Solar is one of our greatest sources of clean, renewable energy, and one forward-thinking Illinois school district is reaping the benefits.
Valley View School District 365U (VVSD) provides many diverse settings for learning, sharing, celebrating and now energy savings. The district includes most of the communities of Bolingbrook, Romeoville and portions of Plainfield, Lockport and Downers Grove in Illinois. VVSD is among a growing number of school districts in Illinois to use solar panels to provide energy for their educational facilities.
In 2016, VVSD’s Board of Education unanimously approved the more than $5 million project, which was funded through a lease arrangement that will more than pay for itself in utility cost savings right from the start. Officials estimate the project will result in more than $9 million in cost savings over the next 25 years.
The solar panels were installed on the roofs of Lukancic Middle School in Romeoville, Ill., and four Bolingbrook schools – Jane Addams, Humphrey, B.J. Ward and Jamie McGee in 2017. The solar panel systems also provide significant educational opportunities that work in tandem with online learning tools and STEM projects for students.
In addition to the cost savings, ComEd recently granted a check for more than $478,000 to the five schools as part of ComEd’s distributed generation (DG) rebate program. The program pays $250 per kilowatt of installed solar power capacity to eligible customers to help offset installation fees and to spur renewable energy development.
Who else has benefited from ComEd’s DG rebate program?
- The Advanced Machine & Engineering Co. (AME) received a more than $176,000 rebate for installing 2,200 solar panels covering 65,960 square feet at its manufacturing headquarters in Rockford, Ill. AME’s 705-kilowatt array is the largest solar installation in the Rockford area.
- Sunset Ridge School District 29 in Northfield, Ill., received a more than $108,000 rebate for implementing a 434.5-kilowatt rooftop solar array that students will actively monitor and study energy production and consumption. The school is expected to save more than $1 million over 20 years because of the investment.
Are you ready to start saving with solar? Eligible customers can learn more about the new ComEd rebate program requirements and apply for a rebate at www.comed.com/DGrebate.
