Solar FlexRack™ announced that it has supplied its FlexTrack Solar Trackers for a 42 megawatt (MW) portfolio of community solar projects in Illinois, to Summit Ridge Energy. All fourteen projects are part of Illinois Shines, a state-administered program that creates incentives for the development of new solar photovoltaic projects. Once these projects are complete, small businesses and homeowners will be able to access clean, reliable energy while saving up to 10 percent on their electricity bills.
"We're pleased to work with Solar FlexRack on these projects given their engineering expertise and reliable partnership," said Raj Soi, Executive Vice President of Operations at Summit Ridge Energy. "With over 250 MW of clean energy assets online or in development in Illinois, we're proud of our leadership in the state, and we look forward to continuing to deliver more affordable and reliable clean energy to local communities."
These projects were established through the Illinois Climate and Equitable Jobs Act (CEJA), which was signed into law on September 15th, 2021, re-establishing the Illinois Shines ABP, which authorizes the purchase of Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs) from solar panel system owners. At least 250 MW of new community solar projects have already been approved through this program, and when completed, these projects will allow an estimated 35,000 families to lower their electric bills without installing solar panels.
"Summit Ridge Energy is a leader in renewable energy in Illinois, and we are excited to have the opportunity to work with their team to cost-effectively deploy a large volume of high-quality community solar projects in the state," said Greg Lewis, Director of Sales, Eastern U.S. at Solar FlexRack. "Having completed hundreds of cold weather challenged projects in Canada and the Northeastern U.S. over the past decade, we look forward to further utilizing our expertise and tracker technology in these impactful projects."
In addition to providing affordable renewable energy to local communities, this 42 MW portfolio of community solar projects contributes significantly to the state's goal of reaching 100 percent clean energy by 2050. These projects will also contribute to what is expected to be one of the largest years for solar energy in Illinois' history, with the state's renewable energy industry planning to complete more than 8,400 rooftop and community solar projects and increase its workforce by 50 percent by the end of 2022.