Tennessee comes in 28th in the nation for installed solar capacity according to the Solar Energy Industries Association. Last year the state installed 11 megawatts of generation potential. But with Tennessee seeing about 200 days of sunshine every year, there is untapped potential, said Sean Gallagher, vice president of state affairs with the organization.

"It's certainly strong enough to make solar projects work," Gallagher said. "We've seen that, for example, in North Carolina and Georgia, which have a similar solar resource to Tennessee and to date have a more developed solar market."

Tennessee offered residents a solar tax exemption until 2012, when the attorney general said it violated the state constitution by favoring participating taxpayers. Unlike other states, Tennessee does not have a policy mandating utilities source some energy from renewables.

The Tennessee Valley Authority does offer customers a one-time $1,000 rebate when they install solar power. The company offers the "Green Power Providers program," which provides for the installation of small-scale renewable power generation systems. TVA will then buy the green energy output from participants in the program.

Gallegher said such programs are a step in the right direction.

"TVA in particular has started to take some steps in the direction of going solar," he said. "They've provided some programs for some of the customers, but there's a lot more that could be done. Customers in Tennessee would like more access to solar and would like to see TVA and the other utilities in the state to do more for them."

For more information on solar in Tennessee, visit seia.org

Source:

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