The Michigan Theater will likely be the location for a new solar energy panel project, the first of its kind in Ann Arbor, pending approval tonight from the city's Historic District Commission.

The installation of solar panels at the theater would be the first for the XSeed Energy project, a new community energy project from the Clean Energy Coalition, a nonprofit organization partnering with the CIty of Ann Arbor's Solar American Cities Program.

Using grants and donations for financing, the program aims to install groups of solar panels in highly-visible places in town as part of a push to increase awareness and use of solar energy.

The Michigan Theater's set of 60-foot-long panels will be connected into the local electrical grid and are set to be placed on the tall south-facing wall of the theater, said Bonnie Bona, project manager for XSeed Energy and former chair of Ann Arbor's planning commission. The panels will be visible from the sidewalk across Liberty Street.

Since the theater is in a historic district, such a project must be considered and approved by the Historic District Commission prior to construction. The solar panels are on the group's agenda for its meeting tonight.

If the project is given a green light, panels will be chosen in about two months and a request for proposals for the building contract will be put out in late September, Bona said.

"Every effort will be made to choose local (regional or Michigan) installers, equipment manufacturers, and other contractors", Bona said.

Bona said the Michigan Theater, located at 603 East Liberty St., is considered a prime location. Although many applications were submitted for the plan from organizations in Ann Arbor, the Michigan Theater was selected because of the public visibility of the solar panels, the theater's willingness to participate, its community involvement and the fact that it is already pursuing other renewable energy solutions.

"Just like any other environmentally conscious consumer" the theater has taken many other small steps towards using energy efficient technology, said Russ Collins, executive director and CEO of the Michigan Theater.

The roof of the theater was recently converted to be white, significantly reducing its carbon dioxide emissions. In addition, many of the light bulbs throughout the theater have been changed to the more efficient compact fluorescent lamp bulbs.

"We will continue to pursue green improvements as we can," Collins said.

Katherine Axelsen is a Senior at the University of Michigan double majoring in English and Comparative Religion. She covers U-M campus, faith and neighborhood stories as an intern for AnnArbor.com. For further questions, email her at kaxe@umich.edu.