DTE Energy announced today a partnership with Domino’s Farms and Ford Motor Company to build and operate the two largest solar arrays in Michigan.
DTE has started building a 1.1-megawatt photovoltaic solar array at Domino’s Farms east of Ann Arbor. The array will be completed and operational by the end of the year. The project will include over 4,000 solar panels on property just north of M-14 and west of Earhart Road. The solar installation will have a maximum capacity of 1,089 kilowatts of electricity. That’s enough to power 185 homes.
Paul Roney, president of Domino’s Farms, is looking forward to the completion of the solar array.
“This will be a great addition to the many unique and sustainable features we have on our properties,” Roney said. “Just as important, this solar installation will generate the equivalent of one-quarter of the energy consumed at Domino’s Farms each day – a clean, sustainable energy solution.”
While building the array at Domino’s Farms, DTE’s solar array at Ford Motor Company’s World Headquarters in Dearborn became operational.
The Ford project was launched last year, and it provides Ford employees 360 covered parking spaces and 30 charging stations for electric vehicles. The solar canopy over the parking spaces can generate up to 1 megawatt of electricity, or enough to power 170 homes.
The Ford solar carport is the second-largest one in the Midwest.
“These large-scale solar projects are examples of how DTE partners with customers to build a more sustainable future,” said Irene Dimitry, DTE Energy vice president, Business Planning & Development. “These projects, as well as our investment in wind energy, have helped us meet Michigan’s renewable energy goals and diversify our energy portfolio.”
DTE plans on operating and maintaining the arrays for 20 years. These two projects are part of Solar Currents, a pilot program launched in 2009. DTE Energy has installed nearly 10 megawatts of solar energy across 22 sites in metro Detroit and in Michigan’s “Thumb” area, making it Michigan’s largest solar investor.