Clearbrook, a disability services organization in Illinois, is using community solar to reduce its electricity costs.
Here's what to know
Under the deal, more than 70 of its locations in Chicago and surrounding communities could see power costs drop by up to 20% over the next 20 years, according to Solar Builder.
Common Energy said it reached the agreement with Clearbrook, which it described as Illinois's largest provider of home-based disability services. According to the company, the 16-project portfolio totals about 60 megawatts and is expected to produce roughly 85 gigawatt-hours of renewable electricity each year.
Clearbrook serves more than 8,000 people with intellectual and developmental disabilities through services including day programs, employment, residential care, and children's programming.
Jessica Smart, president and CEO of Clearbrook, said that kind of financial relief matters because the organization serves communities across a broad swath of northern Illinois.
"At Clearbrook, our mission is to support the people and families who count on us. Partnering with Common Energy on community solar means we can reduce what we spend on energy and put more toward the services that matter most," Smart said.
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Richard Keiser, founder and CEO of Common Energy, said the arrangement is particularly helpful for mission-driven organizations trying to make every dollar count.
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"Community solar is a natural fit for an organization like Clearbrook, providing meaningful savings that it can use for its constituents while also lowering carbon emissions in the community," Keiser said.
More background
Common Energy estimates that over the lifetime of the projects, the portfolio could help Clearbrook avoid about 2 billion pounds of carbon emissions.
Community solar can be especially useful when a household or organization can't place solar panels on every building it uses. Instead of installing equipment at each property, subscribers receive bill credits for electricity generated by a shared solar project elsewhere.
That model can make clean energy more accessible for renters, multifamily residents, and service providers with many sites spread across a region.
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In Clearbrook's case, the savings could help support services families rely on each day while also reducing pollution linked to conventional electricity generation.
What's being done?
The Clearbrook agreement is also part of Common Energy's broader expansion in the Chicago area.
Alongside a separate partnership with Illinois social services organization Trinity Services, the company has started development work on 21 solar projects in and around Chicago.
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Smart said, "This is exactly the kind of values-aligned program we want to be part of."
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