Elgin Commits to Illinois' First Community Solar Project

Elgin Commits to Illinois’ First Community Solar Project

/ October 16, 2019 / Comments Off on Elgin Commits to Illinois’ First Community Solar Project / Communities, Consumers, Education, Energy, Environment, Events, Government, Public Service, Quality of Life, WK-Communities

The city of Elgin will be the largest subscriber to the first community solar project in the state.

The Rainy Solar project, located at 1111 Davis Road in Elgin, consists of a 3,700 panel solar rooftop installation in which the city of Elgin will subscribe more than 20 energy accounts.

City officials say the subscription will realize savings for the municipality while also supporting the growth of locally-generated renewable energy.

Rainy Solar, a division of Elgin-based Rainy Investments, will host a dedication event at 11 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 17, at the sports center to celebrate this first community solar project. Registration is required. 

Mayor David Kaptain said the project is yet one more way Elgin shows its commitment to renewable energy.

“Elgin has a long history of being proactive and leading by example,” he said. “Since adopting a solar and wind ordinance five years ago, we’ve worked to improve our permitting process, achieved the Silver Solsmart designation and created a volunteer solar workgroup to help educate the community.”

Elgin Solar Efforts

Elgin has seen tremendous growth in solar installations, especially over the past two years. From 2013 to 2017, eight solar permits were issued by the city. Thirty-five permits were issued in 2018, and there have been 125 solar permits issued so far in 2019.

Since the creation of Elgin’s Solar Workgroup, an arm of the Sustainability Commission, the city has actively promoted “going solar” by hosting educational workshops as part of the Citizens Utility Board’s Solarize Chicagoland initiative, achieving the Silver Solsmart designation, hosting the Fox Valley Sustainability Network’s Solar Energy Forum, sharing solar information at special events like the Downtown Neighborhood Association’s Farmers Market and through the partnership with EnergySage to provide an online platform for residents and business owners to learn about and shop for solar.

“Since achieving its SolSmart Silver designation this Spring, Elgin has doubled down on solar efforts,” said Sustainability Commissioner Erik Anderson. “It has rebooted its solar workgroup and is still looking for more area residents to volunteer their time to help with various solar projects. This work is necessary to keep growing solar here in Elgin.”

About the Community Solar Project

The Rainy Solar community solar project is a rooftop mounted photovoltaic solar array installed by WCP Solar and completed in 2018.

The system sits on top of a 120,000-square-foot building and includes more than 3,700 panels.

The ComEd grid connected system will create an annual estimated generation of 1.3 million kWhs. The power output for the project is fully subscribed and will supply solar power benefits in the form of lower cost renewable energy credits to eight Chicago municipalities including Elgin, Highland Park, Oak Park, Deerfield, Glenview, Glencoe, Lake Forest and Lake Bluff.

“We are proud to have the first built and operated community solar project in the state. Community solar will be a key driver in the new energy economy In Illinois,” said Rainy Solar CEO and entrepreneur, Ken “Bucky” Buckman.

Rainy Solar, which owns and operates the project also stated that it could not have realized the full potential of this project without the state of Illinois passing the Future Energy Jobs Act of 2017.

Through FEJA, new renewable energy sites in Illinois including community solar projects will help to create a clean energy economy for the state through job creation, and the reduction of carbon by displacing legacy coal generating units in the state.

The Rainy Solar project is part of the Illinois Power Agency’s Community Solar program and was selected in the Illinois Adjustable Block Program lottery administered by the Illinois Power Agency.

Through the agency’s solar program, subscribers receive net metering credits against their monthly ComEd invoices for their prorated share of the energy generated by the project. Subscribers can be commercial and residential customers who are part of the ComEd system.

MC Squared Energy Services, LLC (mc2) is the subscription manager for Rainy Solar to help bring customers (subscribers) to the project.

Your Invitation

You are formally invited to a dedication event for Illinois’ First Community Solar Project.

 

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