TEP- Tucson’s Community Solar Program

The Bright Tucson Community Solar Program offers an easy and affordable way to meet your electric needs with locally generated solar power. As a TEP customer, you now have the opportunity to purchase solar power in “blocks” of 150 kilowatt-hours (kWh) per month. You can buy some or all of your power through the program, reducing or eliminating your energy from conventional resources.

Features and Benefits

•    No up-front expenses or equipment maintenance costs

•    Renewable energy option for renters and homeowner association (HOA) residents

•    Protection offered against future energy cost increases

•    Surcharge exemption for solar energy purchases on renewable energy, fuel and purchased power

•    Minimized carbon footprint and reliance on fossil fuels

•    Clean, green renewable energy for an affordable price

Minimal Cost

Solar power costs more than conventional energy derived from fossil-fueled power plants, so participating in the program will increase your electric bill. Each block replaces the charges for an equivalent amount of conventional power at a rate that currently adds $3.00 to your monthly bill.

Program rates must be paid in full each month regardless of actual energy consumption. If the solar energy purchased through the program exceeds actual usage during a monthly billing period, the excess is carried forward to the next billing period as a credit. Any credit remaining after the September billing period will be paid in full as a credit on the next bill.

Added Benefits

Program blocks are exempt from two surcharges applied to other electric usage: the Renewable Energy Standard Tariff (REST) and the Purchased Power and Fuel Adjustment Clause (PPFAC), so your actual impact will be lower. Both surcharges are adjusted annually to reflect changing energy costs and other factors, so the benefit of avoiding them would increase over time if the surcharges rise.

Rate Protection

Bright Tucson Community Solar Energy rates will remain fixed for 20 years. While blocks purchased through the program will still be subject to non-fuel rate changes, they won’t be affected by changes to the base energy rate, the PPFAC, or REST surcharges. By purchasing your share of locally generated solar power today, you can lock in a rate that could end up saving you money if energy costs rise.

For complete program information visit the Tucson Electric Power website.