Consumers Energy has selected a total of 22 businesses and homeowners in Michigan's Lower Peninsula to help produce solar energy.

Three Kent and Ottawa county businesses were among those selected.

The customers were chosen as part of Consumers Energy's Experimental Advanced Renewable Program. The program offers long-term purchase of renewable energy from solar energy systems owned by electric customers.

A total of five businesses were chosen for the project:

  • Paragon Die & Engineering, Kent County
  • Monsignor Hackett High School, Kalamazoo County
  • Bonobo Winery, Grand Traverse County
  • Pure Mitten Hops, Ottawa County
  • West Michigan Sports Commission, Kent County

The non-residential projects will provide 546 kilowatts of electric capacity, and they range in size from 21 to 150 kilowatts.

Seventeen residential customers were also chosen. They are from the counties of Bay, Barry, Clinton, Eaton, Gladwin, Hillsdale, Ingham, Jackson, Kent, Monroe, Newaygo, Ottawa and Washtenaw.

The residential projects will provide about 171 kilowatts of electric capacity, and they range in size from 2.5 to 20 kilowatts.

Consumers Energy is on target to use renewable sources for 10 percent of the electricity it supplies by 2015. Those sources include solar and wind energy, biomass, hydroelectric power and anaerobic digestion.

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