Comments on: Tennessee Solar Power Rebates, Tax Credits, and Incentives

By: Jay

Sun, 25 Sep 2011 02:05:53 +0000

So I just got my quote form ECE in Memphis and $18K for a turn key 2.88KW system. TVA GPP program gives a $1K bonus and $12 cents over base (which has risen to nearly $0.10). Then the US government gives your 30% (http://www.irs.gov/newsroom/article/0,,id=211307,00.html) without the same restrictions as say the Leaf tax deduction. In this case I’m looking at %5417 + the $1K signup bonus + $140 deduction per summer month (guesstimating $80-90 in winter). Based on this, I calculated an 8.8yr breakeven.

The are the SunPower E19 couples to Enphase M215’s and both show a 25yr life. SunPowerhas a E20 panel that is commercial only.

By: JPWhite

Sat, 06 Aug 2011 16:31:22 +0000

I find it puzzling that I can get $7,500 from the federal govt and $2,500 from Tennessee for buying my LEAF. That’s $10,000 incentive on a $33,000 car.

Compare that to a $55,000 6KwH solar system and you get $2,000 in incentives.

OK So I’ve got the car; so now make it possible for me to power my house and car off the grid for a reasonable cost.

Instead of giving bankers trillions to save their sorry hides, how about a few billion for solar energy?

COME ON ALREADY!!

By: Lucas

Thu, 30 Jun 2011 16:00:59 +0000

Well said Joe!! I think it’s also worth saying that you can build your OWN solar panels, which reduces the cost SUBSTANTIALLY. It is time consuming to do the research, and it’s not very easy, but it makes the switch to solar financially feasible. But we are quite a lazy society. I’m working on my first panel now, and provided that it works, I plan to make more, eventually cutting ties with the power company. Seems like the best way to go.

By: Joe

Sun, 01 May 2011 12:31:27 +0000

I have been to 42 out of 50 American states during my travels and I have met people that were raised in every state. Alot of you all are not looking at the bigger picture I think. Tennessee is one of the cheapest states to live as far as taxes go and thank GOD there is no state income tax.

North Carolina for example I pay more in property taxes than my sister which owns more land and a slightly larger home than mine. I pay state income tax, our sales tax is slightly cheaper than in TN but North Carolina charges you a yearly tax on the value of the car you own. Pray to GOD you don’t own what they call a “classic car”. (((One the the guys I work with had to sell the car he bought when he moved to NC because they called it a “classic”. They were going to charge him $15,000 a year the car he paid $10,000 JUST to own it))).

TO THE POINT: Everyone as a whole should pressure the government to pressure electric companies in transferring to clean energy for the enviroment, for our children and for national security.

WHY: The government will ALWAYS keep their hands in our pockets because other countries and Americans will keep their hands out asking for freebies. So regardless if you do go off grid to try and save money the goverment will ALWAYS take more than you can afford to support those request. EVERYONE should focus more on demanding HOW our government spends OUR money instead of asking to get a tax break. “Tax break being temporary relief”.

Some of you still won’t understand the “WHY” so I will explain another way. People are lazy. Look at how many obese people you see in America, people ARE lazy. How many of those people do you think are going to maintenance an emissions free power system? 10%..20%. Do you honestly think they will spend the time learning to maintenance the equipment when the only thing they can think about is ways to get out of working? (Co-worker of my Dad’s is 367 pounds. He goes to the Doctor and finds he is eligible for disability. Put simply if he would lose weight he would not have these health problems. But instead he has found a way to stop working and he tells my Dad he is going to collect his check from the government. Paid by me and you.)

So if we demand our tax money be spent wisely, demand our electric companies go 100% emissions free it will benefit every American, every Americans’ children and speed up the process for saving the enviroment.

How is this going to make you money? You can bank on it that if we forced our government to do the right thing everyone would save money in taxes without having to spend a dime.

America sends Pakistan $3 trillion in aid. (A study was done, 90% of Pakistan is against Americans meaning they hate us yet they are glad to take our money.) America sends China money for aid (We owe them money!!! Why are we giving them free money?) TARP money was given to banks as a bailout (Senior CEOs earn 1 million in bonus pay and they purchase new jets with the money OUR government sent them). Black American farmers were given $50,000 a peice for discrimination by our government. (I say good they deserve their hard earned money lost. The problem is in the settlement it says if you “attempted to farm” you were entitled to $50,000. $2 billion was started to reimburse them and because so many “attempted to farm” NOT farmers the government had to dish out more of our tax dollars.) Clothes are sent to Iraqis to help them during time of war. (The Iraqis cut those clothes up, sold them back to us and now we use them as oil rags. I know because I am in Iraq.)

Look at the bigger picture, educate yourselves so YOU CAN make a difference in the enviorment, save yourself some money and save the American economy without spending a dime.

How do you do that? Protest protest protest. Something can be learned from France. Their government is afraid of the people but in America we are afraid of our government.

By: E. Field

Fri, 22 Apr 2011 00:13:01 +0000

I have spend a lot of money on solar since I moved to Kingsport Tennessee and Tennessee government should be embarrass from the lack of incentives to get customers to invest into alternate energy.

By: andy

Tue, 05 Apr 2011 19:14:49 +0000

Last December (2010) was the end of our 2nd year of PV solar. 2010 was a “clean” year, in that I didn’t make any changes ( 2009, added more panels mid year )

Here are the production numbers for 2010:

3339kw/hrs solar produced for the year.

Average per month: 278.25kw/hrs produced

Total used for 2010: 13,743kw/hrs
Average month: 1145kw/hrs

Total electric bills: $550.87
Average monthly bill: $45.91

System is a 3.15kw rated, 18 175w panels on single axis homebuilt trackers.

Plans for this year are to add 10 more panels on a new array (245w panels) upping the system to 5.5kw rated.

By: SHANNON W.

Fri, 25 Mar 2011 06:13:45 +0000

I seen a post on here about the so called (green energy)you can buy from TVA via the Johnson City power board. If you research it on their site it shows for each $4.00 block you get 150 kwh. I called Johnson City power board and spoke to marketing section to find out this is a big scam. They told me the sky is the limit on how many you buy but the blocks dont go to the buyer. It is said to go to the grid and you are donating to everyone around you. THis is a lie. Everyone around me also has a cash register (power meter), outside their house, that clicks on for the power board. Please dont waste your hard earned money letting them fraud you.

By: Karlene

Tue, 22 Mar 2011 03:49:19 +0000

I am very interested in going solar. I know through much research it is expensive to purchase. I have found a 3 Kw system used but i live in a remote area of Pocahontas, Tn. I am in the process of trying to find out who installs solar, the people in phone book is no help they are not qualified or so that is what ive found so far. I am just now starting the process.

By: Eric

Wed, 12 Jan 2011 12:15:29 +0000

I also find it disturbing that so many people want other citizens to subsidize their green lifestyle. Everybody is paying tons of taxes on every product and service, including people who can barely afford to eat, so when I hear that somebody who wants to build their dream house is upset that the government, aka their neighbors, won’t give them money to help with it… Tennessee isn’t in the 19th Century – Tennessee provides a lot more liberty for its citizens than states like California that are taxing and regulating their state and citizens into bankruptcy to pay for all their green mandates.

By: Mark

Thu, 23 Dec 2010 17:37:26 +0000

Troy suggests tieing some panels to circuit(s) in your house. Anyone enough of an electircian to tell more details of code violations, etc. to watch out for. I sure wish I could avoid batteries and use my existing home wiring with homemade panels etc. Anyway, I emailed the big solar company in Nashville with one question and they quickly asked if they could send a guy to give me a proposal for free. Can’t beat that.
sandersm55@charter.net