At Tri-County Electric Cooperative our members have access to clean, affordable, & reliable electricity everyday through the power generated by Seminole Electric Cooperative, our wholesale power provider. As interest and accessibility to renewable energy increases we will be here to help our members feel confident they are making the best decisions for their energy needs.
Renewable energy is any energy derived from natural processes, such as sunlight and wind. Some forms of renewable energy include solar, wind, geothermal, hydro and biomass. Solar energy has become increasingly accessible over the years with the use of Photovoltaic (PV) systems which convert sunlight directly into electricity. These systems can be installed on roof tops, water heaters, and more to provide energy to your home. TCEC does not sell or install PV systems at this time, but we do provide interconnection to the electric utility grid through our net metering system.
TCEC MEMBERS ARE GOING GREEN!
Tri-County Electric Cooperative is seeing a rise in the number of solar installs and we want to continue to be a trusted source of information. With over 100 systems installed throughout our territory we have compiled tons of data from the solar usage of our members and want to use that information as a resource to continue helping you make the best decision for your household. The 3 most popular sizes members are installing are small (0-5 kW DC), medium (6-10 kW DC), and large (11-15 kW DC) with the most popular being the medium (6-10 kW) system. Each of these options can generate a credit on your monthly electric bill. The average credit members are receiving on their electric bills shown as GREEN POWER GENERATION is $18.75, $40.17, and $63.02 per month for the small, medium, and large PV systems respectively.
Net Metering
If you are looking into installing solar panels at your home or business, first contact TCEC System Engineer, Antonio Richardson, at ext. 1337. For the safety of our employees and our members it is crucial that TCEC be involved from the very beginning of the process. TCEC does not install or sell solar panels at this time. Interconnection to the electric utility grid is provided by TCEC through Net Metering.
Interconnected service uses net metering, which routes power through a single meter that measures the TCEC delivered electricity you receive and subtracts the amount of electricity exported by your equipment. This saves you the expense of purchasing an additional meter and allows you to receive a credit for any surplus electricity generated by your equipment. The credit is reflected on your monthly bill towards your usage that month. If a member generates more than they use throughout the year, TCEC will purchase any excess energy generated at Seminole Electric Cooperative's avoided costs.
Interconnection Process
Download as PDF
Interconnection Agreement Download as PDF
TCEC Solar Panels
TCEC installed a 3.4 kW PV system at the Headquarters office in Madison to provide our members with a real time example of a typical size solar array that our members may be interested in installing at their homes. The average home solar array ranges from 3.4 kW - 5 kW.
The 3.4 kW system TCEC has installed will on average, generate 15 kWH a day, 450 kWH a month, and 5,475 kWH a year. The power generated by the solar panels is fed back into the grid. These panels produce enough power, on average, to run 10 computers in the TCEC office for 8 hours a day.
If you would like an up close look at the panels and their technology just call ahead and one of our engineers will be happy to meet with you.