Solar panel arrays along Route 173 near Harvard will produce 3.1 million kilowatts each, as part of the Illinois Shines community solar project. (Photo courtesy of Nexamp)

Lake Zurich officials are getting ready to join the Community Solar project to reduce ComEd electricity delivery charges to its municipal well and sanitary sewer lift station.

The state-administered incentive program is also aimed at reaching a goal of 40 percent renewable energy use throughout Illinois by 2030.

The municipality is expected to subscribe for a share of the program that converts energy into dollar credits. When an outside vendor is contracted to supply electricity, the power lines used are still owned by ComEd, an Excelon company. Consumers can see the breakdowns on their monthly billing statements.

The dollar credits are placed into an accounting system and go directly to the electric bills, not ComEd. The village receives the dollar credits depending on how much of a share is invested in the program, and the amount of electricity produced.

“This is expected to save $25,000 to $30,000 annually from the Lake Zurich budget, contingent on the ComEd delivery rates changes done twice a year,” said Kyle Kordell, the village’s management services director. “A 100 percent green power electricity choice program for residents, the initiative is the next step for environmental sustainability.

The Illinois Shines effort is under the umbrella of the Chicago-based Illinois Power Agency, with Community Solar referring to a solar project within a geographic area. The benefits flow to those area customers with energy generated by a solar panel array at an off-site location. This helps subscribers without the sufficient property to install panels.

Headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, Nexamp has three solar panel array sites near Harvard and Alden in McHenry County. Each of the three ground-mount sites generate electricity for a specific area. Harvard Solar I and Harvard Solar II, along route 173, are 2.6 megawatt farms that will each generate 3.1 million kilowatts annually.

The Alden Road-Harvard Solar is a 2.5-megawatt project, within the ComEd service territory, will produce 3.05 kilowatts that will go directly to the local grid. It is anticipated to service approximately 350 homes.

“Community solar allows residents, businesses, schools, and other customers to access clean solar power, when it is too expensive, impractical to install panels on their properties,” said Audrey Steinbach, the Illinois Shines senior program manager. “Nothing changes about the flow of electricity going to a customer’s house from the utility grid.

“Instead, customers earn monetary credits from the system that offset the cost of their electricity bill,” Steinbach said. “There are traditional community solar projects, where the array may not be located in, or have a connection to the community. Community-Drive Community Solar projects are intended to provide more direct and tangible benefits including the involvement of the community.”

Steinbach also said that the community solar projects submitted to the Illinois Shines program are expected to be constructed and energized within 18 months of approval for incentives. The timeline has different criteria that influence the actual construction such as the developer’s scheduling, material sourcing, permit approvals, and weather.

The actual impact on specific rate payer’s bills cannot be determined at the present time, until the number of subscribers is totaled. A process called net metering will assess a customer’s electric bills to be credited from their portion of the community solar project’s production. Lake Zurich participates in municipal aggregation program for its supply.

“Lake Zurich’s leaders have embraced sustainable green policies not only to reduce costs but also to serve as a model for responsible community governance,” Thomas Poynton, the village’s mayor. “In Lake Zurich, we have a dedication to sustainability and high standards for our community.

“I applaud the efforts of the village staff in making a real difference with our green policies. It’s both for our environment and future generations.”