Tennessee Solar Systems | TN Solar Incentives & Finance

Tennessee Commercial & Residential PV Solar Systems

Call Randy Velker today at (931)287-9288 to get a Free system & site survey! 27.8 kW Commercial Photovoltaic Solar System in Crossville, Tennessee “I would like to share my experiences with my Solar Installation in Crossville. Simple Energy Works represented by Randy Velker is undoubtedly my best experience in hiring a company to deal with any work, let alone the very complicated task of Solar design and installation. They have made the whole process super easy for me, conducted themselves with integrity, and made obtaining solar funding documents and appropriate Grants timely and flawless. Communication with Randy was swift and direct. They delivered everything they have promised and installed a well functioning and fully operating 27.8kW solar system. They took care of all the logistical issues just like they said they would! I strongly recommend Randy Velker and Simple Energy Works to anyone who is thinking of purchasing a Solar Energy System.” — Thomas Nosarzewski, Owner

There are 3 primary incentives for installing a Photovoltaic Solar System on your house or business in Tennessee…
	For every residential and business installation of a Photovoltaic solar system there is a Federal Tax Credit(uncapped) of 30% of the installed PV price. In other words, at the end of the year a $10k system will qualify for $3000 in tax rebate (if you don’t owe taxes this year it can be applied to future year tax liabilities). This program expires in 2016.
$1000 Bonus. On top of the production incentive TVA will also give you a $1000 bonus simply to install a PV system on your house or business. Generation Partners (TVA). TVA (the primary utility in Tennessee) is looking to increase the percentage of Clean Energy that it produces. Rather than building its own Solar Farms, it has decided to give major incentives to individuals who install PV system on their houses or businesses.

Solar Incentives Updates – 2011 Incentives to Expire Soon!
	National Tax Credit (30%)- good through 2016 (for individuals or businesses) Macrs Depreciation- (with 50% bonus year one depreciation) good until 2016
USDA Reap Grant- 25% of cost of system in rural counties for small businesses.  Funding for this program has been cut by 82% (from 2011), but it is still available in the Spring for small businesses in Rural counties. Clean TN Energy Grant Program-  50% of the cost of an Photovoltaic solar system will be given to eligible businesses (nonprofits and municipalities are eligible).    This grant is a result of the fines from TVA by the EPA… see more details. Possible Incentives that may become available at any time: PACE- property assessed clean energy. Legislation in congress to allow pace programs (currently Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are not allowing it). If allowed 25 states already have programs set up. Renewable Energy Standard/ Renewable Energy Portfolio- Seems unlikely on a national or regional level.

Local – Tennessee

• TVA Green Generation Partners- $1000 sign up bonus and $.12 above retail per kwh for 10 years. Recent changes have capped the systems that we can install at 50kw (which is still a pretty big system).
• TSI Solar Opportunity Fund- No funds currently. These grants come and go randomly (they opened up twice in 2011, so you really need to be “in the game” and ready to move when they become available).

Website with all national and state incentives for solar or renewable energy – http://www.dsireusa.org

The TVA Generation Partners Program will credit your electric bill for all the energy your PV system produces at the base retail rate (which you normally pay) plus 12 cents per kWh. This premium payback is a floating rate that increases with rate hikes. On your billing statement each month you will receive a credit for the amount of electricity that you have produced (if you have produced enough you will receive a check rather than a “bill”). For example, the normal rate currently is .10 per kWh (you pay to buy electricity). For every kWh that your PV system produces, TVA will pay you .22 per kWh (120% over retail). They will sign a 10 year contract with you so that you can be assured of those prices for 10 years.

You can expect the average 1kW PV system to produce around 1200 kWh per year (here in Middle Tennessee in a good Sunny location). To calculate the annual income generated through the TVA generation partners program, simply multiply this 1200 kWh by the amount of kW’s installed at your location. Then, simply multiply this total by TVA’s .22 cents. For example, a 4 kW system produces around 4800 kWh/year. So a 4 kW PV system (in middle Tennessee) generates approximately $1056 per year of INCOME. This can either offset your regular electric bill, or if you don’t use much electricity, you will be receiving a check for the surplus!

Just to put this into perspective. If you purchased the 1.38 kW PV Solar System for $5587 you would get 30% ($1676) back as a tax credit from the federal government. Then You would get $1000 from TVA for connecting your PV system to their grid. Then you would get a contract with TVA for them to buy ALL of your generated electricity at $.12 ABOVE retail for 10 years. Your final cost of the system (at the end of year one) is $2910 and the system should generate from TVA about $364 per year (@ $30 per month).

If you have a Commercial location you are in even better shape! In addition to the above TWO incentives businesses also qualify for the following…
	50% BONUS depreciation in year one,  and Five Year accelerated depreciation (MACRS) for the balance is available on solar electric property. For more information, click here. This bonus depreciation was passed by congress in December of 2010, and it allows you to expense the whole cost of the system (rather than recover the tax benefits over the “normal” depreciation of real property at 27.5 years).
This depreciation is huge! For instance, if you are in the 33% tax bracket and you installed a $100k PV system you will be able to expense the whole thing and reduce your taxes by $100k X .33= $33,000. So in this example the 50% bonus depreciation is worth $16.5k in year ONE. The USDA also offers a 25% grant for agricultural producers and rural small businesses that install solar PV. This grant requires extensive paperwork and preparation, but in 2010 all 12 of the 12 grants written in the Upper Cumberland’s were awarded!  In 2011 ALL of the USDA grants that we applied for were granted. Click here for info on USDA REAP eligibility.

Do you have a good site for a PV solar installation?
	You need roof or open space which faces South (or West). The best orientation is due south – you will still get good production within 22.5 degrees of due south.

Solar Energy is non-polluting…
	Solar electricity is worth a premium because it doesn’t pollute, and it conserves our fuel resources. Solar reduces peak loads on sunny days and reduces transmission losses (which can be up to 70%). Since electricity produced by solar energy has no fuel costs, the future price of solar electricity is known, unlike conventional sources, such as coal, which are market-based commodities.

Warranty

Solar panels come with 25-year limited warranties, and there is a widening view in the industry that they may last substantially longer than that, as some photovoltaic systems have been producing energy now for over 35 years.

Call Randy today at (931)287-9288 to get a free system/site survey!