Illinois American Water and Sol Systems Celebrate Peoria Solar Field

PEORIA, Ill.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Yesterday, Sol Systems and Illinois American Water, the largest investor-owned water utility in Illinois, cut the ribbon on their second solar project, located in Peoria, Ill. The 2.3-megawatt (MW) solar project includes bifacial panels and single-axis trackers and will generate the equivalent electricity each year of approximately 350 homes.

This is the second project collaboration of its kind for Sol Systems and Illinois American Water. They cut the ribbon on their first 2.3 MW array, located in Champaign County, in November 2021.

Justin Ladner, Illinois American Water President, said the Solar Fields support the company’s “commitment to protect the environment, while supporting sustainability and affordability.” He added, “The vast majority of energy consumed by water utilities is used to pump water. By reducing energy consumption and emissions we can use water more efficiently, protect the environment and reduce costs to our customers.”

“This project demonstrates Illinois American Water’s commitment to the communities it serves,” said Andrew Grin, Vice President at Sol Systems. “Through onsite solar, Illinois American Water succeeds in reducing its reliance on fossil fuels, cutting its operating costs, and improving the sustainability of its operations.”

Illinois American Water will purchase the electricity under a 15-year power purchase agreement (PPA) with Sol Customer Solutions, enabling the company to realize low, fixed electricity costs without upfront expenditure. Sol Customer Solutions is a joint venture between Sol Systems and Arevon Energy, Inc. Arevon will manage the asset and Sol Systems will operate and maintain the project.

Sol Systems partnered with construction firm Melink Solar to build the project. The project’s features include bifacial panels, which take in additional reflected energy on both sides of each panel, and single-axis trackers that rotate the panels to face the sun throughout the day.

“Melink Solar is grateful for the partnership and forward thinking approaches of Illinois American Water and Sol Systems. These organizations are helping lead the clean energy revolution to help improve our global economy, security and environment – for ourselves, our children and future generations,” said Seth Parker, Vice President and General Manager, Melink Solar.

To see photos from the ribbon cutting event, visit Illinois American Water’s Facebook page.

About Sol Systems – Sol Systems is a leading national solar energy firm with an established reputation for integrity and reliability across its development, infrastructure, and environmental commodity businesses. To date, Sol has developed and/or financed over 1 GW of solar projects valued at more than $1 billion for Fortune 100 companies, municipalities, counties, utilities, universities, and schools and provides services to 18,000 customers across the US. The company was founded in 2008, is based in Washington, D.C., and is led by its founder. Sol Systems works with its team, partners, and clients to create a more sustainable future we can all believe in. For more information, visit https://www.solsystems.com.

About Illinois American Water – Illinois American Water, a subsidiary of American Water (NYSE: AWK), is the largest investor-owned water utility in the state, providing high-quality and reliable water and/or wastewater services to approximately 1.3 million people. American Water also operates a customer service center in Alton and a quality control and research laboratory in Belleville. For more information, visit www.illinoisamwater.com.

About Melink Solar – Melink Solar delivers the highest-quality engineering, procurement, and construction of solar PV systems customized for the needs of companies, organizations, governments, developers, and utilities in the USA. Our Net Zero Energy campus in Cincinnati, Ohio serves as a model and test platform for some of the country’s most energy efficient buildings. One of the country’s Top Solar Contractors, Melink Solar has been delivering solar power systems since 2009. For more information, visit www.melinksolar.com