The sun is something we all can appreciate. It’s scientifically proven that the sun heats the planet, makes plants grow, keeps us healthy (vitamin D), gives us energy and cheers us up. To top it off, producing electricity from the sun helps keep Tampa Electric customer bills low and brings us that much closer to a cleaner energy future.
The sun is so important, there’s an entire day dedicated to it. This Saturday, March 11 is Solar Appreciation Day. Let’s take advantage of this opportunity to share the major benefits of solar energy with our customers, our company and our community.
To start, Tampa Electric has significantly expanded our solar projects – so much so we reached a new milestone this year. Tampa Electric’s solar projects can now produce 1,000 megawatts (MW) of electricity, also called a gigawatt. That’s enough to power more than 160,000 homes.
“Thanks to our strategic investment in solar power, Tampa Electric customers saved about $80 million in fuel costs last year,” said President and CEO Archie Collins. “At a time when fuel costs are escalating, we know how important these savings are for customers. And this year, we expect to generate even more power from the sun.”
We currently have another 230 MW of solar power under construction, with more planned by the end of 2026. Tampa Electric will then have over 1,600 MW of solar, which can serve 260,000 homes. When those projects are complete, Tampa Electric will have about 17 percent of its energy generated from the sun. That’s the highest percentage of solar generation of any utility in the state.
Not to mention, Tampa Electric’s investment in solar energy helps to:
- Save fuel costs for customers and helps to reduce the impact of volatile natural gas prices.
- By repurposing former agricultural land for solar investments, Tampa Electric has saved more than 4.3 billion gallons of water in an area of the state with critical concerns about water use.
- Reduce greenhouse gas emissions. We’re committed to a cleaner-energy future, and these projects will reduce carbon dioxide emissions by more than 2.35 million tons every year, which is roughly equal to removing 500,000 cars from the road.
How Can You Celebrate?
As the sun takes center stage this Saturday, here are ways you can celebrate:
- Learn more about solar energy and how Tampa Electric’s solar investments are producing savings for customers.
- Post on social media about solar: Educate your friends and followers on the importance of clean energy by liking and sharing the content we post on Solar Appreciation Day. Find Tampa Electric on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn.
- Invest in solar: Nothing says you are pro-solar than equipping your house, event and/or gadgets with solar energy. Tampa Electric has an entire webpage dedicated to your solar solutions – including Sun Select and Sun to Go. Find out if it makes sense for your home and what savings and tax rebates are available. But beware of solar scammers. Tampa Electric does not have a partnership with any solar company. We do not have preferred solar installers. We do not work with any of the solar companies, nor do we sell solar panels or battery storage to our customers.
Those are just a few ways you can show your appreciation for the sun on Saturday.
