Let Communities Choose: Clean Energy Sovereignty in Highland Park, Michigan

The document outlines the use of HOMER Grid software to optimize energy systems in Highland Park, MI, assuming investments made in 2023. It details building stock estimates, electricity rate tariffs from DTE Energy, and the impact of policy incentives like net metering and SRECs on payback periods for residential and commercial solar installations.

• The analysis estimated that 1,428 occupied single-family homes in Highland Park are solar-viable, a figure derived by applying a conservative 60 percent viability rate to the city's estimated 2,380 occupied single-family homes.
• Under a proposed policy scenario including net metering, a Michigan Residential Energy Credit of $1,000, and Solar Renewable Energy Credits (SRECs), the adjusted payback period for single-family homes and midrise apartments is estimated at 3 years.
• The study identified four potential parcels for community solar installations in Highland Park, including the former Ford Highland Park Plant and the former Ecoworks Site, assuming a land requirement of roughly five acres per megawatt of solar.
• For commercial and institutional buildings, the adjusted payback periods under the policy scenario range from 4 years for offices and restaurants to 10 years for warehouses.
• The financial modeling assumed a 25-year project lifetime, a 7 percent nominal discount rate, and a 22 percent federal solar Investment Tax Credit (ITC) for investments made in 2023.
• The total average annual energy demand for the residential and commercial sectors in Highland Park was assumed to be 86,200,000 kWh/yr.

APA

Union of Concerned Scientists (2021). Let Communities Choose: Clean Energy Sovereignty in Highland Park, Michigan. https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/2021-10/Let-Communities-Choose-appendix.pdf

Chicago

Union of Concerned Scientists. Let Communities Choose: Clean Energy Sovereignty in Highland Park, Michigan. 2021. https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/2021-10/Let-Communities-Choose-appendix.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Union of Concerned Scientists |title=Let Communities Choose: Clean Energy Sovereignty in Highland Park, Michigan |date=October 2021 |url=https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/2021-10/Let-Communities-Choose-appendix.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{unionofconcernedscientists2021let, author = {{Union of Concerned Scientists}}, title = {{Let Communities Choose: Clean Energy Sovereignty in Highland Park, Michigan}}, institution = {Union of Concerned Scientists}, year = {2021}, month = oct, url = {https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/2021-10/Let-Communities-Choose-appendix.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }