Overview
Spartan Solar is a solar energy project started by Spartan Renewable Energy, Inc, based in Cadillac, Michigan. The full solar program contains 6,836 solar panels and produces an estimated total output of 2 MW. The project was completed in 2016, and has experienced significant growth, extending into Cassopolis, Michigan. The solar arrays in Cadillac and Cassopolis are located across the Wolverine Power Cooperative headquarters and on the grounds of the Midwest Energy & Communications (MEC) headquarters respectively.
Spartan Solar is currently the largest solar farm in Northern Michigan. It powers up to 350 homes across the state. Though its infrastructure was built by Spartan Renewable Energy, the power generated is sold through the parent company, Wolverine, who distributes it to each subscribed member of the cooperative via a low-cost panel subscription plan.
Spartan Solar Panel Services and Specifics
Spartan Solar is a solar farm project built primarily to offer the people of Michigan a more affordable means of generating power as a utility and making a long-term commitment to preserving Michigan’s environment by using renewable energy as a power source. Consumers don’t need to install solar panels on their roof. With their panel subscription, they are entitled to a share of the power generated by the community solar arrays. The electric co-op delivers this energy and gives out solar credits on consumer’s utility bills as they subscribe. So the consumers don’t need to worry about,
- Installation hassles
- Maintenance, and they are free to
- Cancel at any time.
Solar Panels and Services offered by Spartan Solar
The solar panels are maintained, installed and serviced on the solar farm. The power generated is transmitted onto the electric grid, and not routed to any specific home. This means that customers don’t need to get an extra meter to enjoy the services.
Spartan Solar farm system includes:
- Monocrystalline solar cells
- Solar rackings
- Inverters
Monocrystalline solar cells
Spartan Solar uses monocrystalline solar cells manufactured by Suniva. Suniva’s ARTisun monocrystalline solar cell technologies include the latest cost-effective features to attain efficiencies of 22+%.
Solar rackings
Spartan Solar rackings are fixed tilt ground mount. This was done by Solar FlexRack, a leading solar mounting company in Ohio.
Inverters
Spartan Solar uses Yaskawa Solectria 36 kW/1000 VDC solar inverters with a peak efficiency of 98.5% and CEC efficiency of 98%. Its features include touch-safe fuses, dual & wide MPP tracking zones, modbus communications, integrated DC fused string combiner and DC arc-fault protection.
Spartan Solar offers its products and services to residential, seasonal, commercial and industrial members of Cherryland, Great Lakes, HomeWorks, Midwest and Presque Isle co-ops.
Installation costs and process
Costs
With Spartan Solar, there is no installation or maintenance cost as no installation is carried out on site, and maintenance of the infrastructure is handled by the co-op. Customers opt for either:
- A one-time $600 subscription plan that will last for 15 years or,
- A $10 monthly plan for 5 years. This plan will also last for 15 years once the 5-year payment is complete.
Customers receive monthly bill credits based on their subscription plan. They are expected to receive an average bill credit of $40 every year. This amount is calculated based on each customer’s share of the arrays’ total monthly output. But customers should note that this will vary naturally depending on different weather conditions across the year. Rebates may also be available for some cooperatives.
Legitimacy
Spartan Solar is located and registered in the state of Michigan. It is currently controlled by Wolverine Power Supply Cooperative, Inc. It is a not-for-profit, member-owned generation and transmission (G&T) electric cooperative, headquartered in Cadillac, Michigan. They supply wholesale electric power to seven member cooperatives.
- The co-op has a certified and official website. Their contact details are publicly available. This includes their location, email and phone number.
- Wolverine adheres to the principles outlined in the Standards of Conduct set forth by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) in Standards of Conduct for Transmission Providers, 18 C.F.R. Part 358.
- The co-op’s Board of Directors are listed officially on their website. They are led by the President and CEO, Eric Baker, an alumni of Michigan Technological University with 30 years experience in the electric industry.
This shows that the company’s legitimacy is clear, authentic and publicly proven.
Maintenance
Customers need not worry about maintenance. This is handled by Spartan Solar (or Wolverine). They offer very high levels of maintenance and continued care for the solar arrays with continued technical support and 24/7 monitoring of the electric grid. According to reviews, the customer service is very responsive and supportive.
Conclusion
In reality, the overall agenda of Spartan Solar is simply to provide an avenue through which the people of Michigan can contribute and support the production of cleaner energy, while avoiding installation costs and saving money.
The table below is a summarized review of Spartan Solar:
| Location | Cadillac (headquarters) and Cassopolis, Michigan |
| Capacity | 1.2MW (Cadillac) + 0.8MW (Cassopolis) [Total: 2.0MW] |
| Solar Cell | Suniva’s ARTisun monocrystalline solar cell (6,836 solar cells used) |
| Cost | $600 one-time payment or $10 monthly for 5 years (15-year lease agreement) |
| Benefits | No installation or maintenance required by customers.
Cancel at any time. |
| Inverter | Yaskawa Solectria 36 kW/1000 VDC solar inverters |
| Racking | Fixed-tilt ground mount. |
| Legitimacy | Accredited by FERC, MISO and Michigan state authorities. |
