Equity Solar Illinois Energizes New Community Solar + Storage for Commercial Customers

A new 6.9 MW direct current community solar project was energized in Illinois this month. 

Located 230 miles southwest of Chicago in the rural community of Beardstown, the aptly named Beard Solar also features an 11.9 MWh energy storage system.

Equity Solar Illinois (ESI) owns the installation, which was developed and designed in collaboration with community solar developer US Solar and battery integrator Eneon-ES. ESI is a partnership between Chicago business leaders and US Solar.

Community solar programs enable residents and businesses to participate in the renewable energy transition and lower energy costs through a subscription-based business model. Participants receive credits that lower their monthly electric bill.

Most of Bear Solar’s subscribers are small commercial businesses.

“Beard Solar underscores the vital role storage plays in modernizing our energy grid and expanding access to the benefits of clean energy,” Rena Henderson Mason, principal at Equity Solar Illinois, said in a statement. “This project reflects ESI’s commitment to pairing clean energy development with community impact to build a grid that serves everyone.”

The Beard Solar installation is the first combined community solar and energy storage installation in Ameren Corp. Illinois’ territory. Ameren Illinois, a subsidiary of electric and natural gas utility Ameren Corporation, serves 1.2 million customers in the region.

The site includes more than 12,000 solar modules on 30 acres. Alone, the solar panels would generate around 8 million kWh of electricity a year, enough to power nearly 950 homes.

However, the energy storage system improves the site’s output to 11 million kWh because it can dispatch electricity for three to four hours past sunset, when solar generation ceases.

“Ameren Illinois is proud to support innovative projects like Beard Solar that accelerate our state’s transition to cleaner energy,” said Langston Rose, west region electric director at Ameren Illinois. “By partnering with renewable energy developers and embracing forward-thinking solutions, such as community solar paired with energy storage, we are helping to build a more reliable and sustainable grid for all our customers.”

Illinois sets the stage for more clean energy projects

Illinois is increasingly exploring new avenues for lowering consumer electricity bills, increasing grid reliability and expanding clean energy resources.

In October, ESI energized Ducks Solar for ComEd, a 7.72 MW community solar and 6.8 MWh energy storage project about 100 miles west of Chicago. While ComEd has installed multiple community solar farms across the state, Ducks Solar was the first to add the energy storage component.

Earlier this month, Illinois governor J.B. Pritzker signed the Clean and Reliable Grid Affordability (CRGA) Act. The law will significantly reform the state’s approach to energy by mandating the expansion of battery storage, virtual power plants and energy efficiency programs.

“Distributed energy is a critical grid resource that can be readily deployed to meet the growing demand for electricity,” said Rob Ritchie, vice president of energy storage at US Solar. “With the new opportunities enabled by the CRGA Act, we look forward to working on more projects like Beard Solar to meet Illinois’ environmental, reliability, and affordability goals.”