Knoxville's Solar America Cities Grant

My hometown of Knoxville, TN, was recently honored as one of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Solar America Cities for 2008. This is quite an achievement for a city that is not traditionally known for environmental awareness, but it is still just a small step on the path towards energy security and sustainability.

The Solar America Cities program is part of the U.S. DOE’s Solar America Initiative, which has the goal of making solar photovoltaics (PV) “cost competitive with conventional forms of electricity… by 2015.” With this designation Knoxville will receive a $200,000 grant to support its solar energy initiatives, which the city plans to spend on solar panels for a new downtown transit center, a model “zero-energy” home project, and on publicity efforts for the solar energy incentive programs offered by the city’s electric utility, the TVA, and the state of Tennessee.

While this award brings attention to the issue of solar energy in Knoxville, the $200,000 grant represents a tiny fraction of the money that the city must invest if it wishes to take meaningful steps towards energy sustainability. Investing in high-profile demonstration projects such as the solar panels on the transit center are an effective use of this money, as they draw attention to solar power. However, this hard-earned money should not be wasted on simply advertising existing programs. The city, the state, and TVA should advertise their solar energy incentives out of their own operating budgets, and the Solar America grant money should be used on new initiatives. For example, a portion of the money could be spent on rebates to help residents cover the initial cost of installing a PV system on their home or business. Programs like this already exist in Aspen, Colorado and many other cities.

Knoxville should also follow the lead of other cities that have made it easier for residents to invest in solar energy. For example, Asheville waives building permit fees for new renewable energy systems. Other cities, such as San Jose, have eased their permitting requirements for solar panels and solar water heaters. If Knoxville is to truly be a “solar city” then it should adopt similar policies that make it easier for local residents and business owners to install their own renewable energy systems and reduce our dependency on coal-based power from the electricity grid.