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| KNOXVILLE SOLAR AMERICA CITY | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Ultimately, the City aims to achieve a sustainable solar infrastructure in Knoxville. The Solar America Cities partnership will jump start progress towards this goal by helping to fund the following initiatives: 1- Installation of a 4.8 kW solar power generation system at the new, LEED-certified downtown transit center 2- Integration of solar power in Community Development plans for affordable housing construction and renovation. 3- - Installation of several types of solar technologies at a LEED-Certified Knox Heritage historic home rehabilitation. 4- Identification of local companies focused on solar power, renewable energy, and energy-efficient technologies and assessment of the challenges these companies face in increasing local demand. 5- Public workshops to educate community members on solar technologies and opportunities. 6- Development of locally offered, high quality solar installation certification courses to strengthen the local supply market. 7- Creation of technical training programs to educate relevant Knoxville, Knox County, and KUB staff on solar power generation such that solar power systems can be installed in a safe and timely manner. Solar America Cities Partners You can learn more details about Knoxville’s plans for utilizing the Solar America Cities funds in the application submitted to DOE. View the Application in [PDF] format HERE. View the Solar America Cities Program HERE. Financing Your Own Solar Power Various local, state, and federal incentive programs are in place to encourage installation of solar panels at residential homes and commercial buildings. If you are thinking about “going solar” at your home or business, consider taking advantage of the following programs and opportunities. TVA and KUB: Green Power Switch Generation Partners TVA encourages its residential and commercial customers to install on-site solar and wind generation facilities by offering to buy 100% of the power generated. By signing on to the Generation Partners program, homeowners or businesses that install solar PV systems can connect to the grid and receive a $1,000 one-time incentive and an ongoing generation-based incentive. Slightly different than a typical net-metering program, Generation Partners uses a dual-meter system to track the amount of electricity produced and consumed by a participating site. TVA then pays the participant for the electricity generated at a price $0.12 above standard electricity rates (residential rate or GSA 1 rate for commercial systems). By guaranteeing this premium rate for power generation through clean energy technologies, TVA helps reduce the cost barrier for solar and build a stronger lasting solar market. KUB is a key partner in this program and implements Green Power Switch Generation Partners at the local utility level. Additional information regarding the TVA Green Power Switch Generation Partners program and its requirements can be found on the TVA website. If you’re not quite ready to commit to solar power production, you can still support green power in the Tennessee Valley by signing up for Green Power Switch. CLICK HERE to learn more. State of Tennessee Solar Incentives for Businesses The State of Tennessee offers a grant to businesses to encourage the installation of clean energy technologies, including solar power arrays. The grant covers 40% of the installation cost, with a maximum award of $75,000. For more information, contact Terry Ellis with the TN Department of Economic and Community Development: 615-253-1944 or Terry.Ellis@tn.gov. Federal Government Solar Tax Credits The Energy Policy Act of 2005 and the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 (the “Bail Out” bill) offer residential customers and business owners tax credits for taking measures to make homes and businesses more energy efficient. Homeowners or businesses that install solar PV or solar hot water systems can receive tax credits for 30% of the cost of the system (valid through 12/31/2016). Additional details can be found on the following websites: Database of State Incentives for Renewable Energy (DSIRE) Energy Star Ready to Go Solar? For more information about solar power in homes, click HERE to visit a DOE Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy resources website. If you’ve decided to install a solar power array of your own or want to find out if solar is right for you, check out these local and regional companies:
(*Companies that are “NABCEP” certified have received installation certification from the North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners - www.nabcep.org) Other Solar Resources Tennessee State Law For the State of Tennessee’s Building Energy Code, Click HERE. Local Solar Power Displays Look for these solar power systems in and around Knoxville:
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