KALAMAZOO (WKZO-AM) — Consumers Energy has flipped the switch on a new, 8.5-acre solar farm at the Western Michigan University Business, Technology and Research Park.
The facility adjacent to U.S. 131 is generating about a megawatt of electricity.
“It’s the equivalent of providing power to about 200 homes in Michigan,” Roger Morgenstern, a spokesperson with the company, said. “On a cloudy day, it won’t be producing as much, but even on a cloudy day, the beauty is that it’ll be producing some energy.”
Morgenstern also said the clean power will help keep things going at Western.
“They have committed to buying up to the one megawatt of electricity created by this park,” Morgenstern said.
He also said Western will use the facility to help educate its students about how solar panels work.
A formal completion ceremony will be held next month, Morgenstern said.
A three-megawatt facility opened on the Grand Valley State University campus in April.