Ionamin Business Guides: October 2017

Tuesday, October 10, 2017

Michigan's 'largest solar park' will produce enough energy to power 11,000 homes

It experiences harsh, cold winters, but Michigan is now home to a 200,000 panel (like RENOGY 200 WATT 12 VOLT SOLAR STARTER KIT ) solar array on a 250-acre site.

The Lapeer solar park is operational and generating enough renewable energy to power 11,000 homes, it was announced Monday. It is one of the largest utility-owned solar parks east of the Mississippi River, Detroit based DTE Energy said in a statement.

Irene Dimitry, DTE Energy's vice president of business planning and development, said the company wanted to provide its customers with energy that was "reliable, affordable and cleaner." Dimitry added that DTE planned to cut carbon emissions by more than 80 percent by the year 2050.

DTE said it had invested $170 million in solar energy since 2008, and that solar represented 7 percent of its renewable energy portfolio.

The U.S. Department of Energy describes solar power as being "more affordable, accessible and prevalent in the United States than ever before."

The second quarter of 2017 saw just under 2.4 gigawatts (GW) of solar photovoltaics installed in the U.S., according to the U.S. Solar Market Insight report from GTM Research and the Solar Energy Industries Association. The report, which was released in September, said this represented an increase of 8 percent year-on-year.

The U.S. is home to some vast solar power sites, such as the 550-megawatt Topaz Solar Farm in California. According to developer First Solar, the facility generates enough electricity to power 160,000 average Californian households.

4 Business Ideas

BED AND BREAKFAST/$3,000 to $5,000 to start up -Do you have a room that has its own bathroom and is private from the rest of the living space? Are you near attractions such as a tourist area, sports stadium or venue for a large annual event? Or is your home in the country with spring peepers, summer crickets and crisp fall nights that could give a city-dweller a weekend of peaceful living? Say you can rent the room for $150 a night for Friday and Saturday nights 48 weeks a year--that's $14,400 in revenue! Utilize what you have and create a unique experience.
CHRISTMAS TREE SALES -If you want to start a Christmas tree farm, you need to plan ahead. It takes approximately seven years for a Balsam fir--perhaps the most traditional Christmas tree--to grow from a small sapling to a 5- to 6-foot tree. Selling your trees yourself is the best option. Consumers come to the property, pick the one they want, and you harvest it for them. The other option is to buy your trees from a wholesaler and sell them either in your yard or in a vacant lot that you rent from Thanksgiving to Christmas.
DAY CARE -Perhaps you love children. Perhaps you have children of your own and the idea of taking care of a few more for part of the day appeals to you. Child-care needs continue to soar in the United States. Many people prefer the option of their child being cared for in a home environment while they are at work, opposed to a more institutional-like setting. These things mean that a homebased childcare business can get off and running immediately.
PET SITTING -Starting a pet sitting service requires almost nothing in start-up costs. You do need some general credentials that will cost little or nothing to acquire. Your list of credentials should probably include personal pet ownership--if not currently, at least in the past--as well as other pet-related experience, including working at a pet food store, an animal hospital or other animal-related business. You will need to spend a little to become "bonded." This is known as "honesty insurance," and ensures your clients that you won't get their house keys and make off with their valuables (or that they'll get their money back if you do).