Consumers Energy, SunPower launch rooftop solar pilot program in Michigan
Consumers Energy and SunPower Corp. on Friday launched the Solar Distributed Generation (DG) Pilot, a new pilot program that offers Michigan residents an alternative energy option for generating their own power.
The public utility, which provides natural gas and electricity to 6.6 million Michigan residents in all 68 of the state’s Lower Peninsula counties, has partnered with the Silicon Valley-based solar power provider on the pilot program. It will allow customers to buy, own and install solar panels on the rooftops of their homes while having access to a full-service home solar solution.
Martin DeBono, SunPower’s executive vice president, said the company’s solar technology generates up to 60 percent more energy in the same space over the first 25 years compared to conventional panels.
Consumers Energy, which is the primary subsidiary of CMS Energy Corp., is responding to the growing interest among Michigan residents in generating their own solar energy.
“We’re rolling out new programs for Michigan residents as we all do our part for the environment,” Dennis Dobbs, Consumers Energy’s vice president of enterprise project management, engineering and services, said in a statement.
The Solar DG Pilot – which is limited and runs through Dec. 31, 2018 – provides residential customers with a customized packaged to get started, from the initial in-home assessment all the way through to the final rooftop installation, which would be handled by certified SunPower contractors. The package includes installation options, long-term financing, and 25-year power and product warranty information, among other items.
Specifically, people who joined the Solar DG Pilot would earn bill credits when they generate more electricity than they need; continue receiving electricity from Consumers Energy when they aren’t generating electricity; and own their own solar system. A solar panel warranty is available and would cover the replacement, shipping and installation “if something comes up,” according to the companies.
Customers also are free to buy solar DG equipment, installation, financing and maintenance services from other companies rather than the Solar DG Pilot, the companies’ pilot program website says. They also noted that the Solar DG Pilot program is not regulated by the Michigan Public Service Commission (PSC).
“We look forward to supporting a sustainable energy future in Michigan through this program,” said SunPower’s DeBono.
Utility on a roll
Last month, Consumers Energy said it plans to spend nearly $440 million this year to modernize its natural gas system via infrastructure replacement, as well as growth and pipeline integrity projects.
For example, roughly $75 million will be spent on 40 improvement projects and replacing 67 miles of pipe with plastic and steel. Additional work includes the $120-million, first-phase of construction on the Saginaw Trail Pipeline, a project expected to top $600 million over five years to replace 78 miles of transmission line.
Also in May, Consumers Energy, which plans to spend about $18 billion over the next decade to improve service, asked the PSC to approve a green energy tariff to meet the renewable energy needs of various companies in Michigan having massive data centers.
The tariff would allow companies to lock in prices for extended periods of time. Initial participation in the proposed Consumers Energy tariff would be five years with a three-year minimum re-enrollment. The PSC’s review is expected to take about six months.
And last year, the utility reduced its carbon footprint by 25 percent when it closed seven coal plants across Michigan’s Lower Peninsula. The company also has renewable energy options for customers that include its Solar Gardens community solar and trademarked Green Generation programs.
