How Much Would It Cost To Put Solar Photovoltaic (PV) On My Home?

Solar panels are currently selling for between $4 and $6 per watt of rated power output. A typical panel that you might install on your roof would be rated for between 100 and 300 watts and therefore will cost between about $400 and around $1500 or so.

A complete solar power system also needs some other components and will have some installation costs and so the total installed cost of a solar system is typically in the range of $8 - 10 per watt of rated power.

Most home sized systems are rated in the 1000 to 7,000 watt range and therefore cost between about $8000 and $70,000 dollars to install. Federal tax credits of 30% of the installed cost of the system help to defray the initial investment. Here in Tennessee, the TVA Green Energy Partner Program also adds a very significant incentive. That being, they buy back 100% of the power your solar array generates at a premium which is 12 cents above whatever the retail rate is. Note the difference between this and a standard net metering arrangement where you sell back only the excess you don't consume yourself. The TVA buys back all of your solar power whether you use it or not. They also throw in an additional $1,000 rebate.

You can read more at:  http://www.tva.gov/greenpowerswitch/partners/index.htmy per year.

What is Green Power Switch® (GPS) Generation Partners?

GPS Generation Partners is a program that provides technical support and incentives for the installation of renewable generation facilities. GPS Generation Partners was started as a pilot in 2003 as a result of requests from end-use customers for “net-metering” standards in the TVA service territory.

Net-metering enables customers to use their own generation to offset their consumption over a billing period by allowing their electric meters to turn backwards when they generate electricity in excess of their demand. This offset means that customers receive retail prices for the excess electricity they generate. Because of TVA’s current power contracts with its local power companies, net-metering is not an option in the TVA service territory.

TVA created GPS Generation Partners as a “dual-metering” option, an alternative to net-metering. With the GPS Generation Partners program, there are two meters and TVA purchases 100% of the green energy output and then uses solar, wind, low impact hydropower, and biomass as a Green Power Switch resource.

Green Power Switch is an energy option that allows local power companies throughout the Tennessee Valley to provide their customers the choice to buy electricity produced by renewable resources. TVA owned generation in the Green Power Switch Program includes solar, wind, and methane gas from waste water treatment. See www.greenpowerswitch.com for more information on Green Power Switch.

What are the benefits for the participants of GPS Generation Partners?

Program participants support the environment by helping keep the Tennessee Valley clean and green. For example, a 3 kilowatt (kW) system's annual benefits are equal to planting an acre of trees or taking a car off the road for 4 months.

In addition, solar systems help improve air quality by reducing emissions of fine particulate matter, nitrogen oxide, and sulfur dioxide. They also benefit by defraying the costs of their renewable system installation and lowering their monthly energy bills through the revenue they receive from the sale of the green power. TVA likes to call GPS Generation Partners a Win-Win-Win for the end-use customer, the power company, and TVA.

How does the program work?

Below is an overview of how the program works:

Customers should contact their local power company to apply for participation in the program prior to purchasing a renewable generation system.

What size renewable systems are eligible for the GPS Generation Partners program?

To maintain consistency among TVA offerings and to provide consumers with a standard offer, the minimum size for all eligible generation systems is 500 watts and the maximum size is 999 kilowatts.

How safe are these systems?

All interconnection and safety equipment must be tested by a Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory for continuous interactive operation with an electric distribution system in compliance with IEEE 1547 (Standard for Interconnecting Distributed Resources with Electric Power Systems), IEEE 1547.1 (Standard Conformance Test Procedures for Equipment Interconnecting Distributed Resources with Electric Power Systems), and UL 1741 (Inverters, Converters, and Controllers for use in Independent Power Systems). In addition, all systems must be manufactured and installed in compliance with the National Electric Code (NEC). Systems must be permitted and certified by a licensed electrician along with passing all applicable code inspections.

Having your system meet these national standards means that your system is very safe. In addition to these national standards, GPS Generation Partners requires an outside lockable disconnect device that provides additional security and peace of mind in the event of a power outage. The lockable disconnect device must be accessible by personnel from the local power company, who have the ability and authority to lock out the power from the grid via the disconnect device.

How Sturdy are Solar Panels?

More than a few questions have been asked regarding if solar panels are sturdy enough to withstand extreme weather such as hurricanes.

The panels are really rugged, and most people in the industry think they will last far longer than their guaranteed life, which is about 20-25 years. As long as you are able to keep the solar panels on your roof so that they do not blow away, nothing short of perhaps a direct hit by a meteorite will be able to do a lot of damage.  Small stones and other bits of debris that may get kicked up by a big wind aren't really going to hurt the panels. Even if a panel gets damaged, it will still produce electricity.

The main thing to be concerned about is the racking system that holds the panels to the roof.  That has to be well anchored to the structure of the home.  The racking systems are designed to withstand pretty serious winds, and they are usually robust.