MICHIGAN CITY — The Michigan City Sustainability Commission has helped the city attain SolSmart’s silver designation for being a solar-friendly community.
Commission Chair Nancy Moldenhauer made the announcement at last week's City Council meeting. The commission was established by ordinance in 2019 to focus on environmental protection.
To achieve the honor, the city installed solar panels on four municipal buildings; supported solar panel installations by homes and small businesses in partnership with Solar United Neighbors Indiana; coordinated with organizations to train individuals in solar array installation via Soul Power; and created a link on the Sustainability Commission’s website to help residents and others learn about getting started with solar.
The SolSmart program is funded by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Solar Energy Technologies Office.
Other Indiana communities to be honored under the program include Elkhart County, Goshen, Marshall County, Plymouth and South Bend receiving gold; Carmel and Indianapolis, silver; and Nappanee and Zionsville, Bronze.
Laura Henderson, a member of the Sustainability Commission’s SolSmart project team, complimented Building Commissioner Sue Downs and the city’s planning and inspection department for their efforts.
Tristan Bogart, a Michigan City High School student and Sustainability Commission member, said the silver designation advances the use of solar technology and begins a conversation about clean air and a healthier life.
The Sustainability Commission is working with the parks department to explore installation of solar electric vehicle chargers and workstations at Washington Park, Moldenhauer said. The electric vehicle chargers could be put in the parking lot in front of the zoo. The federal government is helping the city evaluate options.
“They’ll provide us with a menu of different ways to do this that we’ll consider,” Moldenhauer said, so the city can have a plan in place to pursue grants when they become available.
The city has already received two free electric vehicle chargers, an $18,000 value, with federal help.
In the past year, Solar United Neighbors has formed two solar energy co-ops for Northwest Indiana to help homeowners and small businesses get reduced prices for installation of solar energy panels and related equipment.
Eight installations have resulted from that first co-op so far, Moldenhauer said.
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