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.
The Berea Solar Farm is a community solar farm, which opened with 60 235-watt solar panels (14.1 kW). All of the available panels sold out in four days.Berea (KY) Solar Farm Sells Out
A 2 MW single axis tracking solar farm began operation in 2011 in Bowling Green.Solar installations in Kentucky As of 2011, the largest system on any farm in the state was the 100.32 kW array completed on November 1, 2011, in Fancy Farms. 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.
In 2015, Fort Campbell installed a 1.9MW solar farm that provides 10% of the electricity used by the base.Fort Campbell solar array completed, ClarksvilleNow, September 21, 2015
Kentucky's only maker of solar panels is Alternative Energy Kentucky.Company says the future of solar panels in Ky. is bright
Net metering 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. 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.Net Metering Three states have no limit - Arizona, New Jersey, and Ohio. Rhode Island has a 5 MW limit, and New Mexico has a limit of 80 MW.
Insolation
Kentucky has an average of about 4.5 sun hours per day, similar to Germany, which has 4.8 sun hours per day.
Source: NREL
Installed capacity Kentucky grid-connected PV capacity (MW)YearCapacityInstalled% change 2010 0.2 0.2 2011 3.3 3.1 1550% 2012 4.8 1.5 45% 2013 7.9 3.2 68% 2014 8.4 0.5 6% 2015 9.5 1.1 13% 2016 27 17.5 184% 2017 47 20 74% 2018 50 3 6.3% 2019 54.6 4.6 9.2% 2020 59.5 4.9 8.9% 2021 71 11.5 % 2022 157 86 %
See also
Wind power in Kentucky Solar power in the United States Renewable energy in the United States
References
External links
Kentucky Division of Renewable Energy - Solar Energy Kentucky Solar Energy Society