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FAQ: MI Solar for All
FAQ: MI Solar for All
The State of Michigan has been awarded $156 million for the MI Solar for All program by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
The MI Solar for All program will support solar development for thousands of households in low-income and disadvantaged communities across Michigan through direct financial assistance for rooftop solar, community solar, and energy storage.
Program overview and purpose
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What is the Michigan Solar for All program?
Michigan’s Solar for All Program is a statewide program that will deploy residential rooftop and community-serving solar projects to thousands of low-income and disadvantaged community (LIDAC) households across the state. Currently, the program is in the planning phase. Through intentional collaboration and a comprehensive planning period, the State will ensure the MI Solar for All program not only creates a sustainable program to deploy solar across the State, but also fosters a more equitable energy transition for Michigan.
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What are the primary goals of the Michigan Solar for All program?
In line with the goals of the EPA’s Solar For All initiative, Michigan’s Solar for All Program aims to:
- reduce greenhouse gas emissions and other air pollutants;
- deliver the benefits of greenhouse gas and air pollution-reducing projects to Michigan's low-income and disadvantaged communities;
- increase low-income and disadvantaged households’ access to solar;
- deliver household savings to program beneficiaries;
- increase resiliency and grid benefits.
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What types of solar initiatives are supported by the program?
Michigan’s Solar for All program will support residential rooftop solar for homeowners and renters, including those who reside in single-family homes and multifamily units.
Additionally, the program will support community-serving solar. Some areas of Michigan are authorized to dispatch traditional community solar (e.g. 200 KW resident-owned project in a park connected to the grid) while other areas of the state (i.e. areas served by investor-owned utilities) face limitations due to state policy.
Throughout the planning process, the MISFA team will work to identify community solar models that offer the greatest advantages to residents within the regulatory parameters of their respective communities.
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How does the Michigan Solar for All program benefit low-income communities?
100% of the benefits of MISFA will be delivered to low-income and disadvantaged communities. These benefits will include one or more of the following: household savings, increased access to solar, increased grid resiliency, ownership of residential or community solar systems, and workforce development opportunities.
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How does the Michigan Solar for All program align with state or local renewable energy goals?
The MI Solar for All program will help meet Michigan’s commitment to reaching carbon neutrality by 2050 and reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 50-52% by 2030 while doing so in a just and equitable manner, as outlined in Governor Whitmer’s MI Healthy Climate Plan.
Specifically, the program will advance the following objectives of the MI Healthy Climate Plan:
- Commitment to Environmental Justice and a just transition.
- Cleaning the electric grid.
- Repairing and decarbonizing homes and businesses.
Timeline and implementation
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What is the timeline for implementing the Michigan Solar for All program?
EPA awards were made April 22, 2024, with anticipated fund distribution to the state by late-September 2024.
The EPA requires that the Solar for All program operates within a five-year performance period, during which all allocated funds must be utilized.
The State anticipates taking full advantage of the one-year planning period permitted by the EPA within this timeframe, which is anticipated to run from Fall 2024 - Fall 2025.
After the planning period is completed, MISFA will be launched. The rollout of the program is expected to begin in Fall 2025 and be completed by Fall 2029.
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What is the purpose of the one-year planning period permitted within the Michigan Solar for All program?
The one-year planning period authorized by the EPA will be maximized to ensure a thorough and well-designed program.
The planning period will help finalize certain design elements of the program including developing criteria to prioritize certain households or geographies, the eligibility of different community solar models, the best ways to deliver benefits to residents, and the integration of existing federal and state programs such as the Weatherization Assistance Program or the Low-Income Energy Assistance Program.
Throughout this period, the State will seek input from residents, Environmental Justice and community-based organizations, local governments, contractors and developers, utilities, and others to ensure a comprehensive engagement process.
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Will there be regular progress updates provided to the public throughout the implementation process?
Yes, the State will post periodic updates on the planning and implementation phases, as well as opportunities to engage. For the latest updates, please visit MI Solar for All.
Additionally, please fill out the MI Solar for All Interest Form. -
How can I stay up-to-date on the progress of the Solar for All Program?
For the latest updates, please visit MI Solar for All.
Additionally, please fill out the MI Solar for All Interest Form.
Eligibility and participation
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Who is eligible to participate in the Michigan Solar for All program?
As per the EPA guidelines, eligible recipients of the MI Solar for All program must be included in one or more of the following groups:
- Reside in a community identified as disadvantaged by the Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool (CEJST) mapping tool.
- Reside in one of the limited number of additional communities identified as disadvantaged by the EJScreen mapping tool.
- Be a low-income household not located in a community identified as disadvantaged.
- Be a property providing affordable housing.
Throughout the planning year, the State will develop criteria to further determine eligibility and prioritization. The design decisions will be based on community and stakeholder engagement.
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Are renters eligible to participate in the Michigan Solar for All program?
Yes. Though the State of Michigan is still developing the exact program(s) that will be available for renters, renters will be eligible to participate in the MI Solar for All program.
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How can I apply for assistance through the Michigan Solar for All program?
The State is not yet accepting applications for the MI Solar for All Program. However, we encourage you to fill out the MI Solar for All Interest Form to notify us of your interest to participate when the program begins.
Community engagement
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Will there be opportunities for community input and involvement during the planning phase?
Yes. The State is taking full advantage of the authorized planning year so that we can engage with community members and integrate community feedback into the design of the program.
Currently, the State is in the process of on-boarding a planning consultant that will be tasked with organizing engagement sessions. We plan to host webinars, in-person engagement sessions, and partner with CBO’s to engage with community members. Additionally, we will release a form where community members can submit their feedback electronically.
In the meantime, we encourage you to fill out the MI Solar for All Interest Form to notify us of your interest in participating in the planning of MI Solar for All.
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Can community members propose ideas or suggestions for the program's implementation?
Absolutely. Once the planning year begins in the Fall 2024, we will have many opportunities for community members to engage with the planning of MI Solar for All, including proposing ideas or suggestions.
This program is for community members and the design will be driven by community needs and input.
We encourage you to fill out the MI Solar for All Interest Form to share your thoughts and ideas.
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How will the Michigan Solar for All program engage with low-income communities throughout its duration?
MI Solar for All will deliver 100% of the benefits of the program to low-income and disadvantaged communities. Throughout the planning process, we will host various engagement sessions with community members and community-based organizations to receive input that will inform the design of the program.
After the planning year ends and the program begins, the State will continue to engage with community members and community-based organizations to ensure that the program is functioning as intended and to troubleshoot any issues that arise.
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How will feedback collected during the planning period influence the design and execution of the program?
The feedback collected from stakeholders, particularly community members, will be taken very seriously. We want this program to serve communities in the best way possible according to the needs identified by the communities themselves.
Part of the MI Solar for All engagement approach is to use a three-step approach:
- Host engagement sessions and collect feedback.
- Organize feedback and integrate it into the design of the program.
- Communicate with stakeholders how the feedback was addressed in the program.
Community benefits
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How will the program ensure equitable access to solar resources in low-income communities?
The MI Solar for All program is committed to ensuring equitable access to solar resources in low-income communities through several measures:
- By targeting communities identified as low-income disadvantaged for engagement sessions.
- Working closely with community-based organizations.
- Working with other state programs that serve low-income and disadvantaged communities (e.g. SNAP, WAP).
- Working with owners of buildings that provide low-income housing.
- Developing eligibility criteria and prioritization strategies based on community and stakeholder engagement.
This is not an exhaustive list, and we hope that the community can help inform us as to how we can best ensure equitable access.
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Besides cost savings, what other benefits can low-income communities expect from participating in the program?
Participating low-income communities can expect a range of benefits beyond cost savings, such as:
- Increased access to solar energy, reducing reliance on traditional energy sources.
- Enhanced grid resiliency, which is crucial for communities vulnerable to power outages.
- Opportunities for ownership of residential or community solar systems, fostering community empowerment.
- Workforce development opportunities, creating local jobs and skills training within the renewable energy sector.
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Does the program offer incentives for energy efficiency improvements in addition to solar installation?
Yes, the MI Solar for All program aims to offer incentives for energy efficiency improvements alongside solar installations. These incentives may include:
- Weatherization assistance to improve home energy efficiency, reduce energy consumption, and prepare homes for solar installations.
- Integration of existing federal and state programs such as the Weatherization Assistance Program and the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program to complement solar initiatives.
Resources
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Where can I find materials from previous engagement sessions?
Materials from previous engagement sessions, including slides and recordings, can be found at MI Solar for All.
Solar in Michigan
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What is distributed generation?
Distributed generation refers to the generation of electricity from small-scale, decentralized energy sources located near the point of consumption. This contrasts with centralized generation, where electricity is produced at large power plants and transmitted over long distances to end-users. Distributed generation technologies include rooftop solar panels, small wind turbines, microturbines, fuel cells, and other renewable or alternative energy systems.
Program development
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How will the Michigan Solar for All program address the recycling of solar panels?
Throughout the planning year, the State will develop a plan to recycle solar panels. This work will build off of the work that is currently being done in the Materials Management Division with the Home Energy Rebates (HER) program.
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Will the Michigan Solar for All program support operations and managements for the entire life of the solar panels?
Throughout the planning year, the State will develop an operations and management plan, as required by the EPA.