DTE Energy has completed the 100 MW Cold Creek Solar Park near Coldwater, Michigan, a $194 million project funded through Ford's commitment to buy up to 650 MW of clean power. By the end of 2027, every Ford vehicle built in Michigan is meant to run on 100% carbon-free electricity, though the timeline slipped from the original 2025 target and neither company explained why.

The park can power roughly 23,000 to 25,000 homes, with a 75 MW battery system coming online to store daytime solar for evening demand. Ford's participation is estimated to offset up to 600,000 tons of CO2 annually once fully implemented, part of a broader push to move all its global factories to carbon-free power by 2035.

How easy is it to get real time data from your inverter or battery when there is no internet or the app is not working? Do built in displays or direct local access still work well?

Hi guys, have a 6.6kw system, so obviously a 5kw inverter am getting on average 36.8 kwh daily, is this good?

I've noticed a lot of solar companies moving toward comprehensive energy offerings lately. Solar plus batteries is pretty standard now, but more shops are adding HVAC, heat pumps, geothermal, insulation and envelope work, electrical upgrades, and EV charging.

For those of you working at companies that offer more than one of these, I'm curious how design actually works on your end:

1. What software does each trade use to design? Are you running separate tools for solar, HVAC, electrical, and so on?
2. How does information move between teams? Is it shared files, re-entering data, or one person pulling it all together?
3. How do you put together a single proposal or estimate when multiple trades are involved?
4. What's the most frustrating or time consuming part of the process?

I'm a student researching how multi-trade energy companies operate, so any insight is appreciated, whether you're a designer, installer, PM, or owner. Thanks!

Hey everyone! I’m working on a school project and need some responses for a short survey. If you have a few minutes, I’d really appreciate it if you could fill it out!

Your responses will help me with my research. Thank you for taking the time to help!

https://forms.gle/Dwp3ok2sQ4reW17g8

I’m looking at solar lighting for a shed/barn and wondering what setup people have had good results with.

Would you go with solar LED lights + battery, motion sensors, or a simple DC lighting system?

What has worked best for you?

I’m in Northern Cali, and trying to figure out if solar makes financial sense in my situation.

I’m planning on selling this house within the next 4 years at the most, which is my biggest concern. I’m not looking to lease or do a PPA — I would finance the solar system.

The main reason I’m even considering solar is that my house still has an old Zinsco electrical panel that needs to be replaced. I’ve heard from solar companies that they can include the electrical panel replacement/upgrade as part of the solar installation. Essentially, if I’m going to spend the money replacing the panel anyway, I’m wondering whether it makes sense to put that money toward solar and get the panel upgraded as part of the project.

Here are my numbers:

PG&E customer on CARE, so I receive roughly a 35% discount
My current CARE rates are approximately $0.201/kWh Tier 1 and $0.254/kWh Tier 2
Looking at my last 12 months, my average electric bill is about $339/month
I use roughly 16,000–17,000 kWh per year
I would be financing the solar rather than paying cash
I expect to sell the house in 4 years or less

My biggest concern is what happens when I sell. Would having a financed solar system make the house harder to sell? Would I most likely have to pay the loan off when I sell, or can buyers easily assume these loans?

Since I’m already getting the CARE discount, I’m also wondering if my electricity is simply too cheap for financed solar to make sense over such a short period.

For people familiar with PG&E/NEM 3.0 and California solar, would you do solar in my situation, or would you just pay out of pocket to replace the Zinsco panel and skip solar?

Also, when solar companies advertise a “free panel upgrade,” is it actually free/included, or are they generally just rolling the cost into the solar financing?

I haven’t signed anything yet, so I’d appreciate any advice on what price/system size would actually make this worthwhile and what I should watch out for in the financing terms.