Looking at the Michigan sky in winter, you wouldn't necessarily think that solar power would be a great option for this state. In fact, Michigan gets significantly more sun than Germany, which has nationally added many killowatt hours of energy via solar panels (read a 2007 Washington Post article on the trend in Germany). A couple of weeks ago, I listened in on a press conference with the Michigan Sierra Club about the potential for solar energy here in Michigan.
One of the major points emphasized by the folks from Michigan and Wisconsin Sierra Clubs who were conducting the press event was that the value of solar energy is not just in the amount produced. Instead, solar energy is potentially valuable because when it is produced-- sunny, sometimes hot weather in the middle of the day-- is also the time when energy demands (and thus costs) are highest.
Now, at those times that energy demand is highest, we move from our normal energy providers (currently in the mix is a lot of coal energy and a few other producers) to more expensive energy, namely natural gas.These groups argue that moving to solar power at those times would be a much smarter and more cost-effective choice.
The group also pointed out that the current model of energy production does not necessarily value the volatility of pricing on natural resources like coal and natural gas (prices on these resources will eventually go up, as we have a limited amount of these). The costs for solar energy, on the other hand, are heavily weighted toward the construction and initial placement of solar panels, then the costs after panels are installed are very low.
It seemed that the Michigan Sierra Club was pushing for solar because of the successes of their partner group, the Wisconsin Sierra Club. They had asked Wisconsin utilities to meet the increasing energy demand (the increase was about 2% per year) with only solar energy. The Wisconsin Sierra Club argued that if the utilities did that they would see a three to one profit margin on their investment because of tax credits and incentives offered in the state as well as avoided fuel costs (no one has yet managed to charge for sunlight). This project was very successful in Wisconsin.
So is this a possibility for Michigan? Certainly we have enough sunlight to produce solar energy (believe me, after living through a mere three winters, that's hard for me to believe too). What about infrastructure and incentives?
Here are a few other viewpoints on solar energy's prospects in Michigan:
- Here's what Source Watch says about Solar Energy in Michigan
- Here's what the Governor's office has to say about the development of alternative energy in the state: Download Alternative_Energy_223194_7
- And here's one of those nifty solar energy incentives-- a buyback plan from Consumers' Energy One Michigan Solar Energy Incentive
- This is by no means an exhaustive list--but instead is just a taste of what's out there about solar energy and Michigan. If you have links to other good articles, or your own opinions on the topic, please send them along!
What are your thoughts on solar energy in Michigan? Also, do you think solar energy should be handled primarily by energy companies, by the state, or by individuals? Why? What are the advantages to each? (Hey, maybe this should be an essay for my freshman writing class.... there's an idea!)
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