Built in 1978, the existing 66,770-square-foot building on 11 acres of land became a demonstration project intended to prove the economic viability of a net-zero energy operation.

The Solar Futures Study explores solar energy’s role in transitioning to a carbon-free electric grid.

Since its installation in October 2020, the maintenance facility has already saved more than 120,000 pounds in CO₂ emissions, which is equivalent to 900 trees.

James Kim, superintendent of parks, Vernon Hills Park District, shares how his park — in conjunction with Trane — effectively implemented a solar array atop the district’s maintenance facility and shares some of the eye-opening data since the installation. 

We usually think of solar, or photovoltaic (PV), cells fixed to roofs, converting sunlight into electricity, but bringing that technology indoors could further boost the energy efficiency of buildings and energize swaths of wireless smart technologies, such as smoke alarms, cameras and temperature sensors, also called Internet of Things (IoT) devices.

The EIA projects that, by 2050, all U.S. commercial buildings will use 6% less energy for heating and that office floor space will grow by 5 billion square feet over the next 30 years.

New solar panels will be responsible for as much as 8% of the university’s total energy production.