ComEd, SunVest Energize 8 MW Community Solar Array in Illinois
ComEd and Chicago-based solar developer SunVest have celebrated the energization of a nearly 8-megawatt DC community solar project located at DeKalb Taylor Municipal Airport in DeKalb, Illinois. The project is designed to expand access to renewable energy while providing financial benefits to local residents, small businesses, the airport and the surrounding community.
Built adjacent to the municipal airport’s airfield, the solar array offers a community-based alternative for customers who may not have suitable rooftops or properties for installing their own solar panels. Through subscriptions to the project, participating homes and small businesses in the DeKalb area can receive clean electricity while reducing their energy costs.
A major portion of the project’s subscription capacity has been reserved for low-to-moderate income (LMI) customers. Approximately 60 percent of the available subscription capacity is dedicated to these customers, helping broaden access to the economic and environmental benefits of renewable energy.
According to project estimates, the average subscriber will save more than $300 per year on electricity costs. Over the project’s anticipated 35-year lifetime, those savings could reach nearly $11,000 per customer. When combined across all subscribers, the project is expected to generate approximately $246,000 in annual customer savings, representing an estimated $8.61 million in total savings over the next three decades.
“At a time when energy prices are rising nationwide, community solar projects like this one by SunVest are a quick way to bring down costs by bringing more power on to the grid,” said ComEd President and CEO Gil Quiniones. He added that many households and businesses do not have structures that are suitable for installing solar systems, making community solar an important way to address that challenge while helping reduce customer bills and expand access to clean electricity.
The airport location also supports the Illinois Power Agency’s objective of developing community solar projects on municipal properties. By utilizing public land for renewable energy generation, the project demonstrates how local government-owned sites can contribute to Illinois’ clean energy expansion while creating additional sources of revenue.
The financial benefits extend beyond the customers who subscribe to the solar array. The project is expected to provide approximately $91,000 annually in site rent and another $36,000 per year in property taxes to DeKalb County. Under Illinois law, the majority of the property tax revenue is directed toward local schools, providing an additional community benefit from the solar development.
“This project provides meaningful benefits to Northern Illinois communities,” said Bram Walters, CEO of SunVest Solar. “Not only does this project save lower-income residents on their power bills, the rent paid to the municipal airport and property taxes paid to local jurisdictions provide new revenue for the community.”
For DeKalb Taylor Municipal Airport, participation in the project provides both an environmental opportunity and an additional revenue stream. Airport Manager Ben Trompeter said the facility is pleased to participate in the solar energy program and highlighted its potential to support renewable energy use and reduce the airport’s carbon footprint.
“The DeKalb Taylor Municipal Airport is proud to participate in the solar energy program. The solar farm helps reduce the carbon footprint, supports the use of renewable energy, and provides an additional source of revenue for the airport,” Trompeter said. He added that the City of DeKalb and the airport are pleased to partner with SunVest and ComEd, describing the project as an example of their shared commitment to environmental stewardship and long-term sustainability.
The new installation is part of a broader expansion of solar and distributed energy resources across ComEd’s northern Illinois service territory. Supported in part by state clean energy policy, solar capacity in ComEd’s service area has more than tripled since the Illinois Clean Energy and Jobs Act, or CEJA, took effect in late 2021.
ComEd currently has approximately 2.0 gigawatts of distributed energy resources connected to its grid. Those resources include about 85,000 solar and battery storage systems, reflecting the growing adoption of customer-owned and community-based clean energy technologies throughout the utility’s territory.
Community solar has also expanded significantly across northern Illinois. More than 280 community solar sites currently serve more than 53,000 residential customers. ComEd expects the number of energized community solar sites to reach approximately 420 by the end of 2026.
SunVest is contributing to that expansion through multiple projects, with 16 systems expected to be energized by ComEd by the end of 2026. The DeKalb Taylor Municipal Airport project adds another large-scale installation to the growing network and demonstrates how community solar can be integrated into municipal properties.
The project also received support from federal lawmakers. Congressman Bill Foster highlighted the potential for renewable energy developments to help address rising electricity demand while delivering direct financial benefits to local customers.
“Expanding clean energy production is essential to meeting our growing energy needs, and I’m proud that Illinois is helping to lead in that effort,” Foster said. “This project will help local families and small businesses save on their electricity bills while ensuring more people can share in the benefits of solar power.”
With its combination of renewable generation, customer savings, LMI participation, municipal revenue and local tax benefits, the DeKalb Taylor Municipal Airport solar project illustrates the multiple ways community solar can contribute to regional clean energy development. The nearly 8 MW array provides participating customers with access to solar power without requiring individual rooftop installations, while the airport and local government receive new revenue from the use of the site.
As Illinois continues expanding its clean energy infrastructure, projects such as the DeKalb airport installation are helping connect more customers to renewable electricity and broaden participation in the state’s transition toward a more distributed energy system.
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