The Naperville Planning and Zoning Commission recommended city approval this week for Springbrook Water Reclamation Facility’s plans to annex and rezone 12 acres for the installation of more than 3,500 solar panels.
Commissioners voted unanimously to approve the project which, once finished, is expected to produce more than 1.6 million kilowatt hours of electricity each year, according to city planner Scott Williams.
The Naperville City Council is expected to vote on the project at its March 3 meeting.
The city plans to rezone the unincorporated property on the northeast side of the water reclamation facility as R1 residential zone, the same as the rest of the land. And, the city filed a permit for conditional use of the lot to construct a “one megawatt solar array,” Williams said.
No neighborhoods abut the property, which is located near Plainfield-Naperville Road, and the solar array “will not interfere with the water reclamation facility’s functions,” he said.
The Illinois Municipal Electric Agency, from which Naperville gets its power, will foot the bill for the project as part of an agreement with the city, Williams said.
The solar panel installation “will provide an opportunity to showcase a project that emphasizes the city’s continued commitment to sustainability and renewable energy,” the proposal says. The 2010 Naperville Environmental Sustainability Plan stresses the importance of investing in clean energy.
“I think it would be exciting to get some clean energy,” said Krishna Bansal, commission vice chairman..
Chairman Bruce Hanson agreed and asked technical specialist Ron Ritter of the electric utility department how soon the system could be up and running.
Ritter said it would likely be “a few more months” before Naperville residents can begin to benefit from the solar installation.
Kelli Duncan is a freelance reporter for the Naperville Sun.