“I’ve been interested in solar power since I was a young child. When the opportunity for financial assistance arose I contacted Sustainable Future to go for it. It was very cost effective, a great business decision and will pay for itself really quickly. I am very happy with the job; it looks really nice on my building. The people in the area are able to see that I’m green, conscious of my environmental impact, and they are very interested in learning more about solar,” - Dr. Johnny Gobble, owner of Tellico Bay Animal Hospital.

Tellico Bay Animal Hospital has completed a 29.25 kW solar photovoltaic system on the roof of it’s building in Vonore, TN. The system is one of the largest solar photovoltaic (PV) installations in the area, consisting of 130 SunPower 225 watt panels. SunPower panels were chosen because they are the highest efficiency panel on the market, the 225 watt modules offer an all black face, and they allowed the designer to put more generation power into the roof. The 29.25 kW system is projected to produce an average of 38,354 kWh’s a year, changing Tellico from being an energy consumer to a net energy producer.

“I’ve been interested in solar power since I was a young child. When the opportunity for financial assistance arose I contacted Sustainable Future to go for it. It was very cost effective, a great business decision and will pay for itself really quickly. I am very happy with the job; it looks really nice on my building. The people in the area are able to see that I’m green, conscious of my environmental impact, and they are very interested in learning more about solar,” says Dr. Johnny Gobble, owner of Tellico Bay Animal Hospital.

Solar installations in rural areas have been catching on across the country. According to the USDA, 7,968 rural businesses reported using either photovoltaic panels or thermal solar panels. Solar installations are in all 50 states and on average businesses with solar saved $2,406 on their utility bills. Stabilizing energy bills for the countries food producers helps every American because it keeps the price of food from rising with the cost of energy.

"Tellico Bay Animal Hospital is a great partner for USDA’s renewable energy program," said RD State Director Bobby Goode. "Solar installations like this help create good jobs in the renewable energy sector and contribute to the promotion, development and utilization of renewable, domestically produced energy alternatives in Tennessee."

The solar project was made possible in part by a solar installation grant from The Tennessee Solar Institute. The Tennessee Solar Institute is part of the Volunteer State Solar Initiative, a comprehensive solar energy and economic development program that was established using $62.5 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 funding received by the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development. This material is based upon work supported by the Department of Energy under Award Number DE-EE0000160.