Solar panels now fill a vacant lot in Chicago's South Side
Chicago’s South Side is home to the largest urban solar plant in the nation! The former industrial site has been improved with over 32,000 solar panels with tracking technology to help maximize efficiency by following the sun across the sky. Operated by Exelon Corporation, the project has resulted in a number of green jobs, while spurring future solar development in Illinois.
The 40-acre site, previously vacant, now generates 10 megawatts (MW) of solar electricity – enough to completely power 1,500 homes and take the equivalent of 2,500 cars off the road annually.
Some commentators give credit to the recent reduction in overhead costs for solar power. Since 2008, the price of solar panels has dropped dramatically by 40% or more. At the same time, government incentives have ballooned. States across the nation are adopting green jobs incentive legislation, as well as renewable energy targets.
I hear you – you might be wondering why the largest urban solar plant is located in Chicago, rather than a city in California or Arizona. Truth be told, Illinois enjoys more intense sunlight than either Japan or Germany – the world’s largest solar markets.
The Exelon solar plant will sell both solar electricity and solar renewable energy credits.
Kevin Lynch, who trains electricians to install solar panels notes the positive impact the new uptick in solar development could have for the economy, including the specific Chicago South Side site:
These were actual construction jobs, with decent wages, health insurance and pensions. And there’s going to be clean energy coming from that site for years and years to come.
Fortunately for contractors looking for jobs and consumers looking to lower their utility bills, there are more than 22,000 MW of utility scale solar developments underway this year! Those projects could generate enough power for 4.4 million homes. And perhaps be the tipping point for the rest of us that are considering solar power as a viable, green option.
Tags: exelon, largest solar plant, solar electricity, solar panels, urban solar plant, utility scale solar
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