Tips for managing energy use during COVID-19

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The coronavirus public health crisis has impacted almost every aspect of American life. From work and school to meals and entertainment, Tennesseans are spending more time at home than ever before. With this extra activity, many will see a surge home energy use – and in upcoming electric bills. There are, however, some simple money-saving steps you can take today to lower monthly electric bills without jeopardizing safety or comfort.

Recommended energy-saving tips include:

  • Program your thermostat to maximize energy savings. Setting your thermostat one degree lower when heating or one degree higher when cooling can reduce energy use by up to 5 percent. 
  • Do full loads of laundry and wash with cold water. Using warm water instead of hot can cut a load’s energy use in half, and using cold water will save even more.
  • Air dry dishes.  This step can cut your dishwasher’s energy use by up to 50 percent.
  • Substitute LEDs for conventional light bulbs. Lighting can amount to up to 12% of monthly energy use. LED bulbs can cut lighting costs by 75%.
  • Unplug appliances and electronics when not in use. Small appliances and electronics use energy even when not in use. When powered on, game consoles, televisions and similar electronics are responsible for up to 12 percent of energy use.
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TECA responds to COVID-19

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The spread of COVID-19 represents a real threat to our co-ops and the communities we serve, and stopping the spread of the virus has quickly become an important part of what Tennessee co-ops do each day. TECA is working to support our members systems, and we call your attention to the following information.

Best Practices

On Monday, March 16, TECA held the first of a weekly COVID-19 call with co-op leadership teams. This forum allows co-ops to discuss their individual responses to the virus and share ideas and information. We also launched a weekly COVID-19 survey to better understand co-op response and track operational modifications over time. Co-ops can view the results of this study in the CEO Forum.

Communications Resources

A COVID-19 communications toolkit was distributed to co-ops on Friday, March 6. The kit includes media releases, social graphics, internals memos and an update to our existing Tennessee Electric Co-op Crisis Communications Plan. Additional resources are added each week. Co-ops can access these tools via our CommKit library.

Education, Training and Events

Electric co-op employees are stewards of critical infrastructure, so the spread of the illness among co-op employees represents a real threat to the communities we serve. TECA has a heightened responsibility to protect the health and well-being of the co-op workforce, so we are modifying both our schedule and our content delivery methods to accommodate.

  • We are working with utilities who participate in our Job Training and Safety program to reschedule in-person meetings and transition to online delivery when possible
  • All Director Training sessions have been postponed through May 1
  • The NRECA Legislative Conference has been cancelled. TECA will coordinate dates for legislative visits later this year
  • The 2020 Youth Leadership Summit has been rescheduled for July 20 – 22
  • The 2020 Accountants’ Conference has been rescheduled for Sept. 23 – 25
  • The 2020 TennComm Conference has been rescheduled for Sept. 22 – 25
  • The 2020 Administrative Professionals and Human Resources Conference has been cancelled

TECA Staff

TECA has implemented work travel restrictions on all staff, developed guidelines for returning to work following potential exposure and temporarily adapted our alternative work arrangement policy to allow staff to work from home with fewer restrictions. The TECA office will be closed with all staff working from home on Friday, March 20 – Tuesday, March 24. Visit our staff page for contact information.

As Tennessee’s rural communities adapt to the challenges and limitations created by COVID-19, TECA is working with Tennessee’s electric cooperatives to share ideas and provide innovative solutions. We believe that co-ops provide an essential service to their communities, and together, we have the power to be resilient in the face of this public health challenge. Please contact us if we can be of assistance.

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3 Factors to Consider Before Going Solar

You can see them on fields of open land, on top of people’s homes and even on backpacks. Solar panels are becoming much cheaper and more prevalent in the United States and across the world. Because of this, more homeowners are considering installing solar panels on their own rooftops. Whether you’re interested in saving money or helping the environment, there are many benefits from installing rooftop solar panels. However, there are several things to think about before making the jump. Here are three key factors to consider before installing solar panels on your own home:

Location

Does the town or state you live in typically get a lot of sunlight? Is your location prone to natural disasters? The best areas for rooftop solar panels are those that generally receive a lot of sunlight throughout the year and are less likely to have natural disasters that could damage solar equipment. Even if you don’t live in the sunniest state, this doesn’t mean solar panels won’t work for you. While lesser-lit areas may not be as efficient, they will still receive a substantive amount of solar energy. Areas that are prone to natural disasters can also take advantage of unique ways to prevent damage, for example, different mounting procedures to protect against hurricanes.

Additionally, depending on your location, many states also have incentives and rebates for installing residential solar panel systems, on top of the federal solar tax credit of 26% in 2020, which is available to all states. Being aware of state-specific incentives can help you make your decision before installing a residential solar panel system.

Roof Condition

Two huge factors of solar panel efficiency are the direction your roof slant faces and the angle of the slant. South-facing roofs will receive the most sunlight throughout the day, and roof angles between 30 and 45 degrees work well in most cases. However, even if your home does not have a south-facing roof, you can still have an economically-viable solar panel system.

The material of your roof is also crucial since some roof types are better situated to have solar panels than others, such as composite roofing or tile roofs. Despite this, solar panels can be installed on practically any type of roof material, although more complicated roof materials, like tar and gravel roofs, may be more expensive and require additional expertise.

Lastly, ensuring the good condition of your roof plays a large part to help make sure that your panels are situated as safely as possible.

Financing Options

There are several different options when considering how to pay for rooftop solar panels. One of the simplest options is a solar loan, which allows you to buy and own your entire system. Generally, you should save enough money on your electric bills from the solar panels to pay off the cost of the monthly loan payment.

A solar lease is another financing option where a third-party owner (TPO) installs solar panels on your home and charges you an electricity rate below the market rate. The TPO owns and maintains the panels, and at the end of the lease will offer to sell you the panels or remove them. However, you will not be eligible for rebates or incentives, since the TPO owns the system.

Another option is a power purchase agreement (PPA) which is like a solar lease. The main difference is that you pay a pre-determined monthly amount based on the actual energy produced, instead of a flat monthly fee that a solar lease would require.

Before you decide on a financing option, we strongly encourage you to talk with your local electric cooperative first to determine if installation is right for you – and if there are other measures you can take to save energy (and money) at home.

These three considerations provide a great starting point for learning how to go solar, but it should be noted this list is not complete. There are additional important details to consider, such as solar panel type, potential battery installation and how long you plan to live at your current home.

Remember, your electric cooperative is a great resource to discuss the benefits and considerations of rooftop solar, especially before making any agreements with solar vendors. Choosing the right professionals and companies to install your solar panels is an important choice and working with your electric co-op can help you to make the best decision possible.

Maria Kanevsky is a program analyst for the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, the national trade association representing more than 900 local electric cooperatives. From growing suburbs to remote farming communities, electric co-ops serve as engines of economic development for 42 million Americans across 56 percent of the nation’s landscape.

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2020 Youth Leadership Summit Rescheduled

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – To safeguard against COVID-19, and the spread of the 2019 novel coronavirus, the Tennessee Electric Cooperative Association is rescheduling the 2020 Youth Leadership Summit for Monday, July 20 – Wednesday, July 22.

Two factors played into this decision.

The safety and well-being of the students in our care is our ultimate priority. Public health officials are still learning about COVID-19. The majority of confirmed cases in Tennessee have been diagnosed in the Nashville region, and the trip places students in very public places where we are unable to control student interaction with others.

Electric co-op employees are stewards of critical infrastructure. Spread of the illness among co-op employees represents a real threat to the communities we serve. We have a heightened responsibility to protect the health and well-being of our workforce.

Earlier today, Gov. Lee declared a state of emergency in Tennessee due to the growing threat posed by COVID-19. In the past 24 hours, a number of high profile closures and cancellations have been announced, including in-person classes for the University of Tennessee system and Vanderbilt University. Like the decisions made by these institutions, postponing the 2020 Youth Leadership Summit is a proactive step to limit the spread of the virus.

“This is a difficult decision to make because the Youth Leadership Summit is a unique opportunity to educate young Tennesseans about leadership, public policy and cooperatives,” says David Callis, executive vice president and general manager of the Tennessee Electric Cooperative Association. “I sincerely hope we can look back on this as an unnecessary precaution, but our utmost responsibility is the safety of our delegates, employees and chaperones.”

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Tornado recovery continues

UPDATED | NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Recovery efforts continue across Middle Tennessee today following a strong tornado that ripped through the area early Tuesday morning.

Middle Tennessee Electric Membership Corporation and Upper Cumberland Electric Membership Corporation suffered heavy damage to their systems. Storms also caused minor damage to Cumberland Electric Membership Corporation, Meriwether Lewis Electric Cooperative and Tri-County Electric Membership Corporation.

UCEMC’s Cookeville office

Today, MTEMC has fewer than 2,000 consumer-members without power. Crews have restored power to more than 45,000 since the storm originally hit. MTEMC estimates that more than 250 poles were broken during the storm. MTEMC is being assisted by crews from Caney Fork Electric Cooperative, Cumberland Electric Membership Corporation, Duck River Electric Cooperative and Fayetteville Public Utilities.

Upper Cumberland Electric Membership Corporation has approximately 2,200 consumer-members without power. More than 12,000 have had their power restored since the storm originally hit. UCEMC’s Cookeville district office was heavily damaged in the storm. Crews from Tri-County Electric Membership Corporation are assisting UCEMC today.

An employee of UCEMC and her husband were injured when the storm destroyed their home. The employee is recovering following surgery. Some MTEMC employees also lost homes and experienced property damage.

The Tennessee Electric Cooperative Association has established a fund to assist employees of electric co-ops who who were injured or experienced property damage during the storm. Visit tnelectric.org/give or contact Amy Jordan at TECA for more details.

In the midst of their own recovery efforts, employees from MTEMC had the co-op’s food truck, the Electric Griddle, in Mt. Juliet on Wednesday, preparing grilled cheese sandwiches for first responders, clean-up crews, volunteers and restoration crews.

MTEMC employee Tim Sudds serves hot food to first responders in Mt. Juliet following a major tornado in Tuesday morning.

“Many Tennessee communities experienced extreme damage and loss this week,” said David Callis, executive vice president and general manager of the Tennessee Electric Cooperative Association. “We have also seen co-ops rally to serve their communities and neighboring cooperatives. Co-op people are the best people, and it is an honor to watch these community servants do what they do best.”

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Tennessee co-ops receive damage from overnight tornado

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – A strong tornado moved through Nashville and parts of middle Tennessee overnight leaving significant damage in its wake.

Several middle Tennessee co-ops are reporting outages this morning, including Middle Tennessee Electric Membership Corporation which currently has 19,000 consumers without power and Upper Cumberland Electric Membership Corporation which has 10,000 out. Other systems that have reported outages include Cumberland Electric Membership Corporation, Meriwether Lewis Electric Cooperative and Tri-County Electric Membership Corporation.

Upper Cumberland Electric’s Cookeville office received significant damage, and at least one Middle Tennessee Electric employee lost his home.

TECA employees and their families are safe, and the TECA office was not damaged.

TECA has not received any requests for mutual aid, but we are prepared to assist as needs arise.

“Our hearts go out to our friends and neighbors who have experienced loss this morning,” said David Callis, executive vice president and general manager of TECA. “We will work with state and local leaders to help Nashville and the middle Tennessee region recover.”

TECA is establishing a fund to assist co-op employees who have lost homes and property. We will share additional information on this as soon as the details have been finalized.

Photo by Sam Shamburger

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