Stay in the know with our free newsletters!
Join more than 10,000 Evanstonians already receiving the RoundTable newsletter in their inbox each morning.
Already signed up? Just close out this popup. Or submit your email to keep this from displaying again on this device.
Evanston RoundTable
Evanston's community newspaper since 1998
Sign up for our free newsletters!
As the sun emerged briefly between cloudbursts Thursday morning, the Robert Crown Community Center rooftop solar installation was officially inaugurated.
More than 1,600 panels take advantage of “the largest fusion reactor in our solar system,” said Christopher Gersch, founder and CEO of Verde, the Chicago-based solar engineering company that built the system and will manage its operation.
“It’s free energy, and right now more than ever we’re seeing wars waged over natural resources and an old way of doing things,” he said. “We absolutely need to continue to push in Evanston, a shining star of what can be, to show that utilizing the sun is really the best kind of fuel you can get.”
When ComEd flips the switch in the next day or two, electrons will start flowing into the grid, said Grace Rasmussen, Verde’s lead engineer.
The center is now in the Second Ward but was in the Fourth Ward when the project got underway. Both Councilmembers Krissie Harris (2nd Ward) and Jonathan Nieuwsma (4th Ward) were on hand to celebrate the occasion.
Nieuwsma, a longtime renewable energy advocate, calculated that the power produced by the new system would support 213 houses with energy use equivalent to his own. Government at all levels has played a crucial role in advancing the clean energy revolution, he said. At the federal level, that has included funding for basic research and policies like tax credits that stimulate investment.
In Illinois, legislation going back to 2007 has helped create a strong market for renewable energy and “caused the solar industry to explode.” Before the 2016 Future Energy Jobs Act, the state had 80 megawatts of solar capacity. Last year, thanks to state policy, that number was more than 6,000 megawatts.
At the local level, Evanston’s climate action plans call for zero emissions by 2050. So far, the community has achieved a 40% reduction of greenhouse gas emissions from the baseline. There are plans to electrify all city-owned properties, and the Healthy Buildings Ordinance begins the process of decarbonizing privately owned property, Nieuwsma said.
This is not the city’s first solar project. Panels were installed at the water facility in 2010, and the Levy Senior Center also has solar panels. The 2021 Evanston Municipal Operations Zero Emissions Strategy estimated that city-owned rooftops have the potential to generate as much as 15% of the city’s annual electricity needs.
“There’s a lot more to do,” Nieuwsma said. Next on the list are the animal shelter and Dr. Jorge and Luz Maria Prieto Community Center. The city will handle these installations, which are too small for a power-purchase agreement of the kind that has made the Crown Center system feasible. Under the agreement, there is no city outlay for capital or operational costs, and the city pays a discounted rate for electricity.
City engineer Lara Biggs recognized partners and staff who had been involved in the project, including project manager Tim Kirkby and sustainability and resilience manager Cara Pratt, who wrote the 2023 request for proposals, the city’s first of its kind.
“Let us turn this building into a beacon of renewable energy,” she said.
As a financial supporter of the RoundTable, your contribution throughout the year powers our work covering all the vital news that matters in Evanston! Please consider making an additional gift!
Your contribution is tax-deductible. We appreciate your support!
Your commitment as a MONTHLY SUSTAINING DONOR helps us the most!
Recurring contributions – at all levels – enable us to build a viable newsroom that will serve Evanston for the next 25 years!
Your contribution is tax-deductible. We appreciate your support!
Environment Editor Wendy Pollock, now a steward of the Ladd Arboretum, worked for three decades in the science museum field and served as co-chair of the Evanston Environment Board. More by Wendy Pollock
Your email address will not be published.
The Evanston RoundTable is the community’s leading source of news about local government, schools, civic and artistic activities, and other important issues facing our city. We seek to foster civic engagement and empower people to address complex issues facing our diverse community, promoting a better understanding and appreciation of people of all races, ethnicities, and income levels.
Evanston Roundtable
1514 Elmwood Avenue
Suite 2
Evanston, Illinois 60201
847.864.7741
Sign in by entering the code we sent to , or clicking the magic link in the email.
By signing up, you agree to our Terms and Conditions.
