Michigan’s solar energy industry is experiencing some confusion right now. For example, under the new federal administration, the outlook for clean energy is a spotlight industry for growth and sustainability, but there are no current solar incentives for commercial buildings or residential structures from the State of Michigan. Additionally, on their Federal Income Tax, businesses can currently claim 26% of the cost of a solar photovoltaic (PV) system if installed during 2020 – 2022. This incentive will reduce to 22% in 2023, and 10% in 2024 and thereafter1. On a positive note, the cost of solar products is down 45%2 and expected to continue going down, and so is the price for lithium batteries for personal storage to be used on cloudy days or during a power outage.
Will a Non-Qualified Bond Work Better for My School District?
Michigan School Board of Education (BOE) members have lots of decisions to make in regard to Bond Programs for school improvements. One of them being how to sell the Bonds.
How Technology Updates Change Schools
School Districts are facing pressure to incorporate technology into their curriculum to compete with other institutions who have already adopted 21st Century and New Tech programs. However, miles of wiring, hardware, software, white boards, wireless projectors and hand held devices aren’t the only technological concerns of modern schools.
Construction of New Tech High Schools
The New Tech Network is designed to target disinterested students, while still reaching those who are already college bound. And it is working because their report, "2020 Impact Report", shows that New Tech High School students are 10% more likely to go onto college compared to the national average. And added 14 new schools to their network in 2020.
How Can Restaurant Brands Drive Business Thru Their Parking Lots?
Covid-19 has impacted many industries, but the restaurant industry could arguably have had the biggest impact to their operations. Especially in Michigan, with dine-in shut down longer than any other state. Most of those restaurants near our office with drive-thrus were backed up to the road before, during and following peak times. Should national restaurant brands of quick serve (QSR), fast casual, and casual dining restaurants be planning for a future with less dining-in and more business taking place in their parking lots due to societal shifts and the convenience of third-party delivery? Some brands are ramping up with multiple drive-thru windows to filter through customers even more quickly. If they don’t have space for a drive-thru or a drive-up/pick-up window, they have set up their parking lot for pick-up service or a walk up area inside the door.
Hail Damage Risk for School Districts and Restoration Action
What do a pea, a quarter, a mothball, and a golf ball have in common? You probably guessed it, they are all used to describe sizes of hail. The bigger the diameter of hail, the bigger the damage it causes, especially for School Districts. You may wonder why a school would be worse off than most other structures, but when you consider that most Districts have a campus with multiple buildings in the same area, the cost to restore after a hail storm can add up quickly.
Certificate of Need and Your Design Build Contractor
Updated 11/24/20: The controversial Certificate of Need (CON) program in Michigan is in question through several new bills that passed the Michigan Senate in February 2020. It has yet to be decided in the House. The debate has been ongoing and seems to be getting more and more heated with those against it arguing for an open market approach to drive down cost and those for it are claiming that the medical industry needs to be regulated to keep a high standard of care at an affordable cost.
All Things Touchless Boosts Protections for Onsite Staff
Through the pandemic, business leaders have learned that the importance of making work spaces safer within a commercial, industrial or institutional building and still be functional for workers, students, patients, patrons, clients, or whoever else may cross the threshold. Now, winter is predicted to elevate the Covid-19 spread as people are spending more time indoors sharing air. Even though many Michigan businesses are still closed from the shutdown or limited because they have made it possible for their work force to force work from home, some industries can’t have their staff working from home, schools have been going between open and closed as they navigate the infection levels, and healthcare offices are still restricting their service and who can come in the building. As these entities plan for the long haul of whatever amount of time the virus is going to be inflicting us, the keys of working at the “office” are separation, clean air, and making more things “touchless” in the business space – AKA All Things Touchless.
Fire Resistant Building Elements for Business Owners
To prepare for Fire Prevention Week the beginning of October, we have compiled information about making a business structure more fire resistant.
Michigan Schools Making Space for Robotics
At the 2018 FIRST Robotics World Championships in Detroit, there were 601 teams from Michigan. To say that robotics is growing quickly is an understatement. Through grants, bond programs, and sponsorships, Michigan School Districts are making room on their campuses to support those teams. The makerspace, as these rooms are more broadly called, can include a robotics lab. These areas are “dependent on the size of the robotics involved”, according to Douglas Rich of spaces4learning.com in his article, Designing Robotics Labs. “There is no difference between learning to program a demonstration robot or full-size robotics arm; so many schools choose the smaller robots to save space and money”.