$100K Solar Thermal Energy System for High School Pool

by Amanda Griffin-Johnson Between September 2008 and August 2010, the Northfield Township High School District 225 received a $107,126 grant “to install a solar thermal energy system at Glenbrook High School at the new diving pool and athletic facility.” The grant (#09-022004) was part of the state’s Solar and Wind Energy Rebate Program, which is meant “to encourage utilization...

by Amanda Griffin-Johnson

Between September 2008 and August 2010, the Northfield Township High School District 225 received a $107,126 grant “to install a solar thermal energy system at Glenbrook High School at the new diving pool and athletic facility.” The grant (#09-022004) was part of the state’s Solar and Wind Energy Rebate Program, which is meant “to encourage utilization of smaller-scale solar and wind energy systems in Illinois.”

Solar and Wind Energy Rebates are available for “homeowners, businesses, public sector and non-profit entities who are customers of an electric or gas utility that impose the Renewable Energy Resources and Coal Technology Development Assistance Charge.” According to the program’s website, grants are available for “up to 30% of total project cost for residential and business applicants, and 50% for public sector and non-profit entities” with a listed maximum rebate of $50,000.

Other state energy grants in recent years have included:

• $450,000 for the University of Illinois to “implement the Biogas and Biomass to Energy program.”
• $253,350 for solar thermal hot water systems to heat Northern Illinois University’s swimming pools.
• $132,198 for the Pacific Garden Mission to install a solar thermal hot water system at its new facility in Chicago.
• $82,006 for six grants to individuals for small-scale wind energy conversion systems.
• $32,000 to the Illinois Solar Energy Association to “promote solar energy in Illinois through the Illinois Solar Tour, the Heliographs newsletter, and by studying the potential to aggregate renewable energy credits for small-scale solar photovoltaic energy systems.”
• $13,358 to the Phi Kappa Theta fraternity house at Northern Illinois University for a solar thermal energy system in order to “increase the utilization of alternative energy technology in Illinois.”

To learn more about energy grants in Illinois, check out “Spotlight on Spending #4: Illinois State Energy Subsidies – Picking Winners and Losers with Tax Dollars.”