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The city launched its new Evanston Sun Power Program in partnership with Windfree Solar earlier this month to provide solar energy system installations at no cost to approximately 20 Evanston households. 
Low- and moderate-income households will be selected via a lottery system for the program. The application, which is available in English and Spanish, closes at midnight on Tuesday. Windfree Solar Sales Operations Manager Taylor Ball said the Evanston-based solar company was selected by the city to manage the program in December.  
Cara Pratt, Evanston’s chief sustainability and resilience officer, said electricity coming from the program will be “essentially free” for participants once the solar energy system is installed.
“That can cut bills to almost zero certain times of the year or cut them in half other times of the year,” Pratt said. “It really makes an impact on their utility costs.”
The program’s funding comes from the U.S. Department of Energy, thanks to a Congressionally Directed Spending request by U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin’s (D-Ill.) office. Pratt said the city initially requested $1 million to include a workforce development aspect of the program, which would train solar installers. 
The program’s funding is $500,000, so the city had to focus on the solar system installations, Pratt said. 
The city will make sure lottery-selected participants are income-qualified, and Windfree Solar will assess whether households are solar-ready without major renovations.
Ball said due to the limited budget, Windfree Solar has to be particular about which sites receive the installation. Some households may have factors that disqualify them, such as roofs in need of replacement or too many trees blocking sunlight in the area.
Still, the company welcomes applications from all income-qualified Evanston households and employees at Windfree Solar Cafe, at 517 Dempster St., can answer questions and assist with program applications. 
“We hope that there’s a lot of folks that are interested in applying, because that would only speak for the future of the program,” Ball said. 
Evanston resident Hal Sprague, a former environmental lawyer and community engagement manager at Trajectory Energy Partners, an Illinois-based solar development company, said Evanston’s program is a great start that should be scaled up in the future. 
Sprague is also on the city’s Climate Action and Resilience Plan Implementation Task Force, an Environmental Board subcommittee working with Pratt to implement CARP. Pratt said the city promotes solar because it aligns with CARP, in addition to lowering utility costs. 
Though he said the program’s approximately 20-household goal is a small number, Sprague said the program can be used as a pilot to gather more information for future initiatives. 
He said finding a more permanent source of funding for solar energy installations is an important goal for the program, as well as getting the word out to potential applicants. 
“It’s necessary and hopefully will be an example or a pilot for many more to come,” he said. “There are thousands of homes, not a handful, that need this kind of help, and in particular the low- and moderate-income families in Evanston.”
For the program’s selected participants, Ball said the expected timeline will be three to four months. She said the solar installation process can take time, since it involves discussing logistics, assessing the site and permitting before construction and installation can begin. 
She said participants are “essentially marrying” the solar energy system, so Windfree Solar wants them to be satisfied with each step of the process. Ball added that the company hopes to have all of the installations complete before the end of the year. 
Pratt said she hopes to learn from Evanston Sun Power and possibly expand the program. 
Ball said future plans would rely on more funding, which is typically the limiting factor for these types of projects. 
“If we successfully do this program, which we feel confident that we’ll be able to, could we use that as a platform to appeal to the DOE or whoever to get more funding for the program?” she said. 
Sprague said Evanston’s involvement in the program will help ensure its success, since the city will be able to make sure people receive the installations. He said these first households that get the installations will serve as an example, vetting the process. 
He said the program’s decision to prioritize low- and moderate-income households is important, but added that there are challenges for other households switching to solar energy as well. The process can include complications, and it can be difficult to find legitimate companies, Sprague said. 
Ball said Windfree Solar is a community-focused company, which has already completed more than 50 residential solar installations across Evanston.
“Solar is accessible to a degree, but it’s not accessible to all — another great reason why we’re doing this program,” Ball said. 
Email: [email protected] 
X: @reganmichele215 
Related Stories: 
— Community members tout benefits of small solar panels, Illinois bill 
— Windfree Solar opens first solar cafe in Evanston, local environmental activists react 
— CARP Implementation Task Force prioritizes council outreach, national environmental efforts for 2025 

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