New Report: Rooftop Solar Provides Benefits to Michigan’s Electric Grid

LANSING – Utility customers with rooftop solar systems, known as solar distributed generation (DG), are providing economic support to Michigan’s electric grid and should not be overcharged to support it. That is among the findings of an analysis by the Institute for Energy Innovation, “Solar Energy in Michigan: The Economic Impact of Distributed Generation (DG) on Non-Solar Customers.

The report was completed in advance of a study to be undertaken by the Michigan Public Service Commission (MPSC) required under Michigan’s new Clean and Renewable Energy and Energy Waste Reduction Act.

Comerica Bank’s Michigan Index Stays in Neutral

DETROIT — Comerica Bank’s Michigan Economic Activity Index fell 0.1 percentage points in April to a level of 130.8.

Aerospace firm, auto-safety company expand in Oakland County

LANSING — Grants to two companies with plans to create a total of 784 full-time jobs and invest $357 million in Oakland County have been approved by the Michigan Strategic Fund board.

WOW makes gigabit web service available in Grosse Pointe Shores

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. – The broadband provider WOW Internet Cable & Phone has announced the availability of gigabit fiber-optic data services to residents and businesses in Grosse Pointe Shores.

WOW residential and business services are now available to more than 1,100 customers in the Grosse Pointe Shores community.

Lansing turns on high-tech lights ‘Under The Bridge’

LANSING – The Lansing community gathered Tuesday evening for the official unveiling of the decorative LED lighting underneath the US-127 bridge overpass along the Michigan Avenue corridor.

The lights, which illuminate the bridge in dozens of optional color variations, brings another phase of the crowd-funded Under the Bridge Project to life.

MSU researcher wins American Chemistry Society grant

EAST LANSING — Research into stopping the degradation and failure of offshore oil transportation systems has earned Roozbeh Dargazany of Michigan State University an American Chemistry Society Petroleum Research Fund doctoral new investigator grant.

Detroit CIOs Plan Increased Hiring For Second Half Of 2017

DETROIT — Detroit-area technology hiring is looking up for the second half of 2017, according to the Robert Half Technology IT Hiring Forecast and Local Trend Report.

Twenty-three percent of CIOs say they plan to add full-time technology professionals to their teams, up seven points from December’s report. In addition to hiring plans, the report also highlights skills in demand, CIOs’ top concerns and factors contributing to local hiring growth.

Washtenaw Community College Adds Degree In Cybersecurity

ANN ARBOR — An Associate in Applied Science degree in cybersecurity has been added to Washtenaw Community College’s roster of programs available to students starting in the fall 2017 semester, college officials announced.

New Mobile E-Commerce Software From Grand Rapids Firm

GRAND RAPIDS — EAgile Inc., a global leader in Internet of Things technologies, announced the release of its eLink software for mobile e-commerce.

The company said eLink is the first software to combine smartphone-based one-tap ordering, product authentication and customer engagement functions with enterprise-level track and trace visibility into a single product.

3-D Printing: Additive Works Joins the Altair Partner Alliance

TROY — The engineering technology developer Altair Inc. anounced that Amphyon, 3D printing software from the Bremen, Germany-based Additive Works GmbH, has been added to the Altair Partner Alliance.

Amphyon is a simulation-driven, process software for powder bed-based, laser beam melting additive manufacturing processes. It allows for automatic optimization of part orientation as well as a build-up process simulation and the adaption of process parameters in order to achieve a higher part quality and more process stability.