Solar power in Michigan has been growing in recent years due to new technological improvements, falling solar prices and a variety of regulatory actions and financial incentives. The largest solar farm in Michigan is Assembly Solar, completed in 2022, which has 347 MW of capacity. Small-scale solar provided 50% of Michigan solar electricity as recently as 2020 but multiple solar farms in the 100 MW to 200 MW range are proposed to be completed by the middle of the decade. Although among the lowest U.S. states for solar irradiance, Michigan mostly lies farther south than Germany where solar power is heavily deployed. Michigan is expected to use 120 TWh per year in 2030. To reach a 100% solar electrical grid would require 2.4% of Michigan's land area to host 108 GW of installed capacity. [1]
Michigan had over 1,444 MW of solar capacity by the end of 2023. [2] December 2020 marked a high point with over 105 MW brought online in that month alone. December 2021 saw 110 MW added. [3] In 2016, solar provided only about 0.25% of all electricity. [4] This rose to 1.3% in 2023. [5]
The 347MW Assembly Solar Project is the largest in the state. Located in Shiawassee County, it began construction in 2019 and was completed in March 2022. [6] [7] [8]
In July 2012, Michigan's largest rooftop array, 977.6 kW, was installed in Canton on the IKEA store. [9] Ford Motor Company and DTE Energy built the largest solar plant in the state, a 1.04 MW solar car port at Ford's world headquarters in Dearborn, Michigan in 2015. [10] [11] In 2015, DTE built a 1.1 MW solar farm at Domino's Farms near Ann Arbor, slightly larger than the Ford carport. [12] The IKEA store announced an expansion of its existing array in 2015 to bring it to 1.2 MW. [13] A 1.95 MW solar farm at DTE's Greenwood Energy Center near St. Clair came online in January 2016. [14] Indiana Michigan Power, in November 2016, opened a 4.6 MW solar farm near Watervliet. [15] [16] In May 2017, DTE brought online two solar farms in Lapeer County: a 28.4 MW farm and a 19.6 MW solar farm. [17] These are the first large utility-scale solar farms in the state, with the larger covering 200 acres of land and the smaller one covering 100 acres. [18] In July 2017, DTE completed a 2MW solar farm built in a closed city park in Detroit. [19]
The 24 MW Delta solar farm opened in two phases in 2018, supplying power for the Lansing Board of Water and Light. [20] [21] Michigan State University built the largest solar car port project in North America, that covers 5000 parking spaces and has a total of 15 MW(DC) of power, completed in December 2017. [22] [23]
A 1.3 MW solar farm was built by American Municipal Power at a brownfield site in Coldwater and came online in February 2018. [24] [25] Flushing Schools built a 0.96 MW system spread over the roofs of seven school buildings, completed in 2019. [26] [27]
In December 2020, the 20 MW Temperance Solar, [28] 20 MW Bingham Solar, 15 MW Electric City Solar and the first 50 MW phase of Assembly Solar Farm were all brought online. [3]
In January 2021, Pine Gate Renewables brought 16 MW of solar power online in the form of eight separate 2 MW solar farms in Genesee and Saginaw counties. [29]
Fort Custer began construction in May 2015 of a 0.25 MW solar farm with plans for a second 0.3 MW farm later. [30] This is part of the U.S. military's renewable energy goals of 25% renewables by 2025. In 2017, a project was announced for Fort Custer that would be a microgrid consisting of a 1.375 MW diesel system, 0.720 MW solar PV array, and a 0.400 MW energy storage system. [31] Camp Grayling has a small 0.02 MW installation on one building roof while Selfridge Air National Guard Base had no solar power by 2014. Orion Renewable Energy Group, has proposed a 100 MW solar farm in SE Goodland Township in Lapeer County. [32]
"Circuit West" is a thirteen-block microgrid test in Grand Rapids. It contains a 0.65MW array of 1,800 panels on the roofs of three buildings and a 500 kW-hr battery. [33]
In 2015, several community solar projects were proposed. Consumers Power built a 3 MW solar farm at Grand Valley State University, completed April 2016, which became the largest solar farm in Michigan. [34] Consumers Power also built a 1 MW community solar project at Western Michigan University, completed in August 2016. [35] [36] Spartan Solar, a 1.2 MW installation in Cadillac, was built by Wolverine Power Cooperative in fall 2016, the largest solar plant in Northern Michigan. [37] A 0.3 MW community solar farm in East Lansing opened in January 2019 for Lansing Board of Water and Light. [38] [39] Escanaba approved a 1MW partly community solar installation near Delta County Airport to be online in 2018. [40]
Pittsfield Township has approved a 20 MW Community Solar Project on 77 acres owned by Ann Arbor. [41]
A proposed 125 MW solar farm near Muskegon would also be among the largest in the state. [42] [43] Ranger Power's 149MW River Fork solar farm would be built in Sheridan Township, Calhoun County by mid-2021 and has an agreement with Consumers Energy. [44] [45] Ranger has also proposed a 200 MW farm in Montcalm County to be called Freshwater Solar. [46] The 200 MW Calhoun Solar Energy Center is proposed in 2019 by Invenergy for Convis Township in Calhoun County which signed an agreement with Consumers Power in March 2021. [47] [48] In 2019, Ann Arbor proposed a 20 MW solar farm on a closed landfill site. [49] In February 2020, Michigan State University's board approved a proposal to seek a 20 MW solar farm on 100 acres. [50] Traverse City is investigating a 10MW solar farm at the Cherry City Airport and a 1MW farm on a waste dump; nearby Acme Township is working on the 9MW Trailside Solar Farm. [51] A 150 MW solar farm to be built in Coldwater in Branch County was seeking planning approval in 2021. [52] Copper Country Power has an agreement to build solar farms on two former mining sites in the Upper Peninsula: Groveland Mine in Dickinson County, and 7 Mile Pit in Crawford County. [53] Superior Solar Project will be a 150 MW solar farm in Sands Township, Marquette County. [54] [55] White Tail Solar would be a 120 MW farm in Washtenaw County, [56] [57] A 100 MW solar project in Hart, Michigan was expected to be online in 2023. [58]
Distributed solar is not widely used in Michigan, with 14,446 installations. The total electric generation capacity of these installations was 124,749 kilowatts (kW) at the end of 2021. However, customer participation and installations are increasing quickly, with a 53% increase in capacity in 2019. [59] On Jan 21, 2023 Consumers Power agreed to double the cap on its distributed rooftop solar and legacy net metering program from 2% to 4%. Additionally, the rate at which the company credits rooftop solar customers for the excess power fed onto the grid will be based on power supply rates that factor in transmission costs. [60]
Despite having only reached 100 megawatts of installation statewide by 2018, thousands of megawatts have been proposed or included in planning documents. In response to DTE Energy filing a proposal for 2023 which included a 1.1GW natural gas plant with almost no new solar installations, renewable energy advocates proposed a plan with 1,100 megawatts of new solar capacity, 1,100 megawatts of wind, and 253 megawatts of demand response, which they claimed would satisfy criteria at a lower cost. [61] The state panel backed the DTE proposal in April 2018.
In 2017, Cypress Creek Renewables announced plans to build 2,600MW of solar plants in Michigan but has received no contracts from the two major power companies. [62] Cypress Creek has filed complaints, in 2018, against DTE and Consumers Power for failing to comply with the PURPA law. [63] In August 2019, Consumers Power proposed to allow 584 MW to connect to the grid by September 2023. This was almost four times the entire state total for solar power at the time of the proposal. They also propose accepting as much as 3000 MW to be connected to the grid at a lower purchase price per kilowatt hour over a longer timeframe. The proposal would need approval from the state electrical rate board. [64] In September 2019, the Michigan Public Service Commission approved the settlement. [65]
In June 2018, Consumers Power announced a plan detailing changes from now until 2040 that would see it close all coal plants, use only natural gas for 10% of current needs and have the majority of its power supplied by solar. This would require building 6,200MW of solar as well as using 450MW of battery storage. [66] In 2020, Consumer Power expanded on this plan by announcing it would become carbon neutral. [67]
In September 2019, DTE Energy announced it was seeking bids for 25 to 200 megawatts of electricity from solar projects to be online between 2021 and 2023. [68]
Michigan was ranked 14th among U.S. states for solar jobs in 2013. [69]
In 2002, Stanford R. Ovshinsky built a factory in Auburn Hills, Michigan to build low cost Uni-Solar panels using amorphous semiconductors that generate power in diffuse light. [70] Uni-Solar became the second largest manufacturer of thin film solar cells, after First Solar, and a developer of solar shingles before going bankrupt in 2012. [71] [72]
Suniva opened a solar panel factory in Saginaw, Michigan in 2014, capable of producing 200MW of panels per year. [73] Suniva closed its Michigan plant in March 2017 and later filed for bankruptcy.
The Government of Michigan has taken a variety of actions in order to encourage solar energy use within the state. On 28 November 2023, Governor Whitmer signed bills to transition Michigan to clean energy by 2040. The new laws also give the state the authority to override local decisions to allow farmers and property owners to house wind and solar projects on their land. State control over wind and solar projects will allow energy companies to avoid the bitter local zoning battles that have doomed such projects in the past. [74]
On November 20, 2019, Governor Whitmer signed legislation exempting rooftop solar and alternative energy systems up to 150 kW from property tax assessment. [75]
The state had a net metering program that allowed installations of up to 20 kW of on-site electrical generation to continuously roll over any excess generation to the next month. Participation was limited to 0.75% of utilities peak demand the prior year. [76] Peak demand for the state for 2011 was 21,477 MW. [77]
In 2018, the net metering program was ended (with those already enrolled getting a 10-year grandfather term). The new inflow/outflow system will require new customers to pay full price for all electricity going in and receiving a credit based on avoided cost to the utility for electricity going out to the grid. Each utility will have to set this price in its rate case which must be approved by the Michigan Public Service Commission. Bills were introduced into the state house within weeks to alter this system as favoring large utilities over solar owners. [78] Co-op electrical providers are not covered by the same rules but some moved to alter their rates after the state board's ruling.
The state adopted a renewable portfolio standard (RPS) in 2008 which required that 10% of Michigan's electricity come from renewable resources by 2015. [79] This standard was met mostly by wind power. A program to add 2 MW of distributed solar by Consumers Energy customers was reached in two weeks, and the state directed the company to offer another 2 MW at a cost not to exceed $20 million. [80]
In December 2016, a new energy policy was adopted which called for 12.5% renewable power by 2019 and 15% by 2021. It further called for power suppliers to "obtain at least 35% of the State's electric needs through energy waste reduction and renewable energy by 2025." [81]
Before the 2018 election, a referendum calling for "30% by 2030" was circulating. In response, DTE and Consumers Power promised at least 50% consisting of 25% actual renewables and 25% efficiency and demand reduction. [82] The referendum's backers including Tom Steyer then stopped their campaign. [83]
In September 2020, Gov. Whitmer signed an executive order for "statewide decarbonization by 2050." [84] Bills were introduced in January 2020 to require that all of Michigan utilities' energy generation be renewable by 2050. [85]
Year | Capacity | Change | % change |
---|---|---|---|
2007 | 0.4 | ||
2008 | 0.4 | — | |
2009 | 0.7 | 0.3 | 75% |
2010 | 2.6 | 1.9 | 271% |
2011 | 8.8 | 6.2 | 238% |
2012 | 19.9 | 11.1 | 126% |
2013 | 22.6 | 2.7 | 14% |
2014 | 27.2 | 4.6 | 20% |
2015 | NA | NA | |
2016 | 37.5 | ||
2017 | 113.5 | 76 | 203% |
2018 | 153 | 40 | 35% |
2019 | 188 | 35 | 23% |
2020 | 290.7 | 102.7 | 55% |
2021 | 758.8 | 468.1 | 261% |
2022 | 1,003 | 244.2 | 32% |
2023 | 1,444 | 441 | 44% |
Year | Total | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2016 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
2017 | 63 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 11 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 6 | 4 | 2 |
2018 | 119 | 3 | 4 | 11 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 18 | 15 | 12 | 9 | 3 | 4 |
2019 | 143 | 5 | 11 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 16 | 19 | 18 | 12 | 11 | 5 | 5 |
2020 | 155 | 5 | 8 | 11 | 14 | 17 | 21 | 20 | 18 | 14 | 11 | 8 | 8 |
2021 | 425 | 13 | 23 | 44 | 40 | 50 | 50 | 51 | 51 | 41 | 25 | 18 | 19 |
2022 | 861 | 31 | 40 | 65 | 71 | 98 | 122 | 115 | 106 | 79 | 71 | 44 | 19 |
2022 | 1313 | 40 | 71 | 101 | 131 | 169 | 160 | 161 | 150 | 115 | 85 | 76 | 54 |
2024 | 170 | 51 | 119 | ||||||||||
Name | Location | Size (MW) | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
Assembly Solar Farm | Shiwassee County | 346.9 | 239 MW(AC), completed March 2022 [8] |
Calhoun Solar | Calhoun County | 260.0 | 200 MWac, 2023 [97] |
Cereal City Solar | Battle Creek | 100.0 | |
DeMille Solar Farm | Lapeer County | 28.4 | DTE |
Delta Solar I and II | Eaton County | 24.0 | Lansing Board of Water & Light |
Bingham Solar | Clinton County | 20.0 | |
Blue Elk II Solar | Ingham County | 20.0 | [98] |
Blue Elk III Solar | Eaton Rapids | 20.0 | [99] [100] |
Blue Elk IV Solar | Adrian | 20.0 | |
Blue Elk VII Solar | Genesee | 20.0 | [99] [100] |
Cement City Solar | Cement City | 20.0 | |
Greenstone Solar | Coldwater | 20.0 | |
Lyons Road Solar | Shiawassee County | 26.8 | 20.0 MW (AC) [101] |
MacBeth Solar | Muskegon County | 26.8 | 20.0 MW (AC) [102] [103] |
Midcontinent Solar | Owosso | 20.0 | [99] [100] |
Pullman Solar | Allegan County | 20.0 | [99] [100] |
Shipsterns Solar | Calhoun County | 20.0 | [98] [100] |
Temperance Solar | Monroe County | 20.0 | [28] |
Willford Solar | Gladwin County | 20.0 | [98] [100] |
Turrill Solar Farm | Lapeer County | 19.6 | DTE |
Electric City Solar | Sturgis | 15.0 | |
Letts Creek Solar | Grass Lake | 15.0 | [100] |
Lightfoot Solar | Oscoda | 10.0 | June 2023 [98] [100] |
Spartan PV 1 | East Lansing | 10.5 | Michigan State University carports |
Pickford Solar | Pickford | 6.9 | Cloverland Electric Coop / Heritage Sustainable Energy |
Byrne Solar Farm | Detroit | 5.0 | [99] |
This incomplete list includes some of the earliest and some more unique solar installations in Michigan.
Name | Location | Size (MW) | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
Watervliet | Watervliet | 4.6 | Indiana Michigan Power |
Solar Garden 1 | Grand Valley State University | 3.0 | Consumers Energy, community solar [104] |
13 Mile Solar | Calhoun County | 2.0 | Consumers Energy |
O'Shea Solar Farm | Detroit | 2.0 | DTE Energy |
Angola Solar Farm | 2.0 | [105] | |
Bullhead Solar Project | Hillsdale County | 2.0 | Consumers Power [106] |
Captain Solar Farm | Genesee County | 2.0 | Consumers Power |
Coldwater Solar Farm | Genesee County | 2.0 | Consumers Power |
Interchange Solar Farm | Genesee County | 2.0 | Consumers Power |
Geddes 1 Solar Farm | Saginaw County | 2.0 | Consumers Power |
Geddes 2 Solar Farm | Saginaw County | 2.0 | Consumers Power |
Hazel Solar Farm | Montcalm County | 2.0 | Consumers Power |
Hendershot Solar Farm | Lenawee County | 2.0 | Consumers Power |
Jack Francis Solar Farm | Genesee County | 2.0 | Consumers Power |
May Shannon Solar Farm | Genesee County | 2.0 | Consumers Power |
Stoneheart Solar Farm | Saginaw County | 2.0 | Consumers Power |
M-72 West Solar | Traverse City | 2.0 | Traverse City Light & Power / Heritage Sustainable Energy |
Greenwood Energy Center | Avoca | 1.95 | DTE Energy [107] |
Garden 2 Solar | 1.4 | DTE Energy | |
Lakeshore Die Cast Solar | Berrien County | 1.4 | Lakeshore Die Cast |
Canton IKEA | Canton | 1.22 | |
Coldwater Solar | Coldwater | 1.20 | American Municipal Power [110] |
Spartan Solar | Cadillac | 1.20 | Wolverine Power, community solar [111] |
Stateline Farms Solar | Morenci | 1.2 | 1.0 MWAC, Wolverine Power Cooperative [112] |
Gerken Paving Solar | Lenawee | 1.2 | 1.0 MWAC, Wolverine Power Cooperative [112] |
Harvest Solar Lenawee | Lenawee | 1.2 | 1.0 MWAC, Wolverine Power Cooperative [112] |
Domino's Farms | Ann Arbor | 1.08 | DTE Energy SolarCurrents |
Ford World Headquarters | Dearborn | 1.04 | DTE Energy SolarCurrents |
M-72 East Solar | Traverse City | 1.0 | Traverse City Light & Power [113] / Heritage Sustainable Energy |
Western Michigan University | Kalamazoo | 1.0 | Consumer Energy Solar Gardens program |
GM Warren Transmission | Warren | 0.9 | DTE Energy SolarCurrents [114] |
Highland Cemetery | Ypsilanti | 0.84 | [115] |
McPhail | Wixom | 0.82 | DTE Energy SolarCurrents [116] |
Bissell Solar and Battery | 0.8 | with 0.3 MW battery, Consumers Power | |
Romulus Solar | Romulus | 0.75 | DTE Energy SolarCurrents |
University of Michigan | Ann Arbor | 0.67 | DTE Energy SolarCurrents, 2 locations [117] |
Thumb Solar | Caro | 0.66 | DTE Energy SolarCurrents |
Circuit West | Grand Rapids | 0.65 | Consumers Power, with 500 kW-hr battery |
Heliotek | Holland | 0.525 | [118] |
GM Detroit-Hamtramck Assembly | Hamtramck | 0.5 | DTE Energy SolarCurrents [119] |
Ford Michigan Assembly | Wayne | 0.5 | DTE Energy SolarCurrents |
Hartland Schools | Hartland | 0.5 | DTE Energy SolarCurrents |
Liepprandt Orchard | Pigeon | 0.5 | DTE Energy SolarCurrents [120] |
Monroe County Community College | Monroe | 0.5 | DTE Energy SolarCurrents |
Indian Springs Metropark | White Lake | 0.5 | DTE Energy SolarCurrents |
Riopelle Farms | Harbor Beach | 0.5 | DTE Energy SolarCurrents |
St. Clair RESA | Marysville | 0.5 | DTE Energy SolarCurrents |
Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary | Monroe | 0.5 | DTE Energy SolarCurrents |
Brownstown Solar | Taylor | 0.5 | DTE Energy SolarCurrents |
Wil Le Farms | Bad Axe | 0.5 | DTE Energy SolarCurrents |
DTE Electric Company was founded in 1886.
Solar power in Nevada is growing due to a renewable portfolio standard which requires 50% renewable energy by 2030. The state has abundant open land areas and some of the best solar potential in the country.
Solar power in Arizona has the potential to, according to then-Governor Janet Napolitano, make Arizona "the Persian Gulf of solar energy". In 2012, Arizona had 1,106 MW of photovoltaic (PV) solar power systems, and 6 MW of concentrated solar power (CSP), bringing the total to over 1,112 megawatts (MW) of solar power. As an example, the Solana Generating Station, a 280 MW parabolic trough solar plant, when commissioned in 2013, was the largest parabolic trough plant in the world and the first U.S. solar plant with molten salt thermal energy storage.
The energy sector in Hawaii has rapidly adopted solar power due to the high costs of electricity, and good solar resources, and has one of the highest per capita rates of solar power in the United States. Hawaii's imported energy costs, mostly for imported petroleum and coal, are three to four times higher than the mainland, so Hawaii has motivation to become one of the highest users of solar energy. Hawaii was the first state in the United States to reach grid parity for photovoltaics. Its tropical location provides abundant ambient energy.
Solar power in Florida has been increasing, as the cost of solar power systems using photovoltaics (PV) has decreased in recent years. Florida has low electricity costs compared with other states, which makes individual solar investment less attractive. Florida ranks ninth nationally in solar resource strength according to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory and tenth in solar generation by the Solar Energy Industries Association.
Solar power in Ohio has been increasing, as the cost of photovoltaics has decreased. Ohio installed 10 MW of solar in 2015. Ohio adopted a net metering rule which allows any customer generating up to 25 kW to use net metering, with the kilowatt hour surplus rolled over each month, and paid by the utility once a year at the generation rate upon request. For hospitals there is no limit on size, but two meters are required, one for generation, the other for utility supplied power.
Solar power in Wyoming has the potential to generate 72 million MWh/yr. Wyoming used 12 million MWh in 1999. Net metering is available to all consumers generating up to 25 kW. The state has an installed capacity of 146 MW as of 2022.
Solar power in Kansas has been growing in recent years due to new technological improvements and a variety of regulatory actions and financial incentives.
Solar power in Iowa is limited but growing, with 137 megawatts (MW) installed by the end of 2019 and 27 MW installed during that year, ranking the state 40th among U.S. states. Iowa also generated 0.23% of the state's total electricity production in 2019 from solar energy; an amount sufficient to power over 17,000 Iowa homes. The state's early position as a major wind-power provider may have limited early large-scale solar investment.
Solar power in Maine on rooftops, utilizing 6,300 megawatts (MW) of solar panels, can provide 60% of the electricity used in Maine according to a 2016 U.S. Department of Energy study. Maine and Vermont are tied for the second highest rooftop solar potential in the country, only behind the state of California. A 2020 estimate suggests that a typical 5.6 kilowatt (kW) residential system will pay for itself in 6-7 years and generate a profit of $45,000 over the rest of its 25-year life from the tax credits and utility savings.
Solar power in Georgia on rooftops can provide 31% of all electricity used in Georgia.
Solar power in Minnesota expanded significantly in the early 2010s as a result of the cost decrease of photovoltaics and favorable policies. By 2016, it began to grow quickly.
Wind power in Michigan is a developing industry. The industrial base from the automotive industry has led to a number of companies producing wind turbine parts in the state. The development of wind farms in the state, however, has lagged behind. In January 2021, there were a total of 1,481 wind turbines in the state with a nameplate capacity of 2,549 MW. The nameplate total exceeded 2,000 MW when Pine River came online in March 2019. Wind provided 4.2% of the state's electricity in 2016.
Solar power in Missouri has been a growing industry since the early 2010s. Solar power is capable of generating 42.7% of the electricity used in Missouri from rooftop solar panels totaling 28,300 MW.
Solar power in New Hampshire provides a small percentage of the state's electricity. State renewable requirements and declining prices have led to some installations. Photovoltaics on rooftops can provide 53.4% of all electricity used in New Hampshire, from 5,300 MW of solar panels, and 72% of the electricity used in Concord, New Hampshire. A 2016 estimate suggests that a typical 5 kW system costing $25,000 before credits and utility savings will pay for itself in 9 years, and generate a profit of $34,196 over the rest of its 25-year life. A loan or lease provides a net savings each year, including the first year. New Hampshire has a rebate program which pays $0.75/W for residential systems up to 5 kW, for up to 50% of the system cost, up to $3,750. However, New Hampshire's solar installation lagged behind nearby states such as Vermont and New York, which in 2013 had 10 times and 25 times more solar, respectively.
Solar power in Vermont provides almost 11% of the state's in-state electricity production as of 2018. A 2009 study indicated that distributed solar on rooftops can provide 18% of all electricity used in Vermont. A 2012 estimate suggests that a typical 5 kW system costing $25,000 before credits and utility savings will pay for itself in 10 years, and generate a profit of $34,956 over the rest of its 25-year life.
Solar power in Virginia on rooftops is estimated to be capable of providing 32.4% of electricity used in Virginia using 28,500 MW of solar panels. Installing solar panels provides a 6.8% return on investment in Virginia, and a 5 kW array would return a profit of $16,041 over its 25 year life.
Solar power in Wisconsin on rooftops is estimated to be able to provide 40.1% of the electricity used in Wisconsin, using 23,600 MW of solar panels. Net metering is available for systems up to at least 20 kW, and excess generation is credited at retail rate to customers' next bill. Some utilities allow net metering up to 100 kW. For Xcel customers, kilowatt credits are rolled over monthly and are reconciled annually at avoided cost. Best practices recommend no limits, either individually or aggregate, and perpetual rollover of kilowatt credits.
Solar power in Tennessee is capable of producing much of the state's electricity; however, the industry remains in early stages in the state. With 129 MW of solar power in 2015, Tennessee ranked 20th among states for installed solar capacity.