SunVest Solar recently celebrated the completion of two new community solar projects in DeKalb, Illinois, officially marking the start of electrical production at the facilities. The DeKalb solar projects totaling 6 MW are two of the earliest projects made possible by Illinois’ Climate and Equitable Jobs Act (CEJA), signed into law in September 2021.
“We are pleased to help make Northern Illinois one of the nation’s fastest growing markets for community solar,” said Bram Walters, CEO of SunVest Solar. “We will have developed over 57 MW of community solar projects in the ComEd region by the end of this year, enabling the utility to bring reliable, clean energy to its customers and help them save on their electric bills. Since 2019, SunVest and its partners have advanced nearly 120 MW of community solar projects in Illinois and we are currently developing 200 MW more in the state.”
The twin community solar farms are 3 MW each, include more than 9,400 solar modules and occupy a total of 24 acres on Gurler Road in DeKalb. The projects have an aggregate generation capacity of 6 MW, enough to serve the needs of over 850 average Illinois homes. SunVest is excited to share that the projects are also fully subscribed by a mix of residential and commercial customers. Community residents and businesses who have subscribed will save an estimated $90,000 in ComEd electric bills in the first year and more than $1.7 million over the lifetimes of the projects.
“We were delighted to serve as General Contractor on the sites,” said Dawn Heid, CEO of Wood Dale-based Rethink Electric. “The DeKalb solar projects are the largest in our company history, and we look forward to building additional projects of this caliber with our skilled, diverse workforce.”
Enacted in 2021, CEJA increases support for renewable energy to reach 40% by 2030 and 50 percent by 2040. It will create nearly 9,800 megawatts of new solar capacity. By the end of 2023, ComEd expects to have more than 100 community solar projects on its electric grid serving approximately 25,000 customers.
“ComEd and SunVest are proud to play leading roles in the growth of community solar in Illinois,” said Scott Vogt, VP of strategy and energy policy at ComEd. “We now have more than 80 community solar projects in our northern Illinois region, enabling a growing number of customers to easily access renewable energy and contribute to a healthier environment.”
— Solar Builder magazine
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