Thinking about solar?

Solar energy is a great source of clean, emission-free power. Although photovoltaic (PV) arrays and other solar energy systems are expensive to build, they can operate for many years at little additional cost because they have free access to fuel whenever the sun is shining.

Solar energy produces significant environmental benefits, whether it comes from a rooftop array or one of TEP's larger, more cost-effective community-scale systems. Using solar energy reduces power plant emissions, preserves water and avoids other impacts associated with fossil fuel production.

Solar power also is becoming less expensive. Falling PV prices, low-interest rates, tax credits and utility rate subsidies have reduced the cost of generating power from rooftop PV arrays or buying solar energy through programs offered by TEP.

Going Solar with TEP

While solar power options are available from third party providers, you should be aware that TEP offers two easy ways to go solar.

1. TEP GoSolar Home – Residential TEP customers who own their homes can buy all of their power from a local 5-megawatt TEP solar array for a monthly price that can remain fixed for 10 years. The fixed monthly bill is based on your previous 12 months of electric use and will stay the same as long as future use doesn’t go up or down by more than 15 percent.
2. TEP GoSolar Shares – Purchase some or potentially all of your power from local TEP solar arrays on a flexible, month-to-month basis. Buy solar power in “shares” of 150 kilowatt-hours (kWh) per month for about 1 cent per kWh. The power supply component of your bill covered by shares is fixed for 20 years, and the shares are exempt from some surcharges. Both residential and commercial customers can participate in this program.

We are no longer accepting applications for the TEP Residential Solar Program. That pilot program was designed to provide homeowners with energy from a rooftop solar array through a flat monthly fee for electric service that will remain fixed for up to 25 years.

Despite its many benefits, solar energy can’t replace utility service – not even here in sunny Southern Arizona. Rooftop PV arrays provide intermittent power that isn’t always available when energy is needed. They also typically can’t keep up with peak energy usage, which usually occurs in the late afternoon hours. And of course, solar energy isn’t available at all after the sun sets.

Solar arrays are sometimes said to provide energy independence. In truth, they depend on the local utility system for voltage support, energy management and supplemental power. Solar power users could not even start their air conditioning units without a connection to TEP's local energy grid.

TEP still delivers plenty of power to customers with solar arrays — in many cases, more than half of the energy they use. Solar customers also make constant use of our local distribution system to import or export energy, depending on their consumption and solar production.

Yes. Although TEP’s rates have been remarkably stable, rising at less than the rate of inflation over the last two decades, future changes could alter the costs and/or benefits associated with rooftop solar power systems. Any savings estimates provided by sellers of solar power systems could be based on TEP's current pricing plans and energy export rates as well as their own forecasts regarding future increases. Any changes to those plans and/or rates could undermine those assumptions.