City of Urbana and Sunpower Corporation Awarded Crucial State Solar Incentive

Urbana, IL - The City of Urbana’s Solar partnership with Sunpower Corporation to develop a commercial solar array on top of the City’s closed landfill has received a crucial financial incentive from the State of Illinois’ Solar For All program. The program provides financial incentives for developers to build new solar energy facilities that supply electricity to low income qualified households.

The City completed a qualifications based selection for a landfill solar developer at the end of 2017 and entered into a lease option with Sunpower Corporation, a global solar energy manufacturer and installer, to develop a solar array on the City’s closed landfill. On August 22, 2019 the City/Sunpower project was selected for a Low Income Community Solar incentive by the Illinois Power Agency’s Solar For All program. This incentive makes a landfill solar development commercially viable at the City’s closed landfill. Sunpower will now make all preparations required of approved vendors in the Solar For All program. Additionally, the City will convert the lease option into a long term lease pursuant to the terms of the lease option.

Electricity purchasers, also called subscribers, can buy or lease a share of a community solar system; this share is typically measured by units of solar panels or electricity purchased from the community solar system. Participants are credited on their utility bill for the energy produced by their share of the system.

Residential households, whether property owners or renters, can qualify for this program as a subscriber if they meet the income requirement of 80% or less Area Median Income. Residents can check to see if they are income-qualified for the Low-Income Community Solar program at https://www.illinoissfa.com/. Qualified participants who subscribe to a Low-income Community Solar project do not incur upfront costs, and any ongoing costs and fees will not exceed 50% of the value of the energy produced. Following approval of the incentive award by the Illinois Commerce Commission on October 2, Sunpower will have eighteen months to complete the project and open it for subscriptions.