In 2019, Michigan’s largest utility ended what's called net metering. That meant if you had solar panels, you no longer got full credit for the extra energy you sent back to the grid. So, instead of getting a dollar’s worth of credit, you might get 30 cents. But in Ann Arbor, this didn’t slow down rooftop solar, or make it less attractive financially. Solar installations exploded there. From 17 per year before 2019 to 180 per year since 2020.

This is partly because of a program called Solarize — neighbors banding together to get group discounts on solar installations. Now it has spread across metro Detroit. Julie Roth launched Solarize. She spoke with The Metro's Robyn Vincent.