Solar energy system guidebook discussed at seminar

Creativity and consistency are vital when a community is deciding what kind of renewable energy developments to permit within their jurisdictions.

That was the overarching message in a presentation given Wednesday by Michigan State's Harmony Fierke-Gmazel and the University of Michigan's Dr. Sarah Mills, two of the authors of 'Planning & Zoning for Solar Energy Systems: A Guide for Michigan Local Governments.'

The educators presented an overview of the guidebook to a collection of local planners and other government officials at the Monroe County EDC Municipal Planning and Zoning Seminar, which was held both virtually and in-person at the Life Sciences Building on the Monroe County Community College campus.

Renewable energy was the focal point of the seminar, as representatives from Consumers Energy and DTE Energy also discussed their companies' plans for shifting to a more environmentally-friendly business model.

But crucial to these energy providers' plans, and the larger discussion about renewable energy that is taking place across the nation, is getting local governments on board with welcoming these projects into their jurisdictions.

Several local municipalities have recently, or are currently discussing new or revised ordinances governing solar installations within their communities. These discussions have taken on a greater importance as these municipalities have received inquiries from developers looking to build solar farms in the area.

Last September, Bedford Township’s Board of Trustees balked at a Pittsburgh-based developer’s plan to build a solar farm on 800 acres of agriculturally-zoned land. Frenchtown Township is currently in the process of developing its own ordinance governing solar installations as they too have fielded inquiries from developers.

Fierke-Gmazel said that one of the main themes of the guidebook that she, Mills and their team spent the past year developing is that solar energy systems (SES) can work anywhere and don't need to compete with interests such as agricultural land uses. The guidebook outlines four different scales of SES, from accessory uses that sit on or adjacent to a building they help power, to large-scale, principal use installations that can take up acres of land and typically create power that is then sent elsewhere.

Fierke-Gmazel said that even the largest SES can work in harmony with other land uses, citing examples such as solar panels being installed as coverings for parking lots, or solar farms being used for livestock grazing. She encouraged local leaders to analyze how SES fit into their communities, and to obtain feedback from as many stakeholders as possible as they establish the rules and regulations that will govern these installations.

"A key part of the guidebook, and something we've spent a lot of time on with our colleagues, is working on all the nuances of how to incorporate solar designs into other uses of a property to keep that property viable, keep economic sectors viable while still supporting solar generation," Fierke-Gmazel said. "...Map out your protected habitat, understand where your critical natural areas are, and plan to avoid those. There are all sorts of ways to plan in your community where solar makes sense in the future, and where it does not make sense in the future. Those are two equally important, key planning things to consider."

Fierke-Gmazel said that solar installations "can be so malleable and so flexible nowadays that you can actually use solar panel and solar energy systems on historic sites and buildings."

"Solar does fit with agricultural uses," she added. "It helps farmers diversify their properties and their operations, and supports a more viable agricultural sector. It does pose threats to farmland and local food systems, but the reason why we have so many plans and statements in our guidebook is to help communities through those issues. They can be worked through; there are ways to balance the needs of the agricultural sector with the needs of renewable energy goals that have to be met.

"We encourage everyone to think creatively, go through your master planning process and engage as many people as possible in making these decisions to balance out the needs of agricultural sectors and renewable energy."

Dr. Mills, a Monroe County native, said that consistency is key when it comes to blending renewable energy goals with community-specific priorities and objectives.

"There's a lot of places in Michigan that have roof-mounted solar installations that don't mention it in their zoning ordinance; they just treat it as part of the roof," Mills said. "This is codifying and making it clear to land owners that that's what your intention is, whatever your rules are for that principal structure, just carrying it through. If your community allows height exemptions, or just kind of waves height restrictions for things like antennas or other kind of mechanical equipment, we say you could put solar on that list and carry that through. Or you could decide you want to set a height limit and you don't want that. Being very intentional is going to help give your landowners some assurances about what they're allowed to do on their roof."

Mills acknowledged that the principal use SES are typically the most contentious, as many people have strong opinions one way or another about having substantial solar installations taking up acreage in their communities. One of the strategies suggested in the guidebook is for municipalities to establish their own definitions for the line between a small and large-scale solar installation, with different levels of review recommended based on which side of that line a particular installation would fall.

Mills said the sample zoning ordinance included in the guide is intentionally left with a lot of blank spaces, as there are a lot of questions that each local government will have to answer for themselves based on the individual traits of their community.

A London Township native, Mills knows that farmland preservation is a goal that is common across the county.

"It's really about being consistent," she said. "Thinking about how you think about farmland preservation (in general), and then being consistent and applying that to solar."

'Planning & Zoning for Solar Energy Systems: A Guide for Michigan Local Governments' can be viewed online at https://www.canr.msu.edu/resources/planning-zoning-for-solar-energy-systems-a-guide-for-michigan-local-governments.

This article originally appeared on The Monroe News: Solar energy system guidebook discussed at seminar