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.
Over 100 solar advocates were in Lansing on Feb. 19 to meet with legislators about the DTE proposed distributed generation tariff and pending legislation to exempt residential solar systems from property taxes. Sponsored by GLREA, Vote Solar, Sierra Club, and Michigan Interfaith Power & Light, the event was a great opportunity to meet with state legislators (many are new) and inform them about the many benefits of solar energy. More details and video.
Board Officers were elected at the January board meeting. Melanie McCoy, Superintendent of Sebewaing Light and Water, is the new President. Dave Konkle served as President for almost 3 years and continues as a Board member. Mark Clevey continues as Vice-President, Cary Church continues as Treasurer and John Sarver continues as Secretary. GLREA will continue to promote and advocate for a greater use of renewable energy and your support will help make that possible. You can join on-line at www.glrea.org.
Michigan News
State Legislation to clarify taxation of solar panels has been introduced in the Michigan House (HB 4068 and HB 4069) by Rep. Bronna Kahle and in the Michigan Senate (SB 47 and SB 48) by Sen. Tom Barrett. The bills have the same intent and language as HB 5143 and HB 5680 that were passed by the House and Senate in 2018, but vetoed by Governor Snyder.
Governor Whitmer will be able to appoint two new commissioners to the Michigan Public Service Commission. Rachael Eubanks has left the MPSC and been appointed by Gov. Whitmer to become the State Treasurer. Norman Saari’s term as a commissioner ends on July 2, 2019. Sally Talberg, the third commissioner and present Chair, was appointed in 2017 to a new term which ends July 2, 2021. The change in the composition of the MPSC could have a significant impact on energy policy in Michigan.
Michigan’s Largest Solar Project, 239 MW, has been approved by the Shiawassee County Planning Commission. A special use permit that will allow the proposed $259 million development was unanimously approved by county planners on Jan 24. Construction will cover more than 1200 acres in Hazelton and Venice townships and start late this year. The Ranger Power project will use east-west tracking solar panels and will produce enough power for 35,000 typical homes. More details
Michigan Public Service Commission (MPSC) has authorized Consumers Energy to launch the state’s first electric vehicle infrastructure pilot program. Consumers will launch its PowerMIDrive pilot program, a three-year, $10 million effort to support the growing EV market through new rates, rebates and customer education. The program includes a Nighttime Savers Rate to encourage EV drivers to charge their vehicles between 7 p.m. and 6 a.m. Residential EV drivers who sign up for the nighttime rate will be offered a $500 rebate for each EV. Consumers will also offer $5,000 rebates for chargers installed in public areas and up to $70,000 in rebates for the installation of a DC Fast Charger.
State Energy Laws passed in 2016 include a new distributed generation (DG) program to replace Michigan’s existing net metering program. General rate cases filed by utilities after June 1, 2018 include proposed DG tariffs. DTE filed their rate case soon after June 1 and consequently a DG tariff for DTE customers is expected in Spring 2019. Consumers Energy filed a rate case before June 1, 2018 and that has recently been settled. That settlement agreement includes a provision that a new rate case will not be filed until after Jan. 1, 2020. This means that a new DG tariff for Consumers Energy customers is not expected until October 2020. Customers can enroll in the existing net metering program until a utility has a new DG tariff and be grandfathered for 10 years.
SolarYpsi has won a Smart 50 Award. In partnership with Smart Cities Connect, Smart Cities Connect Foundation, and US Ignite, the awards annually recognize global smart city projects honoring innovative and influential work. SolarYpsi partnered with Chart House Energy to train local, low income, residents on how to install solar power and then hired them to put solar on the roof of a community center and the City’s Department of Public Services Truck port. More details.
DTE Electric’s Large Customer Voluntary Green Pricing Program (Case No. U-20343) has been approved by the MPSC. The minimum participation is 20% of monthly energy use, up to 100% and there will be 5, 10, or 20 year contracts. Participating customers will pay a per kWh subscription fee priced at the levelized cost of energy of the renewable assets associated with the Program. The pricing for the initial contracts is expected to be below $45/MWH. DTE Electric said power for the program will be available in late 2020 and costs will be set when renewable energy projects come online, but customers can already enroll in the program.
East Lansing Solar Park became operational on Dec. 28. The $600,000 community solar project located at Burcham Park is the first of its kind for the Lansing Board of Water and Light. The BWL partnered with Michigan Energy Options and Pivot Energy. About 144 customers have signed 25-year leases for one or more of the 1000 315-watt solar panels. The customers paid $399 per panel and will get utility bill credits for the power produced by their panel(s). The City of East Lansing and Capital Area Transportation Authority are major investors, leasing 300 and 189 panels, respectively. More details
One Year Later – MSU’s solar carport array has been working great. Local TV station provides a short video update. More details.
Grand Rapids’ West Side now has 1800 solar panels installed (see photo above) atop Bridge St. Market, an accompanying parking garage, and an adjacent building that houses the West Michigan Center for Arts & Technology. Consumers Energy hosted a dedication ceremony for the $5 million project that will include a nearby 500 kW battery. The combination of solar panels and battery is the first of its kind in a neighborhood setting in Michigan. More details
Beyond Michigan
Swedish 172-Unit Housing Complex will meet all of its electricity and heating needs year-round through a combination of rooftop solar and hydrogen fuel cells. The fully energy self-sufficient apartment complex will use 659 kW of solar to meet the summer energy needs of its residents and store up compressed hydrogen, which will then be converted back to electricity and heat during the cold winter months. More details.
World’s Largest Roofing manufacturing company has launched a startup called GAF Energy that’s focused on bringing solar power to new roofing projects in the U.S. According to Standard Industries, around five million homes are reroofed every year, but only 300,000 of those homeowners opt to install solar panels. GAF Energy will work with local contractors to take care of the installation logistics. More details.
Copenhagen plans to become the first carbon neutral city in the world by 2025. Some 22% of Denmark’s electricity is produced by wind turbines, but the country intends to increase that proportion to 50% by 2025. The city has greatly increased the efficiency of its public and older residential buildings. Copenhagen is making the city bicycle-friendly and hoping to account for 75% of trips inside the city by bicycle. The remaining automobiles and buses will be electric or hydrogen. More details.
Council of the District of Columbia has passed the “Clean Energy DC Omnibus Act of 2018.” The legislation requires that 100 percent of the electricity sold in the District come from renewables by 2032. It also sets annual solar targets for every year through 2041. More details.
Events
2019 Michigan Climate Action Summit will be held by the Michigan Climate Action Network at the Eberhard Center in Grand Rapids on Feb. 21, 9am-5pm. The Summit will bring together climate advocates, activists, and policymakers to set a bold new agenda for Michigan to move forward on climate. More details.
SOLAR 2019 Conference “Race to Renewables” will be held on August 5-9 in Minneapolis. ASES believes that supplying 100% of America’s electricity with renewable energy is not only possible but urgently needed. ASES represents the scientists, educators, and activists who can provide renewable energy technologies and solutions for climate action that will have an impact within the next five years. SOLAR 2019 will focus on those strategies.
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.
Over 130 persons attended the GLREA Annual Meeting on Dec. 8 in Ypsilanti. Dave Strenski started the day talking about his approach to educating people on solar in Ypsilanti (hear presentation & see slides at:https://youtu.be/dUybW_Xo8gU). Julie Baldwin, MPSC, discussed the distributed energy tariff that DTE has proposed. Ken Zebarah of Harvest Energy moderated the afternoon panel session of Charles Gould, Dave Shiflett, Teresa Hatcher and Jim Harrison, all experts in their field of energy. The meeting finished up with a presentation and discussion by Patti Poppe, CEO of Consumers Energy. She shared how she is transitioning Consumers from a traditional utility to one that embraces renewable energy.
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