Going solar in Dearborn, MI

The NextEnergy Zone is located on the Wayne State University Detroit campus. The area is a Renaissance Zone, allowing renewable energy companies and institutions who locate inside to receive certain tax incentives. Incentives specific to the NextEnergy Zone include indirect payroll tax credits for a company's employees, provided they work directly with renewable energy manufacturing or R&D. Credit amount is equal to an employee's salary times their state income tax rate as a percentage. Should credit exceed liability, a refund will be issued for the remainder of the credit amount. Additional information is available through the NextEnergy Authority website.

The Low Income and Energy Efficiency Fund (LIEEF) is a public benefits fund in Michigan. LIEEF is supported by the state's three largest power companies through monthly consumer surcharges. Rather than supporting incentive or rebate programs, LIEEF funding supports request-for-proposal programs and grant initiatives to support low-income Michiganders in adopting on-site renewable energy or making other energy efficiency improvements. Additional information is available from the Michigan Public Service Commission, which administers the fund.

Michigan Accelerating Technology (MAT) is a grant program managed by the state's NextEnergy authority. Through MAT, businesses and educational institutions that receive federal grants supporting energy sustainability or alternative transportation research may be eligible to have their awards matched at the state level. Grant recipients may be eligible to contract some services to the NextEnergy Authority (for example, statistical analysis and supply chain research.) Additional information is available from the NextEnergy website.

Michigan first established a mandatory renewable portfolio standard in 2008. The standard required at least 25% of the state's energy to be sourced from renewable means by 2015. The standard was part of a larger restructuring law which also established green construction standards for new state buildings, energy efficiency "best practices" for existing buildings, and a new agency to regulate wind power in the state. Additional information is available from the federal Energy Codes database.

Private/municipal utilities and electric cooperatives in Michigan are required to offer "inflow-outflow" tariff program participation to new renewable energy and distributed generation customers. This program serves as the successor to traditional net metering, which is expected to be phased out in full by 2028. Under an inflow-outflow contract, customers are technically billed for all electricity they generate, including excess generation (EG) sent to the grid. Rather than paying for all generated energy, however, they will only owe the cost of their "nettable energy" in that cycle. Nettable energy is equal to total power generated at the standard billed cost minus EG at a different "credit rate." As with net metering, should generation exceed consumption, any remaining bill credits will be applied to subsequent cycles. Additional information is available from the Michigan state website.

The NextEnergy Zone is located on the Wayne State University Detroit campus. The area is a Renaissance Zone, allowing renewable energy companies and institutions who locate inside to receive certain tax incentives. Incentives specific to the NextEnergy Zone include property tax exemptions on renewable energy systems, alternative vehicles, and corporate belongings. Eligible property must be completely new to Michigan; real estate does not qualify for exemptions. Additional information is available through the NextEnergy Authority website.

Special licenses are available for installation/repair contractors of solar thermal systems in Michigan. Certified HVAC contractors do not need a separate license to install solar devices. To obtain a solar thermal license, applicants should have three years of experience as a journeyman and pass an exam. A trade school diploma counts as one year of experience. There is currently no special licensure for solar photovoltaic contractors. Solar contractors of any specialty may need to subcontract certain plumbing or electrical work. Additional information is available through the Interstate Renewable Energy Council.

Lean and Green Michigan is a statewide property-assessed clean energy (PACE) program that offers special financing for energy efficiency improvements and equipment. Multi-family residential and commercial property owners alike may consult with PACE representatives to design a competitive loan with a private lending partner. Effectively, funding comes from the government; repayment will therefore take the form of a tax lien senior to the property's mortgage. Single-family homes are ineligible for PACE funding due to regulatory concerns from the FHFA. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac cannot take ownership of a mortgage with an active PACE lien. Interested property owners should visit the Lean and Green Michigan website.

Funding for renewable energy grants and initiatives may be provided by the Michigan Energy Office. Grants support educational programs for local governments and businesses on renewable energy adoption. Communities may obtain personalized feasibility studies or examine prototype equipment. Additional information is available from the Michigan Agency for Energy website.

"Renaissance Zones" are clearly designated locations in Michigan in which renewable energy developers may qualify for special tax incentives. Qualifying facilities will earn a 15-year property tax abatement and are exempt from state corporate, education, and income taxes, along with some local taxes. Eligible construction includes new solar, wind, or biomass facilities. Capital construction for institutions researching or manufacturing renewable energy products may also qualify for exemptions. Applications for Renaissance Zone incentives will consider potential economic impact. Additional information is available from the Michigan Economic Development Corporation website.