Bloomington

Christopher and Mary Price

System: 36 roof-mounted panels, EV

Annual Production: 13MWh

Why I went solar: We believe in both the economic and environmental benefits of solar production. We also appreciate how it solar production helps make buying an electric vehicle more advantageous.

Champaign

Scott Willenbrock

Recording from 9/26/20 Live Zoom Tour

System: 69 roof-mounted PV panels, back up batteries, geothermal, EVs

Annual Production: >14MWh

Why I went solar: I installed solar, geothermal, and batteries primarily to get off of fossil fuels and combat climate change. Secondary reasons were to save money and to become less reliant on my local utility. I also greatly prefer driving an electric vehicle.

Champaign

Andy Robinson

Link to Video

System: 36 roof-mounted panels

Annual Production: 8600kWh

Why I went solar: I’ve wanted solar for years, but it had to become an affordable investment for my wife. My kids were old enough to understand that our house and car “don’t make smoke” now.

Concord

Ed and Elizabeth Anderson

System: 12 ground-mounted PV panels, solar thermal water heater, passive solar design

Annual Production: 4500kWh

Why I went solar: We wanted to be part of "the change we want to see in the world". We have lived a low impact lifestyle and this was simply a continuation of goal.

Decatur

Jason Butterick

Link to Video

System: 24 roof-mounted panels

Annual Production: 8940kWh

Why I went solar: To reduce carbon energy dependence and reduce energy bill costs. Solar when available, grid when necessary.

Fithian

Ron Feltes

Link to Video

System: 24 ground-mounted panels, earth-sheltered home

Annual Production: 8911kWh

Why I went solar: The 8.3% return on investment clinched it. I've wanted one since understanding how CO2 traps heat in the atmosphere causing "the enhanced greenhouse effect." I wanted to do my part to help life on our planet. It was easy and fun.

Mahomet

Phil Geil

Powerpoint

System: 96 ground-mounted panels, solar thermal (hot water/space heating), small wind (horizontal/vertical axis), EV, Low voltage switching

Annual Production: >27MWh

Why I went solar: It was the thing to do, going along with our energy conserving house self-built in 1983. The PV size is needed to heat water for our animals in the winter, exhaust greenhouses in summer; excess credited by Ameren in the summer. System currently consists of 96 panels (21.7 kW), ground mounted, self-installed in 3 sections, retilted 4x/yr to optimum tilt, plus 10 kW turbine. Note the solar is essentially maintenance free, wind is several hundred $/year. Production of 2012 installed 8 kW array has been 13% greater than estimated for equivalent power 30° constant tilt ground mount and 33% greater than a 14° tilt roof mount.

Springfield

Tung Nguyen

System: 29 roof-mounted panels

Annual Production: 8000kWh

Why I went solar: I went solar because I wanted to support renewable energy and a better environment.

Urbana

Marya Ryan and Pete Resnick

Link to Video

System: 27 roof-mounted panels, back up battery

Annual Production: 7500kWh

Why I went solar: We installed our system not only to "do the right thing" for renewable energy, but also to provide backup power for a home office, and to play with the latest technology. It had the added bonus of providing some shading, and therefore reducing the heat load, on a south facing roof right over the home office. Our final installation of panels were put in to take advantage of the Grow Solar / Solar Urbana-Champaign program.

Urbana

Julie Birdwell

System: 25 roof-mounted panels

Annual Production: 6000kWh

Why I went solar: We installed solar because we want to have as much of our energy use as possible to be renewable. We want our home and business to contribute to curbing climate change, and lessen our carbon footprint. We also enjoy the savings!

Washington

David Norman

System: 46 ground-mounted panels

Annual Production: 20MWh

Why I went solar: I decided to go solar because it's great for the environment reduces my carbon footprint, and there are great incentives from Illinois and long term cost savings.

Williamsville

John Albers

System: 44 roof-mounted panels, geothermal

Annual Production: 16.06MWh

Why I went solar: We installed a 2 kW system when we built our home in 2001 to reflect our commitment to renewable energy. We liked that system and upgraded to the current 12.54 kW system in 2017. We believe that it is important to do what we can to support a sustainable future.

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