solar energy

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Electrifying Our Old Oak Park Home: Going Solar

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Electrifying Our Old Oak Park Home: Going Solar

As bad news about climate change continues to frequent the headlines, it can feel hopeless. What could we, a single household, possibly do to make a meaningful contribution to such a huge, global problem? Should we recycle more? Stop eating meat? Stop using plastic bags?

We’re often told these kinds of actions help. But if we step back and look at the bigger picture, it becomes clear that these kinds of efficiency and lifestyle changes won’t be enough. Climate scientists and the UN have told us we need to get to net zero emissions by 2050. Is there anything more we could possibly be doing to ensure a more sustainable future for our kids?

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How Community Solar Saves Us Money While Helping the Planet

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How Community Solar Saves Us Money While Helping the Planet

Like many other Oak Parkers, our family tries to live in an environmentally responsible way. We compost food waste, eat meat-free and organic, and drive electric cars. When we lived in a single-family house, we imagined installing solar panels on the roof, but it wasn't practical or, at the time, affordable. When we downsized into a condo, we faced the challenge of getting buy-in from our fellow owners to add a rooftop solar array, and the available space would have been too small to make much of a dent in our building’s electricity consumption.

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Community Solar Rises and Shines

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Community Solar Rises and Shines

Solar energy deployment is getting super charged on Chicago’s near west side, thanks to a community-based program called PlanItGreen: Solar in Your Community. The program is developing a pipeline of community solar projects to meet the renewable energy goal in Oak Park and River Forest’s PlanItGreen sustainability plan: achieve 25% renewable energy procurement by 2020.

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Here comes the sun . . . Solar discount program reduces cost by 25%

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SolarChicago Workshop:  Thursday, August 21, 2014, 7:00-8:30pm, Oak Park Main Library, 834 Lake Street, Oak Park, IL  60301LEED Home - Solar This program helps homeowners pool their buying power to make going solar more affordable than ever (25% off the average installed cost) while helping to achieve community clean energy installation goals.  Solar Chicago was undertaken by the City of Chicago (City), the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and Vote Solar, a non-profit organization working to bring solar energy into the mainstream.  This initiative is available to Oak Park, River Forest, Forest Park and other Cook County residents as well.

Learn more from the program contractors about the basics of residential solar and have your questions answered at the upcoming workshop:  Thursday, August 21, 2014, 7:00-8:30pm at the Oak Park Main Library, 834 Lake St, Oak Park, hosted by Green Community Connections, Seven Generations Ahead / PlanItGreen, and the Interfaith Green Network.  The workshop is free and open to the public.  If you are unable to attend, program details are on the Solar Chicago web site.  (http://www.mygroupenergy.com/group/solarchicago/news)