Sign up to our FREE newsletters to get the latest news delivered straight to your inbox.
Evanston Now
City officials and representatives from Verde Solutions held a ceremonial ribbon-cutting press conference on Thursday to officially unveil over 1,660 solar panels mounted on top of Robert Crown Community Center.
The panels, installed and operated by Verde Solutions, are expected to produce over one megawatt of electricity a year to help power Robert Crown, equivalent to over 50,800 barrels of oil or 5,100 cars driven per year, Verde Solutions founder Chris Gersch said.
Sign up for our free newsletters.
The power will account for about one-third of Robert Crown’s energy usage, saving the city about $2.7 million in energy costs over the 20-year agreement with Verde Solutions, who installed the panels at no cost as part of a 2024 agreement.
“Evanston has continued to be a leader” on renewable energy, Gersch said, adding that the project at Robert Crown has led other communities to reach out to his company as well.
“It was Evanston that really came out … starting the momentum in a positive way,” Gersch said.
On Thursday, Ald. Krissie Harris (2nd) said the project will help “lead Evanston to a more efficient and sustainable future.”
Ald. Jonathan Nieuwsma (4th) praised the city’s climate action work, between the 2018 Climate Action Resilience Plan and more recent Healthy Buildings Ordinance, saying, “this project really puts us in the major league” with climate action.
“This is a fantastic project,” Nieuwsma said. “Projects like this are helping us to make progress,” adding the city is also looking to put solar panels on the Prieto Center and animal shelter.
City Engineer Lara Biggs called the project a “huge win” and said it will help turn Robert Crown “into a beacon of renewable energy.”
Matthew has covered politics and local government for Evanston Now since 2024. He was previously a freelance reporter for the New York Times. He grew up in Cleveland and has a journalism degree from Boston… More by Matthew Eadie
Only Members may post a comment. If you already have a membership, then sign in. Become a member now.
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Sign in by entering the code we sent to , or clicking the magic link in the email.
Privacy Policy. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Get the best of Evanston Now directly in your email inbox.
Sending to:
This post is only available to members.
Unlock this article and join our community of loyal readers by signing up for our FREE newsletters, delivered to your inbox daily.
Already have an account? Sign In.
Privacy Policy
Thank you for registering!
