The Ypsilanti City Council was asked for a policy commitment in favor of solar power for the city Tuesday night.
Virginia Shannon, the state associate at Environment Michigan, presented the request to the council.
“Solar energy is an unlimited energy source with no fuel cost and is completely pollution free, and of course we can harness the power of the sun every single day,” Shannon said.
Ypsilanti Mayor Paul Schreiber expressed interest in seeing a report from Eastern Michigan University, which Shannon said is currently being created regarding solar technology research, before making the commitment.
Currently, Michigan ranks fifth in the country for solar manufacturing according to “Building a ‘solar destination:’ How Ypsilanti can harness the sun to power its future,” a report released April 9 by Environment Michigan.
Ypsilanti has the third most solar projects in the DTE service area of any town or city, behind Ann
Arbor and Detroit.
“It’s really exciting to see the concentration of solar projects already here,” Shannon said. “And the work that has already been done to craft the climate action plan and move toward the more sustainable future and give context to what could happen here.”
Ypsilanti has solar panels on more than 13 buildings across the city, including Adams STEM Academy, the Corner Brewery and Ypsilanti City Hall.
“It’s transformative,” Shannon said. “It’s a way that a community can change its buildings and its infrastructure into a place that isn’t a power consumer but a power generator.”
Pursuing a larger solar initiative has the potential to create employment through manufacturing, increase home values and increase the city’s revenue stream through the permit process.
It is also a good investment as the cost of solar power is decreasing and the cost of fossil fuels is increasing.
“We have crafted a vision to get 1,000 solar roofs by 2020,” Shannon said. “This will bring Ypsilanti into being a leader in solar power. With each roof equaling 5 kilowatts of energy—that’s the normal amount that a home needs to run its electricity.”
Shannon said in 2007 Ann Arbor set a goal of 5,000 solar roofs by 2015, and they only had 86 kilowatts present when the city set that goal.
“Ypsilanti already has more than 130 kilowatts and is well on the way to being a solar leader,” Shannon said.
Councilman Richard Murdock said he is in support of the solar energy concept and having more of it in the city, but is also anticipating EMU’s report.
To read the full report, “Building a Solar Destination,” visit www.environmentmichigan.org.
