Project Description
Woodridge School District 68 serves approximately 2,700 students across seven school buildings in the Chicagoland area. The District was looking for ways to drastically reduce energy consumption and decided a solar project was the right solution to offset energy costs. Partnering with Performance Services to develop and implement the project to maximize savings, the best solution was to install roof-mounted arrays at four district buildings. But before doing so, the school roofs were upgraded and repaired to ensure their integrity and safeguard against leaks. Once the roof work was completed, the roof-mounted arrays were installed at Murphy Elementary, Sipley Elementary, Willow Creek Elementary, and Thomas Jefferson Junior High. The combined 1.086 MW system will generate $2,952,113 in guaranteed energy savings over 20 years. To further offset the project’s costs, the District received a utility rebate from ComEd for $271,800 and anticipates an incentive from the Inflation Reduction Act for $987,390.
In addition to the guaranteed savings, utility rebate, and IRA incentive, renewable energy credits (RECs) will become an additional income source for Woodridge Schools. These renewable energy credits are certificates representing renewable energy’s environmental benefits. The District can sell the solar credits to utility companies that need them to meet certain state-mandated requirements. The revenue from the renewable energy credits is expected to be $811,368.
Project Highlights
- Roofing upgrades at four school buildings
- NEED.org Schools Going Solar Customized Guide
- Four roof-mounted solar installations totaling 1.086 MW
- Utility Rebates: $271,800
- Renewable Energy Credits: $811,368
- Inflation Reduction Act Incentive: $987,390
