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Solar Energy

We believe in the promise of clean energy and are committed to help lead that transition to a brighter future. By generating more energy from renewable resources, deploying new technologies and modernizing the grid to achieve a low- to no-carbon future, we are at the forefront of this transformation.

Solar Calculator

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Are Solar Panels Right for You?

Installing solar panels can reduce your impact on the environment and potentially your electricity cost. There's a lot to think about when determining if solar panels are a good option for you.

Before you make a decision, consider some of the facts and read our helpful guide.

Energy Independence

Typically, solar panels supplement your electric service and cannot operate independently of the electric grid unless it's specifically designed to provide back-up power. For safety, most solar panels shut-off during an outage, so they may not power your home during a service disruption. Also, you'll need to connect to the electricity grid to be compensated for the excess energy your panels produce.

Lease or Buy

When you lease a solar panel system, you can use the power it produces, but a third party owns it. You then pay that company to lease the equipment. When you purchase a system, you pay up front to install and own the panels, or finance the purchase and pay the costs of the equipment plus interest over time (typically 7-20 years). You're also responsible for maintenance and repairs. Whether you decide to lease or buy, it's important to review your contract and ask questions before agreeing to either option.

Helpful Guide for Homeowners

Helpful Guide for Homeowners

If you’ve been thinking about installing solar panels on your home, check out our guide.

Download our guide

How much will you save?

Solar panels are a big investment, whether you lease or buy. A number of factors make it difficult to determine the return on your investment, including:

  • Weather conditions
  • The energy efficiency of your home
  • Changes to electricity rates
  • Potential changes to the compensation for electricity placed back onto the electric grid

Crunch the numbers with this solar calculator which uses information about your location and estimates available sunlight year-round to approximate a return on your investment.

Do's and don'ts of hiring a contractor Understand your responsibilities before you sign a contract.
Solar installation checklist Use our checklist to help with your decision-making.

How to Apply For Interconnection Service

Before you install your solar panels, wind turbines or other distributed energy resources, and before you connect to our grid, you'll need to submit an interconnection service application. Once approved, you can install the system, and following a successful inspection of your equipment, you'll submit a signed agreement with us that governs the arrangement.

Check out our Quick-Start Guide for an overview of our application process and what to expect once your equipment is connected to our system. You’ll also find excellent resources for technical information as well as updated and relevant regulatory announcements on our Installing Generating Equipment page.

Apply for interconnection

Frequently Asked Questions

Expand the questions below to find answers to common questions.

For safety reasons, your equipment may not power your home or business when there is an outage because it is synched with the power grid.

You are responsible for:

  • Compliance with all applicable laws, rules and regulations – as well as the easement, licensing, design, equipment, studies, protection, maintenance, and operation by qualified personnel required to accommodate power generation and/or storage.
  • Synchronization with the utility distribution system, and we are not responsible for damage to your equipment resulting from outages.
  • Cost of any negative impact, investigation, and system upgrades required to accommodate your connection, as well as future modifications prompted by changes in our system and type of service provided.

After an application has been approved, any changes to your system including equipment type, size or rating requires an updated application.

Not if it is strictly used as back-up. If it’s a so-called “make-before-break” system, you may be required to seek prior approval. Refer to the Installing Generating Equipment page for more information.

More questions? Please send an email with your questions and contact information to DGCoordinator_SWEPCO@aep.com

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