The Regional Office of Education 47 Announces Community Solar Program
Sterling, July 16, 2021 — The Regional Office of Education 47 announced a new program designed to connect families and households to community-shared solar power and electric bill savings. Through a subscription-based model, this community solar program gives households within the Lee, Ogle and Whiteside Regional Offices of Education access to energy generated by a solar farm in Whiteside County, Illinois. Those who enroll will also receive up to 20 percent* savings on their annual electric supply costs with no installation or upfront payment.
ROE 47 is partnering with two community solar providers to make clean energy accessible to members in its district: ENGIE, a global leader in facilitating a carbon-neutral economy, is responsible for the development and construction of the Whiteside County solar farms, and Solstice, a Boston-based community solar provider, supports ENGIE through customer acquisition, enrollment and management.
Members of the ROE 47 school district who enroll in community solar are allocated a portion of a solar farm based on their annual electricity usage and then receive credits on their electric bills for the energy their solar panels produce. This unique offering makes clean energy accessible to renters, apartment-dwellers and those who are unable to put solar panels on their roofs.
What’s more, new customers will receive a $100 Visa gift card as an enrollment bonus from Solstice.
ROE 47’s goal is to reduce its community’s carbon footprint and provide meaningful, reliable monthly savings to its families. To learn more and enroll, families and households within the ROE 47 school district’s network can visit this page.
These projects are built on land that has been supplemented with native prairie pollinator habitats. In addition to helping bees and local agriculture, these solar projects help create jobs for approximately 80 full-time workers involved in the development and construction of the solar farms. The projects also provide long-term economic support through operations and local taxes over their operating life.
ENGIE is an Approved Vendor and Solstice is an Approved Designee of the Illinois Shines Program, also known as the Adjustable Block Program or “ABP.”
Illinois Shines is a state-administered program implemented by the Illinois Power Agency to promote new solar development and solar PV systems. These community solar farms produce local solar power, and Renewable Energy Credits, or “RECs,” which are sold to the Illinois Shines program to help Illinois reach its renewable energy goals.