As of January 2021, TEP is again allowing the large majority of neighborhoods to have grid-tied solar panel systems on homes and businesses.
File this under good news: As of mid-January 2021, Tucson Electric Power is no longer requiring home and business owners in numerous Southern Arizona neighborhoods to add an expensive battery system in order to go solar. Batteries add signifcant cost to a system, directly reducing the savings payback from going solar for the individual or business. See Sunbright Solar’s original announcement here: https://www.facebook.com/sunbrightsolaraz/posts/1546804748862405
One neighborhood, near I-10 and West Marana Road, is still subject to limits. See the West Marana Road link below to determine if you are impacted. Sunbright Solar will work with you to get through the approval process, so please contact us if you need assistance with a solar install there. We’re your neighbors and we’re here to help. Just one benefit of Sunbright Solar being a local Tucson solar company!
See below for the original update on TEP’s saturations zones and further resources:
“Some Areas Will Need Home Battery for TEP’s Approval
Arizona consistently leads as one of the top areas in the U.S for solar panel installation, since home, business, and organizations can all benefit from significant savings when they go solar. However, some neighborhoods serviced by Tucson Electric Power both in and outside of Tucson are now being limited due to heavy solar saturation on the local grid circuit.
For neighborhoods in these Saturation Zones, TEP has stated it will only approve systems that also include a battery.
Am I affected? Here are the impacted neighborhoods (click to view map):
I-10 and West Marana Road
So, what does it mean if my neighborhood is on TEP’s Saturation Maps?
For consumers whose primary goal is saving money, it can certainly impact their bottom line cost of a solar panel system and the overall positive returns from their investment. Solar power systems are usually still connected to the electrical grid system to help manage daytime and nighttime usage needs, even when the sun isn’t shining.
The alternative is a system with a home battery (also known as Solar + Storage). Home batteries are entering more widespread use in Southern Arizona, but they add cost to a system. Our professional recommendation is to get proposals that consider battery options, and see if it pays off for you.
Sunbright Solar Sidenote: Sunbright Solar can give you an honest appraisal of your benefits and savings from going solar. Contact us for friendly, knowledgable assistance looking at all your options, so you can make an informed decision. In a booming industry like solar, it’s good to know you have a local contractor you can trust for quotes or second opinions. Call Sunbright Solar for help today— 520-222-9993
And we also reccommend you stay alert on the news! TEP is so far the only utility in Arizona who has been rejecting solar applications. According to other large electric companies in Arizona, they have not been rejecting applications under the new rules, and it remains to be seen if TEP’s interpretation of the rules will be impacted by public
You can also follow us on Facebook to make sure you don’t miss any big updates! Like Sunbright Solar’s Facebook Page here!
Could this impact me in the future?
It’s hard to say for sure, but it’s likely good advice to be aware of how saturated your area is if you’re considering solar. For the sake of getting an understanding of which areas in Southern Arizona are seeing the most solar saturation, we broke down the list into broad geographic areas.
We found that the Northwest region (Marana, Northwest Tucson, & Tortolita) had the highest concentration, followed by Southeast Tucson and Midtown Tucson areas.
Three (3) in Southeast Tucson, Two (2) in Midtown Tucson, two (2) in Marana, one (1) in Northwest Tucson, one (1) in Tortolita, Northwest of Tucson, one (1) in Sahuarita, and one (1) in Vail.”
Resources:
https://sunbrightsolaraz.com/solar-battery-storage/
New state rules limit rooftop solar systems in some Tucson neighborhoods
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