Renewables

Radiance, SolAmerica Developing 2.86-MW Community Solar Farm in Illinois

Feb. 19, 2025

The project, powered by American made First Solar panels, is expected to produce 4,155 MWh of electricity annually, reducing greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to removing 463 cars from the road or powering 234 homes per year.

Rod Walton, EnergyTech Managing Editor

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Radiance Solar and SolAmerica Energy have introduced the Stephenson S1 Solar Project, a 2.86 MW community solar project in Freeport, Illinois.

The project will be powered by American-made panels from First Solar to provide clean, reliable power to the local grid in support of Illinois’ transition to a sustainable energy future. It is Radiance’s 26^th community solar project in Illinois.

“The Stephenson Solar Project is not just another installation—it represents a long-term commitment to delivering high-quality, impactful solar solutions in Illinois,” Radiance Solar CEO Steve Newby said in a statement. “Having completed over 20 solar projects in the state, we are dedicated to expanding distributed energy infrastructure and supporting local energy resilience.”

The project is expected to produce 4,155 MWh of electricity annually, reducing greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to removing 463 cars from the road or powering 234 homes per year.

“As a community solar asset, this project will allow homes and businesses across Northern Illinois to receive the benefits of clean and low-cost solar power while bringing economic benefits to Stephenson County,” said Tully Blalock, CEO of SolAmerica.

Radiance Solar has developed distributed energy and solar projects across the U.S, including carport solar at utility Georgia Power’s headquarters complex in Atlanta, as well as installations in Tennessee, Pennsylvania and Florida.

Among its commercial and industrial customers receiving on-site renewable energy includes the PGA Tour Headquarters, IKEA, Atlanta International Airport, Southeast Toyota Distributors, Shaw Industries and S&S Activewear (pictured above).

Community solar projects are developed to provide an affordable entry point for customers wanting to invest in renewable energy. The subscriptions are far less expensive than installing residential or commercial rooftop solar, but also more direct than remote, utility-scale renewable solar and wind farms.

About the Author

Rod Walton, EnergyTech Managing Editor | Senior Editor

For EnergyTech editorial inquiries, please contact Managing Editor Rod Walton at [email protected].

Rod Walton has spent 15 years covering the energy industry as a newspaper and trade journalist. He 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.

Walton earned his Bachelors degree in journalism from the University of Oklahoma. His career stops include the Moore American, Bartlesville Examiner-Enterprise, Wagoner Tribune and Tulsa World.

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. The C&I sectors together account for close to 30 percent of greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S.

He was named Managing Editor for Microgrid Knowledge and EnergyTech starting July 1, 2023

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.