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EGLE announces next round of Solar for Savings grants supporting rooftop and community projects

Awards through MI Healthy Climate Challenge are pilot projects for MI Solar For All

The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) today announced awardees from around Michigan in the second round of the Solar for Savings (SFS) grants opportunity.  

Solar for Savings is part of the MI Healthy Climate Challenge (MHC Challenge) grant competition to drive clean energy deployment and unlock additional investment across Michigan. 

The awardees will be MI Solar for All (MI SFA) pilot projects, laying the groundwork for successful full deployment of the MI SFA program, a federally funded initiative to bring solar energy to low-income households and communities statewide. 

The awards focus on deploying solar and energy storage projects to help low-income participants save money by reducing energy costs or providing other benefits, improving energy resilience, and supporting Michigan’s energy independence through greater solar access across Michigan communities. 

The new pilots selected and their preliminary descriptions are below: 

Residential rooftop solar pilot 

  • City of Ann Arbor, Washtenaw County: Install solar power and storage at 20 households in the Bryant neighborhood, to be owned by either the household or Ann Arbor’s Sustainable Energy Utility (SEU), with operations and maintenance by the SEU. Project aims to create the nation’s first fully carbon neutral neighborhood by 2028 and includes local workforce development strategies. 

Residential-serving community solar pilots 

  • City of Cadillac, Wexford County: Install solar power and storage at the wastewater treatment plant and solar power at one water pump station, with 60% of the project benefits going to eligible low-income beneficiaries on city utility bills.  
  • City of Escanaba, Delta County: Create a community solar garden at an undeveloped brownfield site, with 60% of the benefits shared with eligible low-income beneficiaries through utility bill credit. 
  • Two additional residential-serving projects, in Detroit and Holland, have yet to formally accept offered awards. 

Michigan received $156 million for MI SFA through the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s $7 billion Solar for All competition. 

EGLE announced the first round of MI SFA pilots for Solar for Savings in July. Together, both rounds tentatively total about $13.5 million. Applications are being accepted through Sept. 30 for a third round. To learn more and apply, visit Michigan.gov/MHCChallenge

To stay informed about future competitions launching throughout 2025, sign up for the MI Healthy Climate Bulletin.