KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Soon, some of the energy that powers homes and businesses across Knoxville will come from the sun. City leaders said that Knoxville's first community solar array is set to launch in 2023.
On Thursday the CEO of the Knoxville Utilities Board, Gabriel Bolas, visited the site for a closer look at the array with Mayor Indya Kincannon. Solar Alliance, the contractor working on the project, is building it.
KUB will own, operate and maintain the community solar array, located on three acres of land at the Public Works facility. Customers will be able to sign up for a portion of the array through a monthly subscription, and subscribers are credited for their portion of the renewable energy produced.
KUB said the project is meant to give people a chance to support local solar projects and increase access to solar energy. They also said it would produce enough energy to avoid around 964 metric tons of CO2e emissions or around 100,000 gallons of gasoline.
Customers can subscribe for $5 shares and per each share, they should receive around $3.61 in monthly credits. No equipment will be installed in customers' homes, and KUB said 2,100 shares are available. Customers will be able to buy multiple shares.
People will also be able to unsubscribe at any time. However, there will be a 12-month waiting period before they can re-enroll.
