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Solar power in Michigan has been growing in recent years due to new technological improvements and a variety of regulatory actions and financial incentives, particularly a 30% federal tax credit, available through 2016, for any size project.

In 2002, Stanford R. Ovshinsky built a factory in Auburn Hills, Michigan to build low cost Uni-Solar panels using amorphous semiconductors that generate power in diffuse light. Uni-Solar became the second largest manufacturer of thin film solar cells, after First Solar, and a developer of solar shingles before going bankrupt in 2012. Michigan was ranked 14th among U.S. states for solar jobs in 2013.

In July 2012, Michigan's largest rooftop array, 977.6 kW, was installed in Canton on the IKEA store. Ford Motor Company and DTE Energy built the largest solar plant in the state, a 1.04MW solar car port at Ford's world headquarters in Dearborn, Michigan in 2015 In spring 2015, DTE began construction of a 1.1MW solar farm at Domino's Farms near Ann Arbor. The Ikea store announced an expansion of its existing array in 2015 to bring it to 1.2MW. A 1.4 MW solar farm is planned by American Municipal Power at a brownfield site in Coldwater and expected to be online in 2016.

Fort Custer began construction in May 2015 of a 0.25MW solar farm with plans for a second 0.3MW farm later. This is part of the U.S. military's renewable energy goals of 25% renewables by 2025. Camp Grayling has a small 0.02MW installation on one building roof while Selfridge Air National Guard Base had no solar power by 2014.

The Lansing Board of Water and Light is planning a 20MW project that would almost double the amount of solar power in the state. In September 2015, Michigan State University approved solar car ports that would cover 5 parking lots and have a total of 10 MW of power.

Government policy

The Government of Michigan has taken a variety of actions in order to encourage solar energy use within the state.

Net metering

The state has a net metering program that allows installations of up to 20 kW of on-site electrical generation to continuously roll over any excess generation to the next month. Participation is limited to 0.75% of utilities peak demand the prior year. Peak demand for the state for 2011 was 21,477 MW.

Renewable portfolio standard

The state adopted a Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) in 2008 which requires that 10% of Michigan's electricity come from renewable resources by 2015. This standard was met mostly by wind power. A program to add 2 MW of solar by Consumers Energy customers was reached in two weeks, and the state directed the company to offer another 2 MW at a cost not to exceed $20 million.

Installed capacity

Largest systems

Systems of 0.5 MW and larger

See also

• List of power stations in Michigan
• Solar power in the United States
• Renewable energy in the United States
• Wind power in Michigan

References

1. Functionality of the UNI-SOLAR® PV Cells
2. Thin Film Solar Firms
3. UNI-SOLAR Brand Debuts First Ever, UL-Approved, Standard-Production Residential Solar Module Roof Shingle
4. State Solar Jobs, the Solar Foundation
5. Mich.'s Largest Solar Array Plugged In Atop IKEA
6. DTE plans big solar power project with Domino's Farms in Ann Arbor Township, Crain's Business Detroit, Jay, Greene, May 15, 2015
7. Ford, DTE Energy to build Michigan's largest solar array, DTE, Aug 14, 2014
8. Michigan's largest solar panel installation taking shape outside Ann Arbor, mlive.com, Ryan Stanton, May 14, 2015
9. IKEA to Increase Size of Michigan’s Largest Rooftop Solar Array by Approximately 25% Atop Detroit-Area Store in Canton, MI, Business Wire, December 03, 2014
10. Solar farm could begin construction in August, The Daily Reporter, July 17, 2015
11. More than 700 solar panels installed at Fort Custer Training Center, mlive, May 15, 2015
12. Planned project would nearly double Michigan’s solar capacity, Midwest Energy News, Andy Balaskovitz, March 11, 2015
13. MSU trustees approve largest solar array in Michigan, Detroit Free Press, from Lansing State Journal, RJ Wolcott, September 11, 2015
14. "Michigan - Net Metering". Retrieved 2012-05-23.
15. Semiannual Projections of Energy Supply and Demand Winter Outlook 2011- 2012
16. "Renewable Energy Standard". 2007-07-03. Retrieved 2012-05-23.
17. Michigan PSC Directs Consumers Energy to Expand Solar Program
18. Sherwood, Larry (August 2012). "U.S. Solar Market Trends 2011" (PDF). Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC). p. 16. Retrieved 2012-08-16.
19. Sherwood, Larry (June 2011). "U.S. Solar Market Trends 2010" (PDF). Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC). p. 20. Retrieved 2011-06-29.
20. Sherwood, Larry (July 2010). "U.S. Solar Market Trends 2009" (PDF). Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC). p. 23. Retrieved 2010-07-28.
21. Sherwood, Larry (July 2009). "U.S. Solar Market Trends 2008" (PDF). Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC). p. 16. Retrieved 2010-07-24.
22. Sherwood, Larry (July 2012). "U.S. Solar Market Trends 2012" (PDF). Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC). p. 16. Retrieved 2013-10-11.
23. Sherwood, Larry (July 2014). "U.S. Solar Market Trends 2013" (PDF). Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC). Retrieved 2014-09-26.
24. Michigan’s Largest Solar Array Now Plugged In Atop Ikea Canton, CBS Detroit, July 10, 2012
26. DTE is busy growing solar panel field beside I-96, DetroitFree Press, March 10, 2014
27. DTE Energy SolarCurrents Utility-Owned Program Aggregate Output, accessed July 11, 2012

External links

• Incentives and policies
• Solar Ypsi

• Solar power in the United States by state
• Economy of Michigan
• Energy in Michigan