Plainfield Couple Hosting Stop On Illinois Solar Tour

PLAINFIELD, IL —A Plainfield couple's home will be a stop on the Illinois Solar Tour, with the goal of showing neighbors how easy — and perhaps, beneficial — solar energy systems can be.

Jon and Sharon's home in the 16100 block of Burgundry Drive in Plainfield will be featured in the Northern Region of the Illinois Solar Tour, being held throughout the state Saturday, Sept. 28. The Northern Region tour will hit 83 sites Saturday, with a mix of homes, businesses and public areas showing off their solar installations to the public. (Participants can pick and choose which stops to hit)

Jon said he wanted to display his new solar system to help show interested neighbors how to incorporate renewable energy into their homes. His is one of two Plainfield homes included in the tour.

"The hard thing is, there's nobody to talk to about it," he said.

The Frink's had their 6,000-watt solar energy system installed only a month ago, but the couple has already seen benefits, Jon said. He said his energy use, and therefore his energy bill, has been cut in half. And thought it can be costly upfront, the Frink's will make their money back in about 8 years, he said.

Though he only got his system installed recently, John had been looking to get one for two years, he said. He had to learn a lot of about how solar energy works, on if his home was a good candidate for solar and whether it is worth the cost.

"The house has to be right, with the right [sun] exposure, the roof has to be in good shape," Jon said. "What tipped it over for me is the incentives. There's so many at the state and federal level.

Thanks to federal and state tax incentives, a solar system for a medium-sized suburban home could cost $30,000 before incentives are calculated, but would cost $13,000 after, according to The Chicago Tribune. ComEd has a solar energy savings calculator here.

Natalie Synder, program and advocacy manager at the Illinois Solar Energy Association, said the solar tour is meant to show how regular homeowners and small businesses can adopt the new technology. The Illinois Solar Tour has been held annual since 2007.

"Solar has changed a lot," Synder said. "We've only improved the technology and made it more accessible."

This year's tour includes stops at a distillery, restaurants and an electrician's union training center, among many others.

The Frink's purchased a solar energy system not only for the potential savings on energy bills, but mainly for the environmental benefits, Jon said.

"Money wise, it makes sense, no question," he said. "But it was environmental. I wanted to do something good for my grandkids."

The Illinois Solar Tour will kick off at 10 a.m. and run until 3 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 28. For more information, click here.