Community Solar Background
It’s no secret, residents and businesses want more energy options. But what if installing solar panels on your own home or business isn’t for you? Too much shade? Don’t own your building? There can be several barriers to developing a solar project on your own. Community solar parks in East Lansing and Lansing allow residents and businesses to support renewable energy that is located at sites in the community.
The Lansing Board of Water & Light, City of East Lansing, Michigan Energy Options‘ LLC called Community Energy Options, and Pivot Energy are partnering to provide Lansing Board of Water & Light electric customers the opportunity to support solar power without installing panels on their property.
How does it work?
A community solar park will be developed in a location optimally positioned for solar exposure: at Burcham Park in East Lansing. The park is slated to produce over 315 kilowatts of renewable energy, which translates into 1,000 315-watt equivalent solar panels.
Participants can lease as few or as many panels as they desire, as long as they are not producing more energy than they are consuming at their residence or business. Each lessee will receive a proportional percentage of utility bill credit that is equal to the amount of energy their lease produces. By using renewable resources to produce electricity, the solar park becomes eligible for renewable energy certificates (RECs). A REC is created with every megawatt-hour of electricity generated from the solar park. The RECs generated from this project belong to Community Energy Options LLC and not to the utility or the participants. View our solar math table to see lease costs and estimated energy output for 1 to 30 solar panels.
How Can I Participate?
If you are a Lansing Board of Water & Light electric customer, you are eligible to help advance renewable energy in our state. Participating in the project entitles you to 25 years of credits on your utility bill for the energy your solar lease produces. Leases are limited, so act now! Hop over to our sign-up page to learn more or take a look at others in your community who are supporting solar.
We are also working to restore the habitat at the solar site with native wildflowers and grasses. Check back for additional information on upcoming volunteer events and other ways to get involved with the landscaping plans!