Renewable Energy

The installation of a 1kW educational PV system and its integration into the schools’ curriculum was celebrated and showcased in an exhibit at the school and the Oak Lawn Public Library. The Exhibition, Connections: Energy, Visual Arts and Our Environment, brings together the work of Environmental Science and Studio Art and Advanced Placement Art students.

The city’s municipal utility installed two 1.5 MW gearless Vensys turbines. The output from these turbines provides approximately 12% of the city’s electricity.

This school has embraced solar thermal technology and has installed three different systems around campus to provide hot water as well as radiant floor heating.

Since 2004, the Illinois Institute of Rural Affairs has been installing meteorological towers around the state to monitor wind resources. The data has created a valuable set of publicly available maps and resources.

The UIUC Solar Decathlon House was the top US team in the 2009 Solar Decathlon. Teams from all over the world compete every two years on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., to determine who designed and built a solar-powered house that best blends affordability, consumer appeal, and design excellence with optimal energy production and maximum efficiency.

This unique building incorporates a 13.5kW rooftop PV system that provides over 10% of the building’s electricity usage. The LEED Platinum certified Center hosts a nature preschool, elementary and middle school environmental education field trips, offers youth group outdoor education and programming, and provide space for community group meetings and exhibits about green buildings.