Solar power in Kentucky
Solar power in Kentucky has been growing in recent years due to new technological improvements and a variety of regulatory actions and financial incentives, particularly a 30% federal tax credit, available through 2016, for any size project. Kentucky could generate 10% of all of the electricity used in the United States from land cleared from coal mining in the state. Covering just one-fifth with photovoltaics would supply all of the state's electricity.[1]
The Berea Solar Farm is a community solar farm, which opened with 60 235 watt solar panels (14.1 kW).[2] All of the available panels sold out in four days.[3]
A 2 MW single axis tracking solar farm began operation in 2011 in Bowling Green.[4][5] The largest system on any farm in the state was the 100.32 kW array completed on November 1, 2011, in Fancy Farms.[6] The first hospital in the state to use solar power is Rockcastle Regional Hospital in Mt. Vernon, which installed a 60.9 kW array on the roof in November, 2011.[7]
Kentucky's only maker of solar panels is Alternative Energy Kentucky.[8]
Contents |
Net metering [edit]
Kentucky has a net metering program that allows installations of up to 30 kW of on-site electrical generation to continuously roll over any excess generation to the next month. Participation is limited to 1% of utilities peak demand the prior year.[9] The Kentucky Solar Energy Society is lobbying to increase the limit, noting that 17 states allow at least 2 MW capacity to use net metering.[10] Three states have no limit - Arizona, New Jersey, and Ohio.[11] Rhode Island has a 5 MW limit,[12] and New Mexico has a limit of 80 MW.[13]
Insolation [edit]
Kentucky has an average of about 4.5 sun hours per day, similar to Germany which is at 4.8 sun hours per day.[14] [15] 
- Source: NREL[16]
Installed capacity [edit]
| Kentucky Grid-Connected PV Capacity (MW)[17][18] | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Capacity | Installed | % Change |
| 2010 | 0.2 | 0.2 | |
| 2011 | 3.3 | 3.0 | 1550% |
See also [edit]
References [edit]
- ^ Can Coal Mines Become Solar Farms?
- ^ Berea Solar Farm
- ^ Berea (KY) Solar Farm Sells Out
- ^ Solar installations in Kentucky
- ^ Bowling Green To Have $6M, 10-Acre Solar Farm
- ^ Willet Farm's Press Release
- ^ Kentucky’s First Solar-Powered Hospital
- ^ Company says the future of solar panels in Ky. is bright
- ^ "Kentucky - Net Metering". Retrieved 2012-05-23.
- ^ Net Metering
- ^ Net Metering as a Business Retention Tool
- ^ Rhode Island - Net Metering
- ^ New Mexico - Net Metering
- ^ Can the sun power your Kentucky home?
- ^ "Solar Energy".
- ^ "PV Watts". NREL. Retrieved 23 May 2012.
- ^ Sherwood, Larry (August 2012). "U.S. Solar Market Trends 2011". Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC). Retrieved 2012-08-16.
- ^ Sherwood, Larry (June 2011). "U.S. Solar Market Trends 2010". Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC). p. 20. Retrieved 2011-06-29.
External links [edit]
- Incentives and policies
- Kentucky Division of Renewable Energy - Solar Energy
- Kentucky Solar Energy Society
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||
