If you want to make money from the sun, there’s a way.
Solar farms are being constructed throughout Warren County, from Rock Island to Morrison, as local landowners are discovering a new way to produce income from their property. Solar farms are billed as a long-term investment that you could say have a bright future.
“I’m willing to bet the Warren County area has more solar installations, per capita, than anywhere in the state,” said Paul Evans, business development manager with Soltility, a company that installs solar panels. “It’s not a get-rich-quick scheme, but it’s a fantastic investment. If you want recurring income that’s created every time the sun comes up, this is the thing for you. Warren County has really been a leader in this and the county should be proud.”
Soltility was founded in 2008 by Friendsville, Tenn., resident Ken Elder, who serves as company CEO. Two local residents, Billy Jones and Evans, were the next two on board. The company has grown to include 25 to 30 employees, depending on the workload, and installs solar panels throughout Tennessee, Kentucky and Georgia.
The finishing touches are being put on a solar farm owned by Mark Dodson at Sleepy Hollow Nursery on Highway 8. Another is just getting started in Campaign on the roof of the old Levi plant owned by Paul Griffin on Sparta Highway.
Solar farms have two main benefits: 1) they generate green energy which is purchased by Tennessee Valley Authority to ease the dependence on other sources, and 2) they produce regular income for the owner.
The initial investment can be in the $25,000 range if you’re looking to have solar panels on your roof, up to the $200,000 range if you’re looking to construct a large solar farm.
Anyone who was approved for a solar project before Dec. 31, 2011 was eligible to get 30 percent of their initial investment returned in cash by the federal government. While that incentive has expired, a 30 percent federal tax credit remains in effect, and Congress is currently debating whether to restart the cash reimbursement program.
Evans says the federal incentives are certainly attractive, in addition to state incentives, but there is steady interest in solar energy even without government assistance.
“I have a list as long as my arm of people wanting me to come out and tell them more about it,” said Evans. “The thing most people are interested in is a way to offset some of their electricity cost. It’s an investment more than anything and the sun is the underwriter. Some people are using it for their estate planning. Once you get the system paid off, you could be generating significant income for well over 30 years.”
With the push to generate more and more energy from renewable sources, TVA pays solar farm owners for every kilowatt that enters the power grid. For businesses that want to have solar panels installed on their roof, it’s a great way to make the monthly electric bill more bearable, Evans says.
“The electricity costs of a manufacturer that runs large equipment can be a big expense and this is a cost-effective way to offset that charge,” said Evans.
For other property owners who don’t use as much electricity, it’s a way to get a monthly check.
Greg Brock is one of the partners in a 400-kilowatt solar farm being built behind APEX Construction on Highway 55 in Morrison. Brock said he first heard about solar farm benefits at a Rotary Club program.
“It’s for peak demand when the sun is beating down and everybody is running their air conditioning,” said Brock. “With us putting power back into the grid, that’s less demand they have to get from somewhere else.”
Brock says since APEX is licensed to do the work, it has been an in-house project. He says the system features a dual-axis tracking system that contains sophisticated technology that moves the solar panels based on the position of the sun.
“With a GPS system, it moves the panels where the sun is supposed to be,” said Brock. “This is better because it uses an infrared heat source to move the panels where the sun actually is to get maximum efficiency.”
The dual-axis tracking system is the most advanced type of system because it can move the solar panels east to west, or north to south. A single-axis tracking system only moves the panels east to west. Affixed solar panels are stationary and do not move at all.
Other local solar farm owners include Tim Hitchcock, Adrian Hale and Randall Walker. Rubley’s Nursery in the Irving College area is in the process of getting a solar farm installed.
Much of the solar farm growth can be attributed to the Tennessee Solar Institute, which distributed $9 million across the state beginning in 2009. Former Gov. Phil Bredesen was the driving force behind pushing for more ways for the state to capitalize on so-called green energy.
For more information on solar panels, Evans can be reached at (518) 524-1137.