A very important rate case with Consumers Energy is currently before the MI Public Service Commission. This case (U-20697) will determine what the new ‘net-metering’ credit will be for homeowners and business that sell extra solar generated electricity back to Consumers. Under the current law established in 2008, the amount that a homeowner would receive was the retail rate at around 15 cents per kWh. But under the new law enacted in 2016, each utility in Michigan must go through a MPSC rate case to establish a new amount, called the Distributed Energy Tariff.
GLREA Annual Meeting on Saturday, Dec. 8 will provide the latest insights into what is happening with renewable energy in Michigan. Pre-meeting workshops from 10-12 will include Julie Baldwin, MPSC, discussing what DTE has proposed to replace net metering and Dave Strenski, SolarYpsi, discussing how communities can expand solar energy. The meeting will start at noon and include a panel that will share perspectives from the utility, private, and rural sectors on the development and growth of renewable energy in Michigan. Ms. Patti Poppe, President and CEO Consumers Energy, will provide comments toward the end of the meeting. The meeting will also include a GLREA update, solar property tax update, awards, and election of new board members. There will be time for networking too. Registration is $20. All are welcome. Please pre-register at www.glrea.org.
GLREA Annual Meeting will be held on Saturday, December 8, 10:00 – 3:30 at the Freighthouse (see photo), 100 Market Pl., Ypsilanti. In the morning there will be two pre-meeting workshops, “Expanding Solar in your Community – the Ypsilanti Model” and “DTE’s Distributed Generation Tariff.” Dave Strenski will discuss how Ypsilanti has grown from zero to over a MW of solar power in the past 13 years. Julie Baldwin, MPSC, will discuss what DTE has proposed to replace net metering.
The meeting will start at noon and include lunch, GLREA report, panel on solar energy in Michigan, solar property tax update, and GLREA awards. The panel will include Ken Zebarah, Harvest Energy, Charles Gould, MSU Extension Education Director, Dave Shiflett, Geronimo Energy, Teresa Hatcher, Consumers Energy Director of Renewable Energy, and James Harrison, Utility Workers Union of America. There will be time for networking too. Registration is $20. All are welcome. Please pre-register at www.glrea.org.
GLREA encourages you to email us photos of your renewable energy system. We are collecting them to show on a continuous loop at our annual meeting on December 8th in Ypsilanti. Meeting attendees will be able to see renewable energy systems from all over Michigan. Attend the meeting and point out your own system. We are also holding a best photo contest with winners announced at the meeting. To send your photo for display at the GLREA Annual Meeting, just email it to konkle@toast.net. If you want to enter the photo contest, contact Dave Konkle at konkle@toast.net and request the entry guidelines. All photos must be received by December 1st.
Michigan News
Senate Finance Committee has voted HB 5143 and HB 5680 to the Senate floor where action by the full Senate is expected in November. Taxes on solar panels are currently assessed inconsistently across the state and this legislation is necessary to avoid the patchwork system of interpretation and enforcement. HB 5143 exempts behind-the-meter distributed energy generation systems from real property taxes. HB 5680 adds alternative energy systems to the list of repairs and household upgrades that are not considered when determining the true cash value of a property for assessment purposes, until the property is sold.
MPSC Distributed Generation Report shows that the number of individual installations producing electric power under Michigan’s distributed generation (DG) program grew by nearly 28% last year. The number of projects in the DG program increased from 2,684 in 2016 to 3,427 in 2017. The program’s total capacity increased by 35% to 29,571 kW. Solar energy comprises 93% of projects and 97% of customers have projects that are up to 20 kW.
Consumers Energy President and CEO Patti Poppe has announced that the company is now buying or leasing electric vehicles instead of purchasing new gasoline sedans. Consumers Energy expects to replace over 100 sedans with EV’s over the next 5 years. Poppe and a GM official also announced the start of a pilot program to test smart charging for EV owners allowing them to delay charging until overnight hours. More details.
IBEW Local 58, which represents more than 4,700 journeymen electricians in SE Michigan, operates the largest ZNE facility in the state. The union local has changed the name of their 33,000-sq.ft. building to Zero Net Energy Center. Originally built in 1964, the retrofitted union hall features a 600-panel PV array, geothermal system, more than 500 LED lights, energy efficient windows and doors, synthetic rubber roofing system, and structurally insulated panels for walls. Since the renovation, energy use has plummeted 76% and the union expects its annual electric bill to drop by nearly $57,000. On Sept. 5 this year, Gov. Snyder recognized IBEW Local 58’s work on the building with a Governor’s Energy Excellence Award. More details.
PURPA Decision by the MPSC was issued on October 5. The MPSC ruled that avoided costs determined in Case No. U-18090 last November for Consumers Energy can go into effect. However, full avoided cost payments are only guaranteed for the first 150 MW of projects in the utility’s interconnection queue (as determined by filing date). The MPSC decided that Consumers Energy’s need for additional capacity beyond those 150 MW will be determined as part of the ongoing Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) case (U-20165). The MPSC also clarified and finalized the terms of the utility’s standard offer tariff.
Delta Solar Plant is fully operational. More than 86,000 solar panels in Delta Township now provide electricity to the Lansing Board of Water & Light. Delta Solar started generating power in late June and reached full capacity of 24 MW by August. It is the second largest solar field in Michigan. Only DTE Energy’s 45 MW plant in Lapeer is larger. Delta Solar is owned by CMS Enterprises who worked with goSolar (part of EDF Renewables) to build the power plant. LBWL has a 25-year power purchase agreement. LBWL plans to provide 30% clean energy by 2020 and 40% by 2030. More details.
Envirothon Team at Glen Lake Community Schools began working on solar power in fall of 2017. Science teacher Karen Richard has led the team for 19 years and her teams have won the state competition 8 times including in 2017 with the solar project. The team learned about the My Solar School Contest and received $500 for a fourth place finish. The students have proposed a 24-panel system mounted on the ground that would provide less than 1% of the school’s power, but could be used for a variety of educational purposes. More details.
Voluntary Green Pricing (VGP) programs from Consumers Energy have been authorized by the MPSC. The MPSC approved Consumers’ Solar Gardens program for residential customers (Case No. U-18351) and conditionally approved the Large Customer-Renewable Energy Program (LC-REP), but asked the utility to clarify language in the program tariff such as eligibility requirements. Consumers will be allowed to continue its current Green Generation program, which has 20,000 subscribers, but was ordered to close the program to new customers within 60 days. DTE will be allowed to continue operating its MIGreenPower pilot program until questions are resolved with the full-scale program (Case No. U-18352). Voluntary green pricing programs for smaller utilities were approved earlier by the MPSC.
Holland Energy Fund has reached the $1 million mark in loans to homeowners through the On-Bill Loan Program. Known as on-bill financing, the program provides residents with low, fixed-interest loans for energy efficiency upgrades that they repay through their electric bill. The loan program is the first like it in Michigan. In addition to the On-Bill Loan Program, Holland Energy Fund offers a 10% incentive on home energy upgrade projects costing $10,000 or more. HollandEnergyFund.com.
Michigan Conservative Energy Forum (MICEF) has recognized Rep. Tom Barrett as a “Conservative Clean Energy Champion” for his legislation to clarify property taxes on homeowners’ solar systems. Ed Rivet, MICEF Executive Director, has applauded the Senate Finance Committee’s bi-partisan, unanimous approval of HB 5143 and 5680 – “This legislation provides much-needed clarity to Michigan’s tax policy for solar installations, which is currently confusing and a deterrent to Michigan residents who want to lower their utility bills by generating their own electricity.” More details.
Beyond Michigan
Jackson-based Harvest Energy Solutions has opened a new location in Divernon, IL. Ribbon cutting festivities were held on Sept. 25 with the Greater Springfield Chamber of Commerce. Harvest has been serving residential, agricultural and commercial customers throughout the Midwest for over a decade. For more information visit www.harvestenergysolutions.com or call 217-628-1919.
One Million Electric Vehicles have been sold in the U.S. Electrification began in December 2010, when the first Nissan LEAFs and Chevrolet Volts were delivered. The industry is expected to grow even more rapidly in years to come, as large auto companies like GM and Ford bring even more attention to EV’s. More details.
LEGO has introduced its own version of a wind turbine – a 3 foot high structure made from 826 white plastic blocks. The blocks are the first to be manufactured from sugarcane rather than petroleum. The new sustainable bricks are not biodegradable but can be recycled into new bricks. LEGO has partnered with Vestas to create the wind turbine kit, which features three adjustable blades that rotate via a small electric motor. More details.
Economics of Zero-Energy Homes: Single Family Insights, a RMI report coauthored by Jacob Corvidae (former EcoWorks director), indicates that building single-family homes to zero-energy (ZE) or zero-energy ready (ZER) standards makes sense for longevity and economics. These homes currently make up less than 2% of the residential market, but their market share is growing. The report demonstrates that the cost increase to build a ZE or ZER home is modest (6–8%) and far less than consumers, builders, and policymakers realize. Jacob points out that “Building anything else today runs a risk of creating homes that will be seen as out-of-date in only five years.” More details.
Vestas has unveiled a gigantic 10 MW model that can power almost 6,000 German homes with blades the length of 9 double decker buses. Larger turbines could make offshore wind even more competitive. The turbines should be available for commercial deployment by 2021, when GE’s 12 MW model should also be available. More details.
Solar Energy Policy Update will be held at Michigan Energy Options in East Lansing on Tuesday, Nov. 13, 5:30-7:00 pm. John Krzystowczyk from Lansing Board of Water & Light will provide an update on the Burcham Park Community Solar project. Julie Baldwin, MPSC Renewable Energy Manager, will provide an update on the DTE Rate Case that includes a new proposed Distributed Generation tariff that would replace net metering for DTE customers and a proposed System Access Charge on customer-owned solar. Come and learn the latest about this very important rate case.
Solar Celebration, hosted by Vote Solar, GLREA, and MISUN, will be held on December 2 at Berrien Unitarian Universalist Fellowship in St. Joseph. Come join us to hear from Michigan businesses, homeowners, and churches who already benefit from solar. Enjoy snacks, see the solar installation, ask questions, and discuss how we can work together to expand solar access in Michigan.
This newsletter is free. If you would like to subscribe, send a note to johnsarver3@gmail.com. Interested in getting information on energy programs and issues more frequently, visit our Facebook page and “follow” us. Interested in supporting renewable energy and becoming a GLREA member, you can join here.
Michigan Solar Home & Sustainability Tour will be held this Saturday, October 6 as part of the ASES National Solar Home Tour. Tours are being held in 14 communities on Saturday, Oct. 6 (unless otherwise noted): Caro, Chelsea, Clarkston, Commerce, Detroit, Holland, Lansing, Laingsburg, Linden, Fowlerville (Oct 6 & 7), Riverdale, Saline, Traverse City, and Ypsilanti (Oct 7). You can find specifics at www.glrea.org.
GLREA is having a “Renewable Energy Photo Contest – 2018” with awards to be given out at our annual meeting in December. If you have a great picture of a renewable energy system or event, submit it. The rules are simple. The photo must have something to do with renewable energy and be taken in 2018. There will be two categories, one for business entries and one for individual entries. Photos must be submitted by November 30. To get a flyer, email Dave Konkle at konkle@toast.net.
Michigan News
Parker Village, a proposed “Smart Neighborhood” and Community Resource center, has commissioned its second solar installation at its campus in Highland Park. The collaborative project features a mural (see photo above) by up and coming artist, Waleed Johnson, who won an Art-Ops grant to produce it. The mural depicts the past of the city, but also incorporate images of what the planned future holds at Parker Village, including Renewable Energy, Technology, Aquaculture, Health, and Wellness. The installation will provide irrigation to the Aquaponics garden and a power station for charging tools, computers or phones. The project provided an opportunity for several youth to learn how to install solar. More details.
Michigan Energy Office (MEO) will provide financial support to qualified college teams competing in the 2019 U.S. DOE’s Solar Decathlon Design Challenge. Teams competing in the Design Challenge create residential or commercial building designs over one or two semesters. Up to 48 finalist teams are selected to compete at the Design Challenge Weekend, held annually in April at the National Renewable Energy Lab in Golden, CO. Teams may be reimbursed by MEO for up to $5,000 for registration fees, materials, and travel to NREL. Limited funding is available and will be awarded on a first-come basis. All teams must complete their team application by 5 p.m. on November 6. For more information on the competition, visit the website. Participating teams may apply for MEO sponsorship here.
Exelon Constellation will provide 100% renewable electricity to furniture supplier Herman Miller’s operations in Spring Lake, under a four-year deal. The power will come from the 59.4 MW Harvest 2 wind farm in Elkton and 25,000 MWHs of electricity will be delivered each year. The Spring Lake campus is responsible for about one quarter of Herman Miller’s global energy consumption. More details.
Heritage Sustainable Energy has executed an 80 MW wind power agreement with Senvion. Located in Delta County, the Garden II project will consist of 20 Senvion 4 MW turbines with a hub height of 82 meters. The installation of phases one and two will occur in 2019 and 2020, respectively. More details.
Consumers Energy’s first utility-scale battery facility can supply one hour of power to about 1,000 homes. Installed across the road from Consumer’s solar garden on WMU’s Parkview Campus, the one MWH battery will store power from the solar array. MSU consultants will study data generated at the facility to better understand the potential for battery storage and WMU engineering students will also have opportunities to participate in research. More details.
Beyond Michigan
California’s Legislature has passed a bill with a goal of 100% carbon-free electricity by 2045. The legislation also requires that utilities get 60% of their electricity from renewables by 2030, an increase from the previous 50% by 2030. While zero-carbon sources are not defined in the bill, lawmakers said nuclear and some types of large hydropower that wouldn’t count toward the renewables standard would be allowed. More details.
10,000 New Residential Solar+Storage systems have been installed in Puerto Rico since Hurricane Maria left more than three million without power a year ago. Those new installations nearly double the number of residential solar systems on the island. Few of the older systems were paired with batteries. More details.
German Startup Sono Motors is testing what it says will be the first affordable electric car that gets an added boost from sunlight. Sion says its solar boost is an extra 30 km, but that is based on assuming 8 hours of daily sunshine. Sono has developed a solar module with a high efficiency rate – 24%. The car, which will cost €16,000 ($18,300), plus €4,000 for the battery, is scheduled to hit the streets in 2019. The company plans to produce 200,000 Sions within the next 8 years. More details.
Researchers at University of Cambridge have used semi-artificial photosynthesis to develop new ways to use sunlight to split water into hydrogen and oxygen. Natural photosynthesis is not efficient because it makes the bare minimum amount of energy needed – around 1-2% of what it could potentially convert and store. Although artificial photosynthesis has been around for decades, it isn’t used for renewable energy because of its dependence on expensive and toxic catalysts. The new study is part of a growing field using enzymes instead of catalysts. More details.
USDA’s Rural Energy for American Program (REAP) has announced loan guarantee and grant deadlines. The deadlines to apply for grants are Oct. 31, 2018, and April 1, 2019. Applications for loan guarantees are accepted year-round. More details.
Solarize Meridian Workshop will be held on Saturday, Oct. 6, 8:30-10:45 amat the Meridian Township Hall, 5151 Marsh Rd., Okemos. Networking, coffee & bagels will go from 8:30-9:00 followed by presentations about Meridian Township’s new 20 kW ground mount system and Haslett Community Church’s 20 kW rooftop system. At 10:00 am there will be a tour of the township PV system and at 10:30 am there will be a tour of the church system.
Combined Heat & Power (CHP) Workshop, hosted by Michigan CAT Power Systems and DTE Energy, will be held on October 17, noon to 3 PM at Founders Brewery in Grand Rapids. This workshop to learn about CHP is for facility managers and business owners located in the DTE Gas service territory. A limited number of seats are available for non-DTE customers, consultants or contractors. Register at www.eventbright.com (search for DTE CHP) or contact James Leidel at 248.765.2027 or james.leidel@dteenergy.com.
Second Annual Sustainable Detroit Forum will be held on Oct 24th , 9 am-4 pm at the Wayne State Student Center. The day will include presentations on Detroit projects, keynote speakers, vendor displays, and time to meet with friends and colleagues. Register here.
This newsletter is free. If you would like to subscribe, send a note to johnsarver3@gmail.com. Interested in getting information on energy programs and issues more frequently, visit our Facebook page and “follow” us. Interested in supporting renewable energy and becoming a GLREA member, you can join here.
Michigan Solar Home & Sustainability Tour will be held on Saturday, October 6 as part of the American Solar Energy Society’s (ASES) National Solar Home Tour. The Tour is the world’s largest grassroots solar event. The Great Lakes Renewable Energy Assoc., the state chapter of ASES, assists volunteer coordinators who organize community tours that you can attend. Tours are being held in 13 communities on Saturday, Oct. 6 (unless otherwise noted): Caro, Chelsea, Clarkston, Commerce Twp, Detroit, Holland, Lansing, Linden, Fowlerville (Oct 6 & 7), Riverdale, Saline, Traverse City, and Ypsilanti (Oct 7). You can find specifics at www.glrea.org.More
GLREA is announcing a “Renewable Energy Photo Contest – 2018” with awards to be given at our annual meeting in December. If you have a great picture of a renewable energy system or event, submit it. Fame and fortune may be yours! The rules are simple. The photo must have something to do with renewable energy and be taken in 2018. There will be two categories, one for business entries and one for individual entries. To get a flyer with all the rules along with directions on submitting your prize winning photos, email Dave Konkle at konkle@toast.net.More
Energy Sustainability & Tech Fair cosponsored by Soulardarity, Parker Village, and GLREA was held in Highland Park on May 12. The format for the one-day event was five sessions that addressed different issues concerning renewable energy, environmental justice and technology. An evening reception with music was held at the Parker Village development. Over 100 people attended on a day of drenching rain. This Energy Fair was the first GLREA has cosponsored in the Highland Park/Detroit area and was a great success that we can build upon in the future.More
Clean Energy, Healthy Michigan has reached an agreement with DTE and Consumers Energy to end a ballot initiative to require the companies to get 30% of their energy from renewable sources by 2030. The deal commits the companies to a 50% clean energy standard by 2030. The agreement specifically calls for the utilities to get 25% of their energy from renewables by 2030 and another 25 percent from reductions in energy use. John Freeman, campaign manager for Clean Energy, Healthy Michigan and GLREA Executive Director, said the agreement builds on a 35% clean energy goal that was part of energy reforms signed by Gov. Snyder in late 2016. “We think this is a much firmer commitment,” Freeman said. “The thing that makes this deal strong is that the utilities have committed to integrate these goals in their IRP plans.” Next month Consumers Energy files its integrated resource plan with the PSC. DTE will file its plan with the MPSC early next year. More details.
Clean Energy, Healthy Michigan has reached an agreement with energy companies that will make the state a leader in clean energy. Clean Energy, Healthy Michigan joined DTE Energy and Consumers Energy in announcing the energy companies will target a goal of at least 50 percent clean energy by 2030, to be achieved through a combination of investments in at least 25 percent renewable energy, and the remaining through energy efficiency. The agreement will represent an increase in the use of clean energy in Michigan.
Inviting you to a Conference Call
John Freeman, the Executive Director of GLREA and the Campaign Manager for the Clean Energy, Healthy Michigan ballot campaign will be holding a Conference Call on Thursday, May 10th at 11:00 am to explain the campaign and how you could help. The call in number is (515) 604-9930 and the access code is 897169#.More
GLREA Annual Meeting on Saturday, Dec. 8 will provide the latest insights into what is happening with renewable energy in Michigan. Pre-meeting workshops from 10-12 will include Julie Baldwin, MPSC, discussing what DTE has proposed to replace net metering and Dave Strenski, SolarYpsi, discussing how communities can expand solar energy. The meeting will start at noon and include a panel that will share perspectives from the utility, private, and rural sectors on the development and growth of renewable energy in Michigan. Ms. Patti Poppe, President and CEO Consumers Energy, will provide comments toward the end of the meeting. The meeting will also include a GLREA update, solar property tax update, awards, and election of new board members. There will be time for networking too. Registration is $20. All are welcome. Please pre-register at 
GLREA News
Clean Energy, Healthy Michigan has reached an agreement with energy companies that will make the state a leader in clean energy. Clean Energy, Healthy Michigan joined DTE Energy and Consumers Energy in announcing the energy companies will target a goal of at least 50 percent clean energy by 2030, to be achieved through a combination of investments in at least 25 percent renewable energy, and the remaining through energy efficiency. The agreement will represent an increase in the use of clean energy in Michigan.