Consumer’s Energy has committed to an aggressive Clean Energy Plan to end coal use by 2025 and achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2040. This plan includes utilizing nearly 8,000 megawatts of solar energy, which requires significant acreage for deploying ground-mounted photovoltaic arrays. Land used for solar installations developed by Consumer’s Energy may be optimized for numerous ecosystem services, including soil carbon sequestration, water quality, species diversity, and pollination. The objective of the proposed project is to optimize ecosystem services on land dedicated to, or associated with, development of renewable energy projects, especially solar. The goal is to build a practical capacity to incorporate optimal ecosystem services into design and operation of renewable energy installations in Michigan.

Consumer’s Energy recognizes the important benefits of optimizing ecosystem services on land dedicated to renewable energy production. In policy terms, Consumer’s must comply with existing regulations (i.e. from EGLE) for developing solar installations or land ‘set-asides’ related to this land development. In operational terms, careful design of ground-mounted solar includes important, long-term considerations for regular upkeep of sites and may impact delivery of renewable energy (i.e. albedo associated with ground cover and type of PV panel design). With the rapid development of land for renewable energy production, the concerns and degree of acceptance of local communities and the general public is another important consideration for designing solar sites for maximum ecosystem benefit. In innovating dual-use for renewable energy sites (i.e. solar power generation with promotion of co-benefits such as soil carbon sequestration, water quality improvements), Consumer’s Energy aims for a high standard which sets a model for other solar developers in Michigan and beyond. 

The proposed work will include a mixture of on-site measurements and data collection and calculations of potential synergies or trade-offs from optimizing services from these sites. On-site rainfall and run-off from panels, diversity of vegetation and pollinators, temperature and light variation may be measured on a range of solar installations, many of which already have infrastructure to collect some of this data. If deemed important, students may conduct surveys of community acceptance of solar installations. Examples of theoretical calculations include evaluation of the benefits of different seed mixtures (i.e. prairie, pollinator mixes) for
ecosystems services, versus height of ground-mounted solar panels and/or cost of materials (i.e. steel) to modify panel height. The relative importance of these metrics will be evaluated based on anticipated future installations by Consumer’s Energy, and the capacity of students to critically evaluate some of these tradeoffs. A timeline includes preparation for data collection (beginning winter/spring 2022), a summer with data collection, data analysis and calculation in fall, and preparation of a final report in winter/spring of 2023.

The proposed work is focused on the integrated nature of the system – combining renewable energy with ecosystem services. Selection of plant communities under solar panels involves assessment of impacts on diversity, soil carbon sequestration and water quality, but also operation and costs associated with the installation and maintenance of ground-mounted solar. A clear assessment of these factors must also occur in the context of existing policy and regulatory frameworks and broader impacts on neighboring communities. A team drawing from complementary disciplines is need to compile a product that can be put into practice.