Winnebago Community Historical Society

Town Hall Goes Solar

 On May 4, 2023, the Town Hall at 116 South Benton Street, owned by WCHS, joined hundreds of Illinois residents and businesses by installing solar panels to supply our building with electrical power.

Working with Stateline Solar of Lena, Illinois, the process started in the fall of 2022 when a Stateline representative met with the WCHS Board to explain the solar benefits and the incentives being offered through the Illinois Shines program.

WCHS took our proposal to the Community Foundation of Northern Illinois (CFNIL)* in the form of a grant application for solar installation as well as the installation of LED lighting in the main auditorium. In December, we were informed that the grant was funded allowing the work to proceed. Contracts were signed, installation proceeded on both the solar panels and the LED lighting.

WCHS will be generating all our electric power needs for the next 25 years. We will be selling our State Renewal Energy Credits to ComEd for more than 50% of the cost of solar installation. This equity generated from the sale of credits along with the CFNIL grant support allows WCHS to have a system that is installed and functional without any WCHS cash outlay.

Due to the lag time between installation and receipt of the equity from the sale of solar credits (about 6 months), our partners at German American Bank have provided a bridge loan to pay our contractor. Best of all, WCHS will reduce our energy bill substantially.

Stop by and see how we have been “Lighting Up Town Hall!”

*The mission of the Community Foundation of Northern Illinois is to inspire endowment and promote philanthropy for the current and future needs of the people of Northern Illinois. Since its founding in 1953, CFNIL has granted more than $80 million for charitable purposes. 2023 is CFNIL’s 70th anniversary: learn more about CFNIL’s history, grantmaking, and commitment to endowment at www.cfnil.org.