DTE Energy, Domino's Farms, and Ford in Michigan's solar arrays
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DTE Energy has begun construction of a 1.1-megawatt photovoltaic solar installation at Domino's Farms, just east of Ann Arbor, which will be completed and operational by the end of the year.
The solar installation will have capacity to generate enough electricity to power 185 average-sized homes.
As construction began on the new Domino's Farms array, a separate solar project at Ford Motor Company's World Headquarters in Dearborn became operational.
The project, launched last year, provides Ford employees with 360 covered parking spaces and 30 charging stations for plug-in electric vehicles. The solar canopy has capacity to generate 1 megawatt of electricity – enough to power 170 average-sized homes. It is the second-largest solar carport in the Midwest.
DTE Energy will construct, operate and maintain the solar arrays for 20 years.
The Domino's Farms and Ford Motor Co. projects are part of SolarCurrents, 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. ■