AMMA Center of Michigan goes solar

The Amma Center of Michigan, a non-sectarian organization that follows the teachings of Indian spiritual leader Amma, is looking skyward for its energy sources. The center recently installed three solar photovoltaic systems at its Ann Arbor property. The roof- and ground-mounted systems, 27.6 kilowatts in total, are composed of 112 U.S.-manufactured solar panels, says Prasad Gullapalli, president of Srinergy, a Novi, Mich.-based solar provider. With the application of DTE Energy incentives, the installations have a financial payback of under five years, according to Gullapalli. The reduction in energy expended over the next 25 years is likened to planting more than 53 acres of forest, powering close to 30,000 homes for 24 hours, and avoiding the release of 621 metric tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. He expects solar power will get a boost in Ann Arbor due to the city's adoption of a PACE (Property Assessed Clean Energy) program, which finances energy efficiency and clean energy enhancements for commercial properties via a special property tax assessment. "The payback is going to be really good because of the PACE initiative," Gullapalli says. Source: Prasad Gullapalli, president of Srinergy Writer: Tanya Muzumdar