KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Knoxville's first community solar array sits on three acres of land at the Public Works Service Center and uses more than 2,000 panels to produce one megawatt of energy.
It's an initiative the Knoxville Utilities Board and the City of Knoxville have been working on for years.
"As you can see, we are nearing the finish line here," Environmental Programs Lead Chasity Hobby said. "The cool thing about community solar is that it allows the entire community, businesses, neighbors, families to all participate together to support renewable energy and help create a greener city."
Similar projects have already been installed in nearby cities such as Chattanooga and Nashville. According to KUB and the city, it's an ideal option for those who want to support renewable energy but cannot or do not want to install solar in their home.
"We're just really looking forward to bringing access to renewable energy to customers where their homes may not be suitable for it," Hobby said. "So, people who might rent or who may live in condos, or maybe they just have a bunch of trees in their yard."
That's the case for Knoxville's sustainability director Brian Blackmon and his family.
"At my house, for instance, I have a lot of trees in the front yard, so I don't really get sun on my roof, but my wife and I want to support it. This gives us a way to support renewables and our community," Blackmon said.
One share is available for $5. Roughly 20 shares are needed to power one home and participants must be KUB customers.
Blackmon and Hobby said the main goal is to increase access to solar energy while reducing emissions—making Knoxville a better place to live.
"From a pure do no harm standpoint, we want to have a good environment here in Knoxville," Blackmon said.
Although it is an affordable solar energy option, Blackmon and Hobby emphasized this project will not save people money on utility bills. They said it is simply an option to buy locally-generated power to reduce carbon footprints.
Enrollment is expected to open at the start of the new year.