Local Customers Program: Detroit Zoo to Run on Wind Power

The idea of the Detroit Zoological Society (DZS) is to go on a "green journey" together with the visitors. Now the society has taken a further step in its efforts to protect the environment and announced that the Detroit Zoo in the north of the U.S. will be run on 100 percent renewable energy in the future. To this end, a contract has been signed with local energy provider DTE Energy, which will supply the zoo with wind power from three different wind farms starting next year. This will offset 7,425 tons of carbon dioxide, equivalent to the carbon that can be sequestered by 8,740 hectares of U.S. forest in a year.

DZS is participating in MIGreenPower, a voluntary renewable energy program that helps DTE customers reduce their carbon footprint and support the development of additional wind and solar energy projects in Michigan. Registered customers can customize their participation and transfer up to 100% of their energy consumption to local wind and solar farms.

"Our commitment to sustainability is integrated into everything we do, from our environmentally responsible operations to our community-wide education programs,” said Ron Kagan, DZS executive director and CEO. “Joining MIGreenPower is a major step forward for us, as our power needs significantly exceed what we can produce on-site. This program helps reduce our carbon footprint while also supporting local, Michigan-made renewable energy."

The Detroit Zoo (Image: Detroit Zoo)

The Zoo thus follows the example of various corporations such as Ford and General Motors, which are located in the 'Motor City' Detroit as well as the University of Michigan, and more than 8,300 private and business customers who participate in the program.

DZS has received four environmental awards for its sustainability initiatives and achievements in the past and is a nationally recognized leader in environmental education. For example, the zoo has a rain-permeable flooring that deflects water into canals and an anaerobic digester (the first zoo-based system of its kind) that converts animal herbivore debris and food leftovers into compost and energy. Detroit Zoo is also the first zoo in the country to install a Smartflower, an all-in-one solar panel system that generates more than 4,000 kilowatts of electricity annually.

The Detroit Zoo is thus following an U.S. trend, as the development activities of the wind industry have risen to a new record high in recent months, according to the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA). Especially the strong consumer demand of Fortune 500 companies and utilities contributes to the growing development pipeline. At the same time, wind turbine manufacturers are recording an increasing number of factory orders for more powerful wind turbines, which in recent years have been able to supply almost twice as many households with electricity as an average wind turbine.

At present, the record volume of 41,801 megawatts is under construction or at an advanced stage of development in the U.S. This corresponds to an increase of 10 percent compared to the level of activity in the previous year. The wind project pipeline grew by 7 percent in the second quarter, with 7,290 MW under construction or advanced development.

Programs such as DTE's are also becoming increasingly popular - not least because they are easier to handle than, for example, mounting solar panels on the roof of a house. It is to be hoped that other zoos will follow this example and take visitors on a green journey.