"As
a nursery that specializes in native plants and green roofs, this solar project
fits right into our whole strategy for being sustainable," said nursery owner
Andy Sudbrock.
"We
could not have done this without the federal and state incentives," he added.
REAP grants cover up to 25 percent of the cost of
renewable-energy-producing systems like the array of 36 SunPower panels
installed on the roof of the equipment barn at Nashville Natives. According to
Nashville-based installer LightWave Solar Electric President Steve Johnson the
8.28 kilowatt photo voltaic system at Nashville Natives should generate enough
electricity to offset the nursery's typical annual usage.
As
with other solar project across the state, electricity produced by the system
feeds into the utility lines of the local electric company, in this case Middle
Tennessee Electric Membership Corporation. This saves money by negating the need
for bulky batteries systems to store power for nights and cloudy days. The
Tennessee Valley Authority also pays businesses for electricity produced at
about twice the retail rate, adding another incentive to small-scale renewable
energy production.
Renewable energy production is also encouraged by
federal tax credits and state grants through the Tennessee Clean Energy
Technology program that can cover an additional 40 percent of purchase and
installation costs.
REAP loan guarantees and grants can be
used for renewable energy systems, energy efficiency improvements, feasibility
studies and energy audits. It is available to any farm or rural business. More
information on the REAP program is at www.rurdev.usda.gov/rbs/farmbill/index.html.
LightWave helped Nashville Natives apply for the federal
and state incentives and is currently installing a second Tennessee
REAP-supported project, a 30 kW solar PV system for a small business in
"LightWave is a great partner for USDA’s renewable
energy program," said USDA State Director Bobby Goode. "They help get solar
projects like this one for Nashville Natives off the drawing board and
prove the size of the company doesn’t matter."
"Renewable energy can lower the cost of doing
business, and that’s good for jobs in rural communities," said
Goode.
According to Johnson over the 25-year warranted life of
the solar panels, the clean energy produced will offset considerable pollutants
compared to coal-fired power plants like 186.5 tons of carbon dioxide emissions,
a greenhouse gas; 1,718 pounds of sulfur dioxide, which can cause acid rain; and
550 pounds of smog-producing nitrous oxide.
"The array is expected to produce electricity for the
next 40-50 years," said Johnson. "that's a lot of good for the environment and
Nashville Natives."
USDA Rural Development invests in jobs, businesses,
community infrastructure, homeownership and affordable rental housing in rural
communities. Last year Rural Development assisted more than 866,000
Additional information on Nashville Natives and
Southeast Green Roofs is available online at www.nashvillenatives.com
Additional information on LightWave Solar is available
online at www.lightwavesolarelectric.com
For
more information on Rural Development programs contact the Rural Development
Area Office in
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