Detroit Edison announced this week that is looking for several businesses and educational institutions with large rooftops or ground area to host solar energy installations that will provide renewable energy and reduce their energy bills.
The utility is starting another aspect of its pilot SolarCurrents program that calls for photovoltaic systems installed on customer rooftops or property to generate 15 megawatts of electricity throughout its Southeast Michigan service area over the next five years.
“SolarCurrents represents one of the largest distributed solar programs in the country, which will provide opportunities to the emerging solar manufacturing industry,” said Trevor Lauer, DTE Energy vice president of retail marketing. “The program also will encourage the development of new green energy projects by providing financial incentives to non-residential customers interested in solar energy systems.”
Detroit Edison plans to invest more than $100 million in the program, which requires customers to participate for 20 years. The solar energy systems will be owned, installed, operated and maintained by the utility. In return, customers will get an annual credit on their energy bill based on the system size, as well as a one-time, upfront construction payment to cover any inconvenience during installation.
The utility is accepting applications until April 29. Interested participants should own a facility with 15,000 square feet of unobstructed roof in good condition or a similarly sized area on the ground.
Detroit Edison continues to offer incentives to residential customers who install their own photovoltaic systems. For more information on both programs, visit dteenergy.com/solar.
Detroit Edison expects to invest nearly $2 billion in the coming years to add more than 1,200 MW of renewable energy to meet the state’s renewable energy goals. In addition to the solar installations, the company plans to acquire or build wind farms and other green energy facilities for half of that capacity, and contract with third party vendors for the rest.
Detroit Edison is an investor-owned electric utility serving 2.1 million customers in Southeastern Michigan and a subsidiary of DTE Energy (NYSE:DTE), a Detroit-based diversified energy company involved in the development and management of energy-related businesses and services nationwide.
More at www.dteenergy.com.
Source: WWJ Newsradio 950