Mayor Kem Canes flips ceremonial switch to power E.B. Davidson Community Center with rooftop solar and battery
April 23, 2026 | Knox County, Tennessee
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Knoxville Mayor Kem Canes on Earth Day ceremonially activated a rooftop solar array and on-site battery at the Dr. E.B. Davidson Community Center, city officials said, declaring the facility powered by solar energy.
Patience Melnick, the city's director of sustainability, told the audience that panels installed above the gym and pool will send power to a nearby battery and then into the building. "After today, you'll be able to say my rec center is powered by the sunshine," Melnick said, explaining the system can store excess daytime production and draw on the battery or the grid when needed.
The U.S. Department of Energy provided the funding for the project, organizers said, and private contractor Solar Alliance installed the rooftop arrays. Representatives from the Knoxville Utilities Board were on site as a partner on the project.
A short video played during the event described the installation as a grid-tied battery project, meaning the solar panels, battery and utility work together to meet the center's demand. The presentation noted the city has set a goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions 50% by 2030 and said the center is the city's seventh rooftop solar array and the first located on a community center.
Mayor Kem Canes invited kindergarten and first-grade students to help with a countdown before flipping a ceremonial switch. "Now it's all power from the sun. Thank you guys so much," the mayor said after the crowd cheered. Event hosts then confirmed the building had switched from the previous utility supply to the new system and encouraged attendees to visit partner displays and learn about the technology.
Organizers emphasized educational and financial benefits: officials said young visitors will see the technology in daily use and that the system is expected to lower the center's electric bills over time. No specific dollar amounts for installation or projected savings were provided during the event.
The ceremony included acknowledgements for center staff and members of the Davidson family for whom the facility is named. Attendees were invited to stay for demonstrations from Solar Alliance and KUB and to ask staff about the new system.
Patience Melnick, the city's director of sustainability, told the audience that panels installed above the gym and pool will send power to a nearby battery and then into the building. "After today, you'll be able to say my rec center is powered by the sunshine," Melnick said, explaining the system can store excess daytime production and draw on the battery or the grid when needed.
The U.S. Department of Energy provided the funding for the project, organizers said, and private contractor Solar Alliance installed the rooftop arrays. Representatives from the Knoxville Utilities Board were on site as a partner on the project.
A short video played during the event described the installation as a grid-tied battery project, meaning the solar panels, battery and utility work together to meet the center's demand. The presentation noted the city has set a goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions 50% by 2030 and said the center is the city's seventh rooftop solar array and the first located on a community center.
Mayor Kem Canes invited kindergarten and first-grade students to help with a countdown before flipping a ceremonial switch. "Now it's all power from the sun. Thank you guys so much," the mayor said after the crowd cheered. Event hosts then confirmed the building had switched from the previous utility supply to the new system and encouraged attendees to visit partner displays and learn about the technology.
Organizers emphasized educational and financial benefits: officials said young visitors will see the technology in daily use and that the system is expected to lower the center's electric bills over time. No specific dollar amounts for installation or projected savings were provided during the event.
The ceremony included acknowledgements for center staff and members of the Davidson family for whom the facility is named. Attendees were invited to stay for demonstrations from Solar Alliance and KUB and to ask staff about the new system.
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