Detroit Edison to build 500-kw solar system at Monroe County Comm College

Thursday, August 5, 2010 | Source: Metromode

Monroe County Community College will soon be home to a 500-kilowatt, $3-million photovoltaic renewable energy system to benefit both the college and customers of Detroit Edison.

The 20-year agreement will not only provide the utility's customers with renewable energy from the sun, but also give students at MCCC a chance to see live and up close just how renewable energy works. "We're supporting the educational initiatives of the college," says Detroit Edison marketing program manager Ray Zoia. "We're going to be providing them with access to the facility, for the purpose of educating students."

He also expects there will be a kiosk of information so students can see how the system works, how much energy it's generating, and other details. MCCC's system will generate enough energy to power about 100 homes in a year.

The system will be installed on the east side of campus and should be up and running by spring. It's part of Detroit Edison's pilot SolarCurrents program, which calls for photovoltaic systems to be installed on customer property or rooftops over the next five years. The goal is to generate 15 megawatts of electricity throughout Southeast Michigan.

The utility-owned energy program is new, but it's part of the overall renewable energy program that all utilities have to invest in. Zoia says the utility has funding for about 40-50 projects over the next five years through surcharges on customer bills for the purpose of renewable energy.

"This is part of our commitment to renewable energy," says media relations representative Len Singer. "The solar program is fairly new, but it's really encouraging to be seeing the kind of response that we're getting to be able to move forward."

Detroit Edison, a a subsidiary of DTE Energy, also recently announced that it is planning to build a 200-kilowatt, $1 million solar installation on the roof of a Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan parking structure in downtown Detroit.

In return for providing space for the utility-owned system, customers will get an annual payment or 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.

Source: Ray Zoia, Detroit Edison marketing program manager
Writer: Kristin Lukowski