Detroit Edison and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan have partnered on a 200-kilowatt, $1 million photovoltaic system that will be installed on the roof of a BCBS parking structure at the corner of Congress and Beaubien. The solar array will cover 31,000 square feet of the 42,000 square-foot roof and should be operational next spring.
The installation is part of Detroit Edison's
SolarCurrents program that calls for photovoltaic systems to be installed on customer rooftops or property over the next five years to generate 15 megawatts (MW) of electricity throughout Southeast Michigan. There are two ways to participate in SolarCurrents: residential customers can sell DTE electricity generated from solar energy from their own installation or, as in this case, DTE will own, operate and maintain an array that is installed at a customer's facility in exchange for an annual credit on their energy bill. DTE plans to invest about $100 million in the program over 20 years.
The array will generate approximately 20% of BCBS' energy needs at its Downtown campus. The insurance outfit's other parking garage boasts a green roof and is LEED-certified.
Source: Scott Simons, DTE Energy
Writer: Kelli B. Kavanaugh
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