title
REPORT
Department: Environment and Sustainability
Report Title: Solar Schools Annual Report
Report Period: FY2023
Summary: As required by Resolution Number 20-2567 establishing the Cook County K-12 Solar Schools Initiative that was approved by the Board of Commissioners on May 21, 2020, the following is the 2023 Annual Report for the Cook County Solar Schools Grant program. We are happy to report that the available funding has been allocated to schools and the program is nearing completion..
Program Information
The Cook County Solar Schools Grant provides supplemental funding to grantees of the Illinois Clean Energy Community Foundation’s (ICECF) K-12 Solar Schools Program, a program that supports the installation of 1kW photovoltaic (PV) systems throughout Illinois institutions serving grades K-12. To receive supplemental funding through the Cook County Solar Schools program, applicants must serve the K-12 population in Cook County, Illinois; be a recognized public school by the IL State Board of Education (ISBE); and be a grantee of the ICECF’s K-12 Solar Schools Program. If more applications are received than funding available, preference is given to Title-1 school-wide funded and Title-1 school-wide eligible schools, in which children from low-income families make up at least 40% of the enrollment. The Cook County Solar Schools program may award up to $4,999 per school including:
• The remaining costs of the 1kw PV system, not covered by ICECF, including supplies, installation and labor
• An award to the school for the purposes of setting up an operations and maintenance fund for the PV system to ensure its long-term operation for the school community.
• The costs of the Solarbration event and educational resources related to renewable energy, and/or signage for the installation.
Previous Grant Awardee Status
In 2021 and 2022, 23 schools were awarded the Cook County Solar Schools Grant and moved forward in the program. There have been delays to many of the installations due to a variety of reasons (increased demand for installs in the region, not enough installers, increased prices, etc.) but the installations are occurring. Cook County has given extensions to grant agreements when necessary, following ICECF’s lead.
• 11 schools are finished, and reimbursement has been issued
• 3 schools have submitted the final report, and the reimbursement is in process
• 9 schools are in process of completing installs, finishing paperwork and their Solarbrations
Solar Repair Funds
Additionally, the Cook County Solar Schools Grant program allowed funding of necessary repairs of current ICECF grantee schools’ solar installations that are no longer working as they should. These repairs are funded soley by the County and there is no ICECF funding.
DES has signed grant agreements with three of these schools thus far and plans to sign agreements with five additional schools. Cost of repairs will be approximately $10,000-$15,000 in total for all of the schools awarded the repairs grants, using up the remainder of the funding available for this program.
These repairs will ensure that the solar panels are again functional and can be used as a learning instrument.
Spenddown of Funds
$68,141.39 has been expended since 2022, as submission and processing of reimbursement grants has begun. The remaining funds for this program have been reappropriated to the FY24 budget. FY24 will be the final year of funding for this program.
Cook County Solar School Awardees
School name City Commissioner Year Awarded
Barack Obama School of Chicago Heights 5 2021
Leadership & STEM
Bremen High School Street Midlothian 5 2021
Hillcrest High School Street Country Club Hills 5 2021
Oak Forest High School Oak Forest 6 2021
Tinley Park High School Tinley Park 6 2021
Elden D Finley Junior High School Chicago Ridge 17 2021
Pleasantdale Middle School Burr Ridge 17 2021
Cooper Middle School Buffalo Grove 14 2021
East Leyden High School Franklin Park 17 2021
Holmes Middle School Wheeling 14 2021
Lincoln Hall Middle School Lincolnwood 13 2021
London Middle School Wheeling 14 2021
Octavio Paz Elementary Chicago 7 2021
Burr Ridge CCSD Burr Ridge 17 2021
West Leyden High School Northlake 16 2021
Central Elementary School Wilmette 14 2022
Harper Elementary Wilmette 14 2022
McKenzie Elementary School Wilmette 14 2022
Proviso East High School Maywood 1 2022
Ridge Central Elementary School Chicago Ridge 17 2022
Ridge Lawn Elementary School Chicago Ridge 6 2022
Romona Elementary School Wilmette 14 2022
Wilmette Junior High School Wilmette 14 2022
Cook County Solar Schools Repairs Grant Awardees
Union Ridge School District 86 Harwood Heights 9 2022
Maine East High School Park Ridge 9 2022
Middleton Elementary School Skokie 13 2023
end