The West Tennessee Solar Farm is a five-megawatt DC power generation facility located on 25 acres in Haywood County, TN. This project is part of former Governor Phil Bredesen’s Volunteer State Solar Initiative and is one of the largest solar installations in the Southeast. The farm creates jobs, encourages renewable-energy interest and investments in Tennessee and the region, reduces greenhouse-gas emissions, and increases renewable-energy generation.

Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development contracted with the University of Tennessee to oversee planning, operation, and management of the West Tennessee Solar Farm. The farm’s solar array includes approximately 21,000 fixed tilt, ground-mounted photovoltaic solar panels in an initial 4.5-megawatts AC configuration expected to produce approximately 7,000-megawatt hours of electricity annually. An ultimate build-out was planned and the interconnect designed for 10-megawatts DC output. The generated electricity is distributed through purchase agreements with local utility Chickasaw Electric Cooperative and Tennessee Valley Authority.

Providing engineering planning and design, ICT designed the complete electrical interface of the inverters to the interconnect to the AC power grid as well as on-site power, system communications, and grounding systems.

Sustainability:

• Solar Array
• The West Tennessee Solar Farm generates enough energy to power 500 homes each year.
• 5 million watts annually

Project Highlights:

• ICT provided the System Impact Study related to the interconnect and sub-transmission line connection to the Chickasaw Electric Cooperative System.