Solar power in Tennessee

File:Music City Center - acre of solar panels.jpg]]

Photovoltaic panels installed on rooftops is estimated to be capable of producing 23% of all electricity used in Tennessee,[http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/10/30/report-argues-for-a-de-centralized-system-of-renewable-power-generation/ Report Argues for a Decentralized System of Renewable Power Generation] with 16,000 MW of solar panels.[http://www.nrel.gov/docs/fy12osti/51946.pdf U.S. Renewable Energy Technical Potentials] pg. 12

Federal law requires net metering upon request, but Tennessee is one of only four states without established policy, meaning that it needs to be negotiated with the utility. A more practical approach is to assume net metering by each utility. Net metering is simply an accounting procedure, and the only requirement is a bi-directional electric meter. Most meters are bi-directional. It is more practical for utilities to discover net metering instead of requiring registration and reporting, just as there is no registration or reporting requirement in connecting an air conditioner, which is instead discovered by utilities. Best practices call for perpetual roll over of kilowatt credits instead of converting to a monetary value.[http://www.newenergychoices.org/uploads/FreeingTheGrid2011.pdf Best Practices in Net Metering]

A 2012 estimate suggests that a typical 5 kW system will pay for itself in about 14 years, and thereafter generate a net savings of $16,622 over the 25 year life of the system.[http://solarpowerrocks.com/tennessee/ Tennessee]

File:Solar panels Knoxville office.jpg

Solar power installations in Tennessee have a relatively high climate impact, because almost 25% of the state's electrical generation (as of 2021) comes from coal.{{Cite web|last=Peters|first=Adele|date=2021-08-31|title=This startup helps build solar farms where the grid is dirtiest|url=https://www.fastcompany.com/90670612/this-startup-helps-build-solar-farms-where-the-grid-is-dirtiest|access-date=2021-12-19|website=Fast Company|language=en-US}}

A Nashville-based startup, Clearloop, is targeting solar installations based on three criteria: “Where are the sunniest places? Where’s the grid the dirtiest? And where can a dollar invested in infrastructure go the longest way?”{{Cite web|last=Peters|first=Adele|date=2021-08-31|title=This startup helps build solar farms where the grid is dirtiest|url=https://www.fastcompany.com/90670612/this-startup-helps-build-solar-farms-where-the-grid-is-dirtiest|access-date=2021-12-19|website=Fast Company|language=en-US}} The company's first installation, in Jackson, has capacity to power about 200 homes. Clearloop plans to build additional installations based on investment by companies which want to transition to 100% renewable electricity or offset corporate emissions.{{Cite web|last=Peters|first=Adele|date=2021-08-31|title=This startup helps build solar farms where the grid is dirtiest|url=https://www.fastcompany.com/90670612/this-startup-helps-build-solar-farms-where-the-grid-is-dirtiest|access-date=2021-12-19|website=Fast Company|language=en-US}}

• Wind power in Tennessee
• Solar power in the United States
• Renewable energy in the United States

{{Reflist}}

{{Commons category}}

• [http://www.dsireusa.org/incentives/index.cfm?getRE=1?re=1&ee=0&state=TN Incentives and Policies]

{{Solar power in the United States}}

{{Energy in the USA}}

Category:Energy in Tennessee

Tennessee