How West Aurora School District 129 is Going Solar

Since 2020, the West Aurora School District 129 has installed solar power in half of its school buildings, achieving a total capacity of 3.3 megawatts across 11 installations—enough to power almost 600 homes.

As a public school district where approximately 50% of students receive free or reduced lunch, SD129 overcame budgetary constraints by being the first school district to utilize the Illinois Solar For All (ISFA) program, meaning that installations have come at no upfront cost as the district has become a leader in sustainability. The ISFA program seeks to provide affordable access to renewable energy for income-eligible communities, making solar more equitable and securing savings for participants.

“Solar energy is one of the most important tools we have to reduce our district’s energy costs for taxpayers while making us more environmentally friendly,” said Dr. Angela Smith, assistant superintendent of operations at SD129, who leads the district’s sustainability efforts. “The assistance from Illinois Solar For All has made it possible for us to very quickly install solar in half of our 17 district buildings.”

SD129’s solar installations and other improvements such as geothermal HVAC systems have practically eliminated the district’s power bills on the improved buildings, reduced the district’s carbon footprint, and also provided students valuable lessons about energy generation and sustainability through live dashboards they can view to monitor their school’s solar production and environmental impact.

“As we continue to solarize our schools, we are going to keep seeing the difference that it makes every day in the lives of our students, staff and community,” Smith said.

SD129’s most recent solar installations have been overseen by Grant Beatus, a project manager with PSG Energy Group and SD129 graduate.

“I'm thrilled to be part of the initiative to bring sustainable energy to my hometown," exclaimed Beatus. "Each new solar installation represents a step towards a brighter future for the students, including those who walk the same halls I once did.”

PSG Energy Group and Continental Energy Solutions, two companies with extensive experience in solarizing school buildings, have partnered with SD129 for each of the district’s installations over the past four years.

“We’re very honored to be a part of all these projects,” Haug said. “It feels good to know that we’re helping these schools make a real difference for their students and for their communities. I’d encourage every school district to explore their options with ISFA and the Illinois Shines block program, both of which can greatly reduce the upfront investment required to go solar.”

So far, SD129 has installed solar at Hill Elementary, Hall Elementary, Greenman Elementary, Hope D. Wall, Nicholson Elementary, Jefferson Middle, Herget Middle, McCleery Elementary, West Aurora High, and Smith Elementary.

SD129 has already made immense progress, and this is only the beginning of implementing clean, renewable energy within the school district.

School districts can access funding through ISFA and additional programs, such as Illinois Shines and tax credits from the federal Inflation Reduction Act. ISFA and Illinois Shines have been powered by the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act (CEJA), which was passed in 2021.