Tennessee Solar Institute - Solar Innovation Grant Program

April 07, 2011

Summary

Note: The Tennessee Solar Institute (TSI) has now awarded all grant money alotted to the Solar Innovation Grant Program through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. TSI is not currently accepting applications for new grants. This entry is for historical purposes only; the program will reopen if more funding becomes available. The Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development started the Tennessee Solar Institute in 2009 with a $29 million grant to the University of Tennessee. The Tennessee Solar Institute (TSI) reopened commercial Solar Innovation Grants with $7.25 million of Volunteer State Solar Initiative Solar Opportunity funds for a second application round. The Solar Innovation Grants are available for a variety of purposes within the solar industry, including training programs, lowering the cost of production through process improvements, increasing use of renewable energy and energy efficiency in operations. Applicants can submit up to six grants under the Solar Innovation Grants' requests for proposals. TSI will provide 20% of the requested funds at the time the grant is awarded. The rest will be administered along with project deliverables and reporting documents. After the project is completed and all reports are turned in, TSI will conduct an audit and release the final funds. Projects must comply with Buy American, NEPA, Davis-Bacon Act, and the Tennessee Prevailing Wage Law, and applications must be submitted by 6pm on January 20, 2011. The Tennessee Solar Institute also offers workforce development and technical assistance services, including free NABCEP training courses.

Program Overview

Implementing Sector:	State
Category:	Financial Incentive
State:	Tennessee
Incentive Type:	Grant Program
Web Site:	http://solar.tennessee.edu/solar-funding
Administrator:	Tennessee Solar Institute
Start Date:	12/10/2010
Eligible Renewable/Other Technologies:	Solar Water Heat Solar Space Heat Solar Thermal Electric Solar Thermal Process Heat Solar Photovoltaics Processing and Manufacturing Equipment Custom/Others pending approval Yes; specific technologies not identified
Incentive Amount:	Process Improvements: $500,000 Facilities & Equipment Improvements: $500,000 Renewable Energy Products: $250,000 Technical Assistance: $100,000 Technology Improvements: $100,000 Workforce Development: $50,000
Maximum Incentive:	$500,000
Installation Requirements:	The Tennessee Solar Institute must give pre-approval and grant agreement execution before the project begins. Only for-profit applicants already in Tennessee and deemed by TSI to be in the "Solar Value Chain" are eligible.

Contact

Name:	Tennessee Solar Institute
Organization:	Tennessee Solar Institute
Address:	2450 E. J Chapman Drive Knoxville TN 37996-0170
Phone:	(866) SOL-AR90
Email:	solar@tennessee.edu

This information is sourced from DSIRE; the most comprehensive source of information on incentives and policies that support renewables and energy efficiency in the United States. Established in 1995, DSIRE is operated by the N.C. Clean Energy Technology Center at N.C. State University.