Enrico Fermi 2 by daryl.larkin

Michigan Solar Solutions says that Michigan is Poised for 'Solar Explosion' in 2010:

According to company President Mark Hagerty, the year is shaping up to be "a perfect storm for solar" in the state.

"Many people think that solar won't work in Michigan because it's too cold and it doesn't get as much sun as other places, but that's misconstrued," Hagerty said. "Michigan has an average of 4.2 hours of peak sunlight per day each year. Florida, the 'Sunshine State' only has about five hours. Solar panels are less efficient the hotter they get and actually produce more power when it gets cooler. While the Southwest may get more hours of sun, the panels produce less voltage per peak hour because of the heat." He added that in 2008, his company's solar panels produced 1.2 times the rated output at 10 degrees below zero.

One reason Hagerty says Michigan is the place for solar power in 2010: rising electricity prices and increasing state and federal incentives mean that renewable energy has never been cheaper.

Now you have to figure that a company called Michigan Solar Solutions is going to be pretty bullish on solar energy, but we did a little checking and found that Michigan is a lot better than you might think for sun power:

• Solar Power Rocks lists Michigan State Solar Power Rebates, Tax Credits, and Incentives (there's a lot of them)
• The Michigan Dept of Labor & Economic Growth's Wind & Solar pages are packed with info including the Michigan Renewable Energy Program and this Solar Power Tour of Michigan (pdf)
• Michigan Advantage lists some success stories and talks about Solar Incentives for businesses
• If you're looking for someone to help you explore solar at your home or business, try the Solar Energy Businesses in Michigan (almost 60 listed).
• ...and every June there's the Michigan Energy Fair.

I'll bet there's a lot more solar energy info for Michigan out there - share it in the comments!

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