Kendall County Solar Farm "Energized" and Fully Operational

Yorkville, Ill., April 15, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Today Kendall County officials announced that its 2.10 MW Solar Farm is fully "energized" and performing as expected. The Solar Farm is located on a vacant 7.4-acre parcel at the Government Center Complex in Yorkville, IL. The solar farm will generate over 3.3 million kilowatt hours (kWh) per year, and provide power to the Public Safety Center, County Judicial Center, and Public Health Department. "Kendall County is continually looking for ways to reduce our operating costs. This will save County taxpayers over $4 million dollars.  When Progressive Business Solutions presented a program that allowed us to reduce our costs without any capital investment, we decided it was a good fit for Kendall County and its residents," said Scott Gryder, Chairman of the Kendall County Board. 

Project Funding and Development
Funds were made available in 2019 and 2020 from the Adjustable Block Program (ABP) under the Future Energy Jobs Act (FEJA), passed in December of 2016. Area residents, businesses, governmental organizations and non-profits all pay into a renewable energy fund, which is collected on each customer's monthly ComEd bill. The available funds were highly competitive in that less than 30% of the applications submitted received approval. "We are pleased to have delivered on our commitment to develop projects that provide environmentally friendly low-cost power for Kendall County, said Chris Childress, Development Director Progressive Business Solutions."  The Kendall County Solar Farm joins the City of Plano, Fox Metro Water Reclamation, and Mooseheart Child City as the largest solar development in Chicagoland's Fox Valley Area.  The 2.10 MW Solar Field will be owned, operated, and maintained by GRNE Solar of Palatine, IL. GRNE Solar won the project through an RFP process hosted by Progressive Energy Solutions and Kendall County.  "This development will generate over 3.3 million kWh per year and 82.5 million kWh over the term of the contract. For reference, the average home consumes around 10,000 kWh per year. That means that this project will generate enough energy to power 395 homes per year." Said Eric Peterman, CEO of GRNE Solar. "We appreciate being selected by the Kendall County Board and are pleased to get this project online and energized."  "No new taxpayer dollars were used to build the Solar Fields." said Chris Childress, Development Director Progressive Business Solutions.  "We helped originate, competitively bid the solar field construction, and found the financial resources to fund the project. GRNE will receive Renewable Energy Credits (REC's). Kendall County will receive reduced cost power, which is substantially below market for a period of 25 years." per Mr. Childress. To monitor real-time production of the Kendall County Solar Farm Visit www.progressivebusinesssolutions.com/kendallsolarfarm-liveproduction/

Carbon Emissions Reduction
Cost reduction is not the only benefit for the Community. By generating over 82.5 million kWh during the project, it will reduce Carbon Emissions by over 58,300 metric tons. According to the EPA Greenhouse Gas Equivalency Calculator, that is equivalent to eliminating over 12,600 passenger cars or eliminating 6.5 million gallons of gasoline.

About Kendall County, IL
Kendall County is a county U.S. state of Illinois, within the Chicago metropolitan area. It has a population of 128,900. Its county seat is Yorkville, IL. It was the fastest-growing county in the United States between 2000 and 2010. For more information about the Solar Farm Visit www.co.kendall.il.us/solarfarm.  A dedication ceremony has been set for Saturday, April 17, 2021 at 2:00 p.m.

About the Future Energy Jobs Act and Illinois Adjustable Block Program
For more information on the Illinois Adjustable Block Program visit www.illinoisabp.com

About GRNE Solar
GRNE Solar is a Midwest leader of solar panel installation. Their full-service solar installation team includes consultants, engineers, project managers, electricians, and solar installers. Collectively, they have over two decades of renewable energy and green construction experience. We have proudly generated over 15 GWh of clean renewable power. Visit www.grnesolar.com

About Progressive Business Solutions   
Progressive Business Solutions works with Municipalities, Non-Profits Organizations, and Commercial/Industrial customers to increase their profits by lowering operating expenses, without capital investment. Progressive Business Solutions has saved clients over $400 million dollars.

For More Information About the Kendall County Solar Farm Contact:
Chris Childress
Phone:  630-882-6100       
Email:  [email protected]   
Website:  www.savewithprogressive.com

SOURCE Kendall County, IL