Date: Sept. 26, 2024
With a new solar array installed, Kankakee Community College will save on energy costs and have another tool for renewable energy education. The ~950 Kilowatt (kW) solar array, financed by Dr. Sarode Pundaleeka and the Illinois Solar for All (ILSFA), is on the south end of the college’s Riverfront Campus. It covers a little more than 2.5 acres.
The array, which includes five rows of 540-watt solar panels, will produce over 1,300 megawatt hours of energy, or about 8% of the total electricity consumed annually on KCC’s Riverfront Campus, said Brian Maillet, founder and CEO of Renewable Energy Evolution, LLC, the company that installed and maintains the solar array. This is equivalent to the energy used annually in about 100 homes, Maillet said.
KCC has no start-up or maintenance costs for this project because Pundaleeka generously financed the equipment, and will donate it after six years, said Rob Kenney, director of KCC’s Physical Plant Department. The solar array will immediately save KCC on energy costs, he said.
This initiative aligns with the college's long-standing commitment to environmental stewardship and offers substantial educational and financial benefits, said Beth Nunley, vice president of KCC’s Business Affairs Division. It can immediately be used as a hands-on learning lab for students in KCC’s Renewable Energy Technology program.
The system is designed to produce clean energy with no pollution or emissions. Low-growth, native vegetation around the solar array was incorporated during installation. The plantings will support habitats for pollinators such as bees, butterflies, and beetles, which are crucial for agriculture.
“The native grasses and deep-root systems are more effective at absorbing run-off compared to traditional turf grass, and no chemicals or pesticides will be used in their maintenance,” said Kenney.
Maillet said the timing of the solar array was good. In collaboration with Sunlarge Industries, KCC originally explored having the array in 2016, but financial incentives were not enough to justify the cost.
“Once the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act (CEJA) was signed into law in 2021, the state incentives were strengthened with the introduction of the Illinois Solar for All program, which was designed to make solar projects more viable for schools, municipalities and other nonprofit organizations in low-income areas,” Maillet said. “The Inflation Reduction Act, passed in 2023, opened up additional incentives as well.”
For the first six years the array is used, KCC will have a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) in place. With the PPA, KCC pays a reduced rate to use the energy produced by the solar array. As an example, Maillet said the PPA rate in 2017 would have been $0.057/kWh. KCC now has a $0.015/kWh rate in year one. Then, the rate rises 1.7% each year of the 6-year term. After the PPA is completed, the energy will no longer have a cost.
“This results in savings of over $84,000 in the first year alone, with over 80% savings during each of the six years of the agreement, with a projected $2.8 million in savings over the warrantied 25-year life of the system,” Maillet said.
KCC sustainability measures
· 950 Kilowatt solar array – Installed January 2024.
· LEED Gold certified building (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) – North Extension Center, Bradley
· LEED Gold certified building – Advanced Technology Education Center, Kankakee
· No. 2 nationally among associate degree colleges in North America; ranked by Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE), 2018
· Founding member of IGEN (Illinois Green Network Economy), a charter signatory of the American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment
· Charter member of AASHE STARS<https://stars.aashe.org/> (Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education - Sustainability Tracking, Assessment and Rating System)
· 50kW wind turbine – installed in 2011
· More than 95% of exterior lighting at the college is LED lighting
· 11 water fountains at the college have bottle fillers
(sidebar) KCC renewable energy programs
Associate in Applied Science:
· Electrical Engineering Technology with a renewable energy track<https://kcc.smartcatalogiq.com/en/current/academic-catalog/programs/elect-engr-tech-and-renew-energy/electrical-engineering-technology-renewable-energy-technology>
Certificates:
· Solar-Photovoltaic<https://kcc.smartcatalogiq.com/en/current/academic-catalog/programs/elect-engr-tech-and-renew-energy/electrical-engineering-technology-renewable-energy-technology/solar-photovoltaic-technology-certificate>
· Solar-thermal <https://kcc.smartcatalogiq.com/en/current/academic-catalog/programs/elect-engr-tech-and-renew-energy/electrical-engineering-technology-renewable-energy-technology/solar-thermal-technology-certificate/>
· Small wind technology<https://kcc.smartcatalogiq.com/en/current/academic-catalog/programs/elect-engr-tech-and-renew-energy/electrical-engineering-technology-renewable-energy-technology/small-wind-technology-certificate/>
Renewable energy courses:
· Fundamentals of Electricity<https://kcc.smartcatalogiq.com/en/current/academic-catalog/courses/eltr-electrical-engineering-tech/eltr-1004/>
· Survey of Renewable Energy<https://kcc.smartcatalogiq.com/en/current/academic-catalog/courses/eltr-electrical-engineering-tech/eltr-1503/>
· Intro to Solar-Photovoltaic Tech<https://kcc.smartcatalogiq.com/en/current/academic-catalog/courses/eltr-electrical-engineering-tech/eltr-2334/>
· Introduction to Small-Wind Technology<https://kcc.smartcatalogiq.com/en/current/academic-catalog/courses/eltr-electrical-engineering-tech/eltr-2324/>
· Introduction to Solar-Thermal Technology<https://kcc.smartcatalogiq.com/en/current/academic-catalog/courses/eltr-electrical-engineering-tech/eltr-2314>
· Advanced Photovoltaic Installation<https://kcc.smartcatalogiq.com/en/current/academic-catalog/courses/eltr-electrical-engineering-tech/eltr-2343>
· Solar Operations & Maintenance<https://kcc.smartcatalogiq.com/en/current/academic-catalog/courses/eltr-electrical-engineering-tech/eltr-2353>
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Kankakee Community College is an accredited two-year college which awards associate degrees and certificates of completion. KCC prepares students both to transfer to four-year colleges and to enter the workforce. The college also offers continuing education courses and certification training, literacy programs, English as a Second Language and GED preparation. The KCC mission is “Enhancing quality of life through learning.” The college has a Riverfront Campus in Kankakee, South Extension Center in Watseka, North Extension Center in Bradley and Manufacturing and Industrial Technology Center in Kankakee.
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Contact:
Kari Nugent
Vice president for advancement, marketing, and public relations
815-802-8256
knugent@kcc.edu
