🌼 Summer Solstice Party – American Tobacco Campus, Durham | Mocktails, flower-crown making, and plenty of shade for your pup. discoverdurham.com |
| Friday, 6/20 — 6:00pm | 🖼️ Third Friday Art Walk – Downtown Durham | Art, galleries, and golden hour vibes. downtowndurham.com |
| Friday, 6/20 — 6:00pm | 🧘 Sunset Yoga – NC Museum of Art Park | Wind down with the sun. ncartmuseum.org |
| Saturday, 6/21 — 2:00pm | 🔥 Greensboro Summer Solstice Festival – Greensboro Arboretum | Worth the drive: costumes, drum circles, and fire dancers at dusk. greensborosummersolstice.org |
| Saturday, 6/21 — 9:00am | 🐝4th Annual Durham Bee Day Celebration – Durham Central Park | Taste honey and come say hi to us! Gabriel will be there. https://www.keepdurhambeautiful.org/events/durham-bee-day-2025 |
The SEM Solstice Challenge!
Ready to show off your solar power?
- On June 20 or 21, open your monitoring app.
- Screenshot your highest-ever daily production reading.
- Post it on Instagram or Facebook and tag @southern_energy. If you don’t have social media, we’d love to see it! Email us at shine@southern-energy.com
We’ll mail some swag packs to the three biggest kWh tallies—and the three most creative photo captions, because vibes matter too.
Got a little artist or budding solar engineer at home?
Send us your sunshine-themed art for a chance to be featured in our SHINE gallery!
A Toast to the Sun
Throwback to a sunny celebration with some of our amazing customers, who gathered to toast a new solar system install (referral-powered). To mark the occasion, they even created The Southern Energy Cocktail in our honor.
Recipe: Bourbon • Amaretto • Fresh lemon juice • A juicy peach slice to represent the sun ☀️
Play with the portions to suit your taste! And let us know if you try it out!
☀️ Look Out for Our Team This Summer
As you might’ve guessed, our crew will be soaking up the season—hiking, swimming, and finding ways to stay cool in the North Carolina heat. You might spot us around some of our favorite local spots like Eno River and Umstead Park (fun fact: we installed solar on their Welcome Center!).
Here are a few upcoming events where you can catch us in action—come say hi!
Festival for the Eno
July 4 & 5 | Durham, NC
Celebrate Independence Day with music, local art, and environmental stewardship at EnoFest—one of our favorite summer traditions.
Durham Bulls Games
Durham, NC
July 4 – Fireworks Night
July 11 – Margaritaville Night
Grab your sunscreen and your foam fingers—we’ll see you at the ballpark!
NC Climate Justice Collective Solar Festival
July 12 | 1–4 PM | Location TBD
A community-powered event focused on solar, climate justice, and energy equity. All are welcome!
Wendell Falls Solar Workshop
July 22 | Wendell, NC
Join us for a hands-on workshop to learn everything you need to know about going solar in the Wendell Falls community.
Share the Shine
Know someone thinking about solar? Now’s the time to refer them!
With uncertainty around whether the 30% Federal Tax Credit will remain in 2026—and Duke Energy’s PowerPair incentive nearing full capacity with no confirmed plans to return—it’s a great moment to help friends and family lock in these powerful NC solar benefits.
