East Lansing solar project promises lower energy bills

EAST LANSING – More East Lansing residents will have the opportunity to slash their electric bill next year.

The community solar project planned for Burcham Park by Patriot Solar Group will nearly double in scope from 1,000 panels to roughly 1,800 panels. Patriot Solar has partnered with the Lansing Board of Water & Light on the project.

“There was more interest than the 1,000 panels initially requested,” said Jeff Mathie, president and CEO of Albion-based Patriot Solar Group. “If you don’t have a home, or don’t have a home equipped for solar, this is an alternative … and it’s much less expensive.”

Residents who get electricity from BWL can pay $399 to lease one panel for 25 years, Mathie said. Electricity generated from the panels will feed into the electric grid. BWL then credits the lessee on their bill. If a resident leased two panels, it would cover the average cost of powering a refrigerator for a year, according to Michigan Energy Options statistics.

Mounting solar panels on a home can cost between $5,000 and $10,000. However, some systems can actually generate enough power to pass some back to the grid so the utility company ends up crediting the homeowner.

The solar project will be able to generate enough electricity to power 100 homes, Mathie said. The original cost of the project was $900,000. Now, Mathie estimates it could cost up to $1.5 million depending on the final number of panels installed.

The project's costs will be covered by lease payments and private investors who receive tax credits for their investments, said John Kinch, executive director of Michigan Energy Options, which helped coordinate the project.

Patriot Solar is asking East Lansing for a 10-year personal property tax exemption on the project. A public hearing on the exemption is scheduled during the next city council meeting on Wednesday night. Council could grant final approval to the project then as well.

If that happens, Mathie said, construction at the park, near the intersection of Park Lake Road and Burcham Drive, could begin in January and be finished by February.

East Lansing plans on leasing a few of the panels, said Mayor Mark Meadows.

"It's a great environmental benefit," Meadows said. "We want (the city) to move as quickly as possible to becoming 100% reliant on renewable energy. We're a long way from getting there, but this helps us meet our goals."

Alexander Alusheff is a reporter at the Lansing State Journal. Contact him at (517) 388-5973 or aalusheff@lsj.com. Follow him on Twitter @alexalusheff.

How to lease a solar panel

Those interested in leasing a solar panel can pre-register online at micommunitysolar.org/sign-up or call 517-337-0422 ext. 4.