SolarCurrents^TM makes solar energy up to 50% more affordable for customers who purchase and install a solar photovoltaic (PV) system on their home or business. 

SolarCurrents is a new pilot program offered by Detroit Edison. It’s designed to reduce:

• The installed cost of a solar PV system

• Your monthly electricity costs for 20 years

• Your carbon footprint

Detroit Edison has been authorized by the Michigan Public Service Commission to partially reimburse customers for installing solar PV systems, up to $25 million in total. 

Not only can you receive a generous payment upon installation, but you will receive a credit on your energy bill for the next 20 years.  This is in addition to federal tax credits and any other local incentives from your state, county, or municipality! 

In return, Detroit Edison will receive all rights to any Renewable Energy Credits (RECs) allocated to that renewable generation. It’s all part of our commitment to develop more sources of clean, renewable energy for Michigan.

We are currently accepting applications for both residential and commercial customers.

Estimate Your Return on Investment

If you are already considering installing a solar photovoltaic system on your home or business, SolarCurrents from Detroit Edison can definitely make it more affordable.   Even if your system was installed before September 1, 2009, you may still be eligible to participate in SolarCurrents provided your system meets the Program Requirements*. 

The SolarCurrents up-front REC payment rate is $2.40 per watt of installed capacity. Once installed, you will also receive a monthly credit on your bill at a rate of $0.11/ kWh for 20 years. Combining these payments along with other benefits such as net metering and federal tax credits helps pay up to 100% of the installed cost of a PV system, depending on the size and your selected installer.

In our example below, the cost of installing a two kilowatt (2,000 watts) solar photovoltaic system is $18,000. Detroit Edison will pay roughly 50% of the cost of the anticipated Renewable Energy Credits(RECs) ($4,800) upon installation, and the other 50% of the REC value ($5,010) over 20 years, for a total savings of $9,810. 

Example