ABOUT MILWAUKEE SHINES

Milwaukee Shines is the City of Milwaukee’s solar energy program, led by the City of Milwaukee’s Office of Environmental Sustainability. In March 2008, Milwaukee was named one of 25 Solar America Cities by the U.S Department of Energy.  The Milwaukee Shines team works to support solar energy implementation in the City of Milwaukee by:

•  Increasing solar education for the general public, solar professionals, and related industries
  
•  Providing connections to economic resources to invest in solar today
•  Improve the process and procedures when installing solar in Milwaukee

Milwaukee Shines also works to support the community's strong manufacturing and business base. With the Solar Hot Water Business Council, we are providing a way for existing businesses to become part of a growing industry. Milwaukee Shines supports industry development by creating a robust local workforce, increasing the number of certified solar installers, and encouraging solar manufacturing businesses to locate in the city.

In 2012, City of Milwaukee was awarded another solar grant from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to help bring down the cost of solar installs. Awarded December 2011, the grant will help Milwaukee eliminate obstacles in the solar install process.  Milwaukee received $130,000 to help streamline the permitting process, so putting solar panels on a roof can be easier to manage for customers, installers and city staff.  When complete, these model processes will be shared with other municipalities in Wisconsin as solar “best practices.”

Milwaukee is part of a Wisconsin group of cities and nonprofit organizations awarded $467,188 to develop ways to make installs easier, with the goal of bringing down the cost of solar for homeowners and businesses. The Wisconsin team is led by the Midwest Renewable Energy Association, and includes the cities of Milwaukee, Madison and Marshfield. The Wisconsin team is one of 12 awards given in the US. The program is part of the DOE SunShot Initiative, that aims to bring down the cost of solar so that it's competitive with other forms of energy, without subsidies, by the end of the decade.

Read full press release from the Midwest Renewable Energy Association HERE.

Press conference announcing Madison and Miwaukee as Solar America Cities (October 26, 2009). Pictured (L to R): Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett, Milwaukee Public Library Director Paula Kiely, Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle, Madison Mayor Dave Cieslewicz, DOE Project Officer Steve Palmeri, Midwest Renewable Energy Association Direction Tehri Parker.

Our Partners

Milwaukee Shines is a true partnership with public institutions, private businesses, and non-profit agencies all playing a role in helping to bring solar to southeast Wisconsin.  Project partners include We Energies, Focus on Energy, Johnson Controls, Midwest Renewable Energy Association (MREA), University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and Milwaukee Area Technical College (MATC), Caleffi, Milwaukee County, Housing Authority for City of Milwaukee in partnership with United Community Center, Milwaukee School of Engineering, Milwaukee 7, Office of Energy Independence, Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee, James Madison High School, Bayview High School and Milwaukee Area Workforce Investment Board.