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    Illinois Water Utility signs PPA for 2.3 MW solar project completed in Peoria

    May 17, 2022
    Sol Systems partnered with construction firm Melink Solar to build the 2.3 MW solar project, which features bifacial panels and single-axis trackers. Illinois American Water has signed a 15-year power purchase agreement with Sol Customer Solutions for the
    Image credit Sol Systems
    Sol Systems Illinois Solar 6283b6d96cefd

    Renewable energy firm Sol Systems and Illinois American Water, the largest investor-owned water utility in the state, have announced the completion of their second solar project, located in Peoria.

    Sol Systems partnered with construction firm Melink Solar to build the 2.3 MW solar project, which features bifacial panels and single-axis trackers. Illinois American Water has signed a 15-year power purchase agreement with Sol Customer Solutions for the project. Sol Customer Solutions is a joint venture of Sol Systems and Arevon Energy.

    The project could generate enough electricity to power the equivalent approximately 350 homes each year.

    “This project demonstrates Illinois American Water’s commitment to the communities it serves,” said Andrew Grin, Vice President at Sol Systems. “Through onsite solar, Illinois American Water succeeds in reducing its reliance on fossil fuels, cutting its operating costs, and improving the sustainability of its operations.”

    Justin Ladner, Illinois American Water President, said, “The vast majority of energy consumed by water utilities is used to pump water. By reducing energy consumption and emissions we can use water more efficiently, protect the environment and reduce costs to our customers.”

    About the Author

    EnergyTech Staff

    Rod Walton is senior editor for EnergyTech.com. He has spent 14 years covering the energy industry as a newspaper and trade journalist.

    Walton formerly was energy writer and business editor at the Tulsa World. Later, he spent six years covering the electricity power sector for Pennwell and Clarion Events. He joined Endeavor and EnergyTech in November 2021.

    He can be reached at [email protected]. 

    EnergyTech is focused on the mission critical and large-scale energy users and their sustainability and resiliency goals. These include the commercial and industrial sectors, as well as the military, universities, data centers and microgrids.

    Many large-scale energy users such as Fortune 500 companies, and mission-critical users such as military bases, universities, healthcare facilities, public safety and data centers, shifting their energy priorities to reach net-zero carbon goals within the coming decades. These include plans for renewable energy power purchase agreements, but also on-site resiliency projects such as microgrids, combined heat and power, rooftop solar, energy storage, digitalization and building efficiency upgrades.