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Great Lakes Energy News

March 2020

GLREA News
 
Michigan Senate Energy & Technology Committee is holding hearings on the Powering Michigan Forward legislative package (SB 596, 597, and 598).  The bills would eliminate the 1% cap on distributed generation systems and establish a new program for small scale or distributive energy solar by establishing a new “Fair Value Tariff” that factors in all the benefits of solar.
 
On Feb. 11, the hearing room was packed with solar energy supporters and the bill sponsors, Sen. Barrett (SB 596), Sen. McBroom (SB 597), and Sen. Irwin (SB 598) first spoke in support of their bills.  The Senators talked about how the present Distributed Generation tariff is unfair to solar owners and how the 1% ceiling would devastate the solar industry in Michigan.  The Senators were followed by 4 representatives of the solar industry who discussed how solar energy has been creating new, good-paying jobs and how the 1% ceiling will put an end to the fastest growing field for new jobs. 
 
A second hearing was held on Feb. 25 and representatives of Consumers Energy and DTE made presentations.  A third hearing on March 3 will include a presentation by the MPSC.  A fourth hearing will be held on March 10, 2:00-3:00 (Connie Binsfield Buiding, 201 Townsend St., Rm 1100).  John Freeman, GLREA Executive Director, and Mike Linsea, Solar Winds, are scheduled to speak at that session.
 
Michigan News
 
MPSC has sent DTE back to the drawing board on its plans for generating electricity over the next 15 years, citing a lack of competitive bidding and other problems identified through the IRP process. (Case No. U-20471). The Commission indicated DTE would need to submit a request for proposals (RFP) for new electric generation resources before the IRP could be approved. The Commission called for DTE to reach annual energy savings goals of 1.75% in 2020 and 2% in 2021, on par with the level approved for Consumers Energy. DTE had proposed 1.65% and 1.75%. The Commission also found that DTE’s plans to not retire the coal-fired Belle River power plant until 2029-2030 were inadequately justified. GLREA was an intervenor in the case.  More details.
 
MSU Board of Trustees has voted 7-0 to pursue a 10-year power purchase agreement for the construction of a 20 MW solar array on 100 acres on the south campus.  The array is expected to save $27 million over the next 25 years.  MSU already has a 10 MW solar carport array on campus. Campus annual electric use from solar power will go from 7% to 20%. More details
 
Michigan Interfaith Power & Light and Consumers Energy are partnering to offer faith communities an energy saving opportunity. Light the Way offers faith communities with Consumers electric or gas service free energy upgrades and a walk-through energy assessment. On average, participating congregations receive more than $1,000 in free upgrades and are saving $500+ on annual energy expenses. In addition, congregations who host an energy efficiency workshop by Consumers Energy can earn up to $5,000 over a 90-day period by encouraging congregant members, friends and family to sign-up to receive a complementary Home Energy Analysis. These programs are available for a limited time. For more information, visit www.michiganipl.org or contact Jennifer Young at (248) 463-8811 or projectmanager@miipl.org.
 
MPSC has approved a settlement agreement on the integrated resource plan (IRP) of Upper Peninsula Power Co. (UPPCO).  Under the agreement, UPPCO will remove from its IRP, pending further study and analysis, plans for a natural gas reciprocating internal combustion engine, increase its energy waste reduction target to 1.65% for 2020 and 1.75% for 2021 (1.5% was proposed), and proceed with a 125 MW power purchase agreement on a proposed solar facility. An UPPCO IRP issue brief can be found here.
 
EGLE has announced that Robert Jackson, Assistant Division Director in the Materials Management Division at EGLE, is the next Energy Ombudsman. Jackson will be the contact for small businesses and individuals looking to resolve energy issues, problems or disputes. He also will monitor issues such as renewable energy, energy efficiency, combined heat and power, distributed generation, and on-bill financing to keep stakeholders appraised of developments.

Wind Power is dominating renewable energy production in Michigan, while energy waste reduction efforts saved nearly 1.5 million MWH and almost 5 million cubic feet of natural gas in 2018, according to two annual reports from the MPSC.  Utility-scale wind turbines accounted for 70% of the roughly 3,100 MW of renewable energy capacity in 2018.  Hydro was unchanged at 12%, landfill gas was 5%, solar at 4%, municipal solid waste at 3%, and biomass at 6%. $333 million spent on energy waste reduction is expected to save customers nearly $1.1 billion in utility costs over 12 years. For every $1 spent on waste-reduction programs in 2018, customers should save $3.18.  More details
 
Renewable Energy Zoning Database is now available from EGLE. The database was developed in collaboration with the UM Graham Sustainability Institute.  Over half of Michigan’s more than 1,800 municipalities have considered renewable energy in their zoning ordinances. The renewable energy zoning database is the first compilation of all renewable energy ordinances across the state and the first database of its kind in the nation.

Beyond Michigan
 
ISP Solar, a Canadian solar product developer, introduced its ‘Intensifying Solar Panels’ at Intersolar.  ISP’s technology has conic mirrors that intensify the sun’s rays 20-times. The ISP module incorporates single-junction monocrystalline silicon with improved collector resistance, a large bus conductor and conic reflective troughs. The product is expected to begin delivery in summer 2020.  More details
 
Researchers at South Korea’s Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology have been searching for a way to create windows that can harvest the Sun’s energy. The team discovered that if they punched tiny holes into crystalline silicon cells, in patterns undetectable to the human eye, they could render them as transparent as tinted glass.  Traditional solar cells achieve 20% efficiency, while these new cells manage 12%, substantially better than the 3 to 4% achieved by other transparent cells. More details
 
Energy Storage provider Yotta Energy has designed a 1 kWh battery to be mounted under rooftop solar modules.  Ten years ago, the idea of putting a microinverter or optimizer behind a rooftop solar panel was a stretch. Today, module-level panel electronics enjoy an 80% market share in the U.S. residential solar market.  Texan company Yotta believes batteries are headed in the same direction. The business is deploying a 52 lb, 1 kWh lithium iron-phosphate battery on the solar module racking.  More details
 
Events
 
MEECA (Michigan Energy Efficiency Contractors Assoc.) 6th Annual Banquet & Awards Celebration will be held on March 12, 5:30-9:00 pm at the Kellogg Center, MSU.  This year the keynote speaker will be Tremaine Phillips, Michigan’s newest MPSC commissioner.  More details
 
Solar Storage Informational Training will be held on March 12, 8:45-11:30 am at CBS Solar, 16880 Front St., Copemish.  Tesla Power Wall possibilities will be discussed. To sign up, call 231-378-2936 or email vicki@cbssolar.com
 
The NetZero Build Summit will be held at the Suburban Collection Showplace in Novi on March 25-26. The Summit will facilitate networking within the sustainable building community and allow the latest projects to be showcased.
 
Solar Basics for Homeowners, sponsored by MEO, will be held on March 26, 6:00-7:00 pm at the E.L. Public Library, 950 Abbot Rd.  John Sarver, GLREA board member, will talk about solar basics, things to consider before buying a solar system, community solar option, and resources available to help the potential solar owner.
 
Lean & Green Michigan will host the Southeast Michigan PACE Summit, April 15, 10:00am - 2:00pm at the Ann Arbor SPARK Headquarters in downtown Ann Arbor, 330 E Liberty St.
 
Michigan EIBC’s 8th Annual Energy Innovators Conference will be held April 22, 8:30-5:00 at the Kellogg Hotel & Conference Center in East Lansing. The event brings together leaders in Michigan’s advanced energy industry, utility executives, policymakers, regulators and others. 
 
Join ASES at SOLAR 20/20: Renewable Energy Vision, June 23-26 at George Washington University in Washington D.C. ASES looks forward to seeing everyone with an interest in clean energy and a new renewable economy. Denis Hayes, President of the Bullitt Foundation and National Coordinator of the first Earth Day in 1970, will be a keynote speaker. Learn more and register at ases.org/conference.
 
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