High schools in Blue Island, Crestwood embrace solar energy. Will it be as advertised?
The roofs of Dwight D. Eisenhower High School in Blue Island and Delta Learning Center in Crestwood are now covered in hundreds of glossy blue cells converting sunlight enough energy to meet the needs of their combined 2,000 students.
The Future Energy Jobs Act, passed by the state legislature seven years ago, created Illinois Solar For All, providing government funding to install solar panels for low-income communities at no upfront cost to the home or building owner.
Gov. J.B. Pritzker said earlier this month, while celebrating a solar farm constructed through the Solar For All program in Chicago Heights, that it is his mission to advance clean energy throughout our state.
Now, south suburban Chicago is reaping more benefits. The two schools in High School District 218 are in their first month of relying on solar energy following a monthslong installation process provided through the program.
Public facilities in low-income communities are eligible for the state-funded program. In Blue Island, 18% of the 21,000 people are below the poverty line while 11% of Crestwood’s 10,500 residents are below the poverty line according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
While yet to be seen, the transition to solar comes with the promise that such a move will reduce the schools’ energy bill by 90%.
“I am hoping that will end up being true,” said Anthony Corsi, the District 218 business manager. “It should theoretically be a very significant decrease for us.”
The district’s Shepard High School in Palos Heights and Richards High School in Oak Lawn not qualify for the program, said Bob McParland, district spokesperson.
Nonprofits and low-income households are also eligible to have panels installed on their homes for free. Recipients will pay for a maximum of 50% of the value of the energy generated from their solar system.
If the program makes good on its promise, Eisenhower High School’s annual energy bill will decrease by more than $300,000, according to Corsi. Delta Learning Center, the district’s alternative high school, will see a lower decrease because the building is substantially smaller, but the promised decrease is similarly 90%.
“If that saving comes out to being what they are telling us, then we would be able to obviously reallocate those funds to something else — student’s materials, etc.,” Corsi said. “Anything that we can do to try of take something off the top line of our utilities I think is to our benefit.”
The solar panel installation began in July and the system went live earlier this month. Corsi expects the first savings will be seen in December’s end-of-the-month energy bill.
