Detroit solar neighborhood initiative plans to pay homeowners up to $25K to renovate their homes

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Detroit has plans to install solar arrays on blighted & vacant land to generate clean, renewable energy. The Detroit solar neighborhood initiative also includes community benefits, so we did some extra digging to see what’s included.

Neighbors located in the footprint of the final sites will each get $10,000 – $25,000 of benefits per home, depending on the size of the solar array and the number of neighbors included. Renters will be paid 18 months of free rent. Each neighbor will choose to use these benefits for the following:

▪️New windows
▪️ Roof repairs
▪️ New energy efficient appliances
▪️ New furnaces and water heaters
▪️ Better home insulation
▪️ Smart thermostats
▪️ Energy-efficient lighting
▪️ Battery backup for outages
▪️ That plan includes bioswales and stormwater retention areas to help with basement flooding.

According to the city, $9 million is being paid to DTE to power all city buildings. With this initiative, the 127 building will be powered with these solar panels owned by the city. Solar panels generate power all year long despite Michigan’s cold weather.

27 neighborhood groups held meetings to consider hosting solar panels, with 10 submitting formal proposals. There were 9 finalists, here they are.

📍Gratiot/Findlay
📍Greenfield Park/I-75-McNichols
📍Grixdale
📍Houston Whittier/Hayes (Outer Drive Hayes)
📍I96/ Plymouth (O’Shea)
📍Mount Olivet
📍State Fair
📍Trinity Pickford
📍Van Dyke/Lynch

For more information or to get involved, reach out to your city District Manager at detroitmi.gov/departments/department-neighborhoods.

Visit detroitmi.gov/government/mayors-office/office-sustainability/solar-neighborhood-initiative to learn more.