A large community solar push is taking shape in northern Illinois, aimed at giving people who cannot put up their own panels a chance at lower electricity bills.
That could be especially useful for renters, apartment dwellers, and households with roofs that are not suitable for solar, since they may be able to benefit without placing equipment on their own property.
What's happening?
According to Solar Builder, Commonwealth Edison — better known as ComEd — is partnering with Solar Landscape and Public Storage on 60 rooftop community solar developments in northern Illinois. Together, the projects are expected to add 44 megawatts of community solar capacity in the region.
Ten of the projects are operating and are part of ComEd's community solar portfolio of more than 400 sites.
"With demand for power rising faster than supply, community solar sites like this one offer a clean energy solution that can help close the supply gap and offer bill savings for customers," ComEd President and CEO Gil Quiniones said, per Solar Builder.
Once all 60 projects are completed, they should produce enough electricity for about 6,150 homes. Subscribers could collectively save about $750,000 a year on power bills, or more than $36 million over the projects' lifetimes.
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The buildout is also expected to support around 300 jobs, adding an economic benefit alongside the energy savings.
Why does it matter?
Community solar can open the door to energy bill savings for people who would otherwise be unable to use rooftop systems.
People who rent, live in condos, or have shaded or structurally unsuitable roofs can still join a shared solar project and receive bill credits without installing panels at home. Instead of depending on each household to buy its own system, community solar makes it possible for a wider range of customers to share in the advantages of solar power.
More solar generation can reduce reliance on more polluting power sources, helping improve air quality while strengthening the grid with locally produced electricity.
Using unused commercial rooftops as power-producing assets can also reduce the need for new, land-intensive development. For cities and companies, that means existing buildings can play a larger role by lowering operating costs, creating local jobs, and supporting a more resilient energy system.
What's being done?
The Illinois plan relies on a three-way partnership among the utility, a solar developer, and a property owner with significant rooftop space. That kind of collaboration can help speed deployment because the physical infrastructure — the rooftops — already exists.
ComEd said it expects northern Illinois to become a national leader in community solar, according to Solar Builder. The aim is to expand access to clean electricity and provide direct savings to subscribers, rather than reserving those benefits for homeowners who have enough upfront money to install their own systems.
In many programs, customers can sign up for a nearby solar project and receive savings as credits on their electricity bills, with no construction required at home.
As Shaun Keegan, CEO of Solar Landscape, put it: "Commercial rooftops represent one of the fastest, most scalable opportunities to expand the electric grid using infrastructure that already exists … This portfolio demonstrates how utilities, property owners and private capital can work together to deploy clean energy at meaningful scale."
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