ISEA Blog

The City of Naperville, Department of Public Utilities-Electric (DPU-E) is expanding its use of renewable energy and raising public awareness by initiating a project to bring solar power to the department.  DPU-E is currently working with a local solar project developer, SoCore Energy, in building a 5 kW solar array on the property of the Fort Hill Dr substation at the intersection of 75^th Street and Fort Hill Drive in Naperville.  The array, which is being donated and installed by SoCore will provide additional energy to offset the substation building’s energy needs.  The 25 panel array will be placed on the ground, and will have an estimated yearly energy production of 4,500 kWh.

This clean energy project will provide a visual example of a renewable energy source.  DPU-E will use the project to enhance public awareness and aid in determining the feasibility and efficiency of solar power.

Joe Compean designed a globe for the Chicago 2007 Cool Globe Project that utilized solar panels and LED lights.  Unfortunately a new high rise was built across the street, blocking much of the sun.  Joe is seeking assistance in finding replacement panels that would be able to generate enough energy using the reduced sunlight to power the LED lights.

Contact Joe directly
Joe Compean
312-415-7543
info@compeanphotography.com

Thanks to a federal Stimulus grant, Ingersoll Machine Tools will soon retrofit their existing Rockford facility to manufacture wind turbine components, a move that will allow the company to retain nearly 70 existing jobs and create over 80 new jobs. According to a Press Release from the State of Illinois (more)

School districts will be able to band together to develop renewable energy and sell the electricity to power companies under a bill that just passed the Illinois House - HB 6419 School District Intergovernmental Cooperation Renewable Energy Act.  No word yet on a Senate version.

With state budget cuts forcing them to lay off dozens of teachers, three school districts in Chicago's suburbs are moving forward on a unique joint venture that could help secure their long-term financial future: a wind farm in central Illinois. (more)

Mark Burger, ISEA President, will be participating in a round table discussion with energy, environment and government leaders about what's real and what's fantasy when it comes to keeping and creating jobs in Illinois' energy sector - and what can be done in Springfield to bring more energy jobs to our state.

Click here to visit the website and email twolf@ilchamber.org to register.

Join this debate at The Economist with moderator, Oliver Morton, and participating experts Van Jones, author of The Green-Collar Economy, and Andrew Morriss, Professor of Law and Professor of Business at University of Illinois College of Law.

Van Jones: The private sector—not the government—can and must be the main driver in creating green jobs. The scale of the transition to cleaner, lower-carbon energy sources is simply too large for the public sector to tackle alone.

Andrew Morriss: Governments should not try to choose technological winners and losers and so they should not promote "green" (or "red" or "purple") jobs. Instead, we should leave that to the marketplace.

March 15 (Bloomberg) -- The burgeoning U.S. wind-energy industry will fail to reach its potential without help from Congress in setting a national renewable-power standard and revamping the electric grid, governors from 29 states said.

A jumble of state laws should be replaced by a national edict, according to a report from the Governors’ Wind Energy Coalition, which includes California, Florida and Massachusetts. The plan would help spur development and efficiency, which would create jobs, curb greenhouse-gas emissions and reduce dependency on oil imports, the coalition said.  (more)

In 2008, Lamarco Systems Inc., a security solutions company based in Northbrook, Ill., began installing and distributing solar energy technology through a wholly owned subsidiary called Chicago Solar Technologies.  While green innovation and renewable energy are certainly of-the-moment, how does a decade-old security company get involved in the solar photovoltaic cell market? (more)

A recent initiative from Illinois may serve as a model for other states that hope to attract green energy projects and stimulate economic development.

There are plenty of reasons to encourage and support the development of renewable energy projects. But in this down economy, the credit markets are typically discouraging. Here in Illinois, we've found a way to open new doors to financing renewable energy projects because we know they're good business–and good for our state. (more)

Some members of the U.S. Congress are still working to bring an energy or energy/climate bill to the floor of the Senate.  What's dangerous about it is that, depending on what concessions are made to improve the chances of passage, it may end up giving even more support to nuclear and coal industries at a time when what we need most of all is a move to a clean, renewable, sustainable energy economy.

Urge your U.S. senators to vote only for a ‘clean and renewable’ energy bill.

Solar Nation
www.solar-nation.org