SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) - The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency has awarded Southern Illinois University at Carbondale a $900,000 grant to develop a solar energy and storage project.
EPA Director John Kim announced the grant Thursday. The development will generate more than 150 kilowatts of solar energy and have capacity to store 310 kilowatts. It will be erected on the campus of the SIU College of Engineering.
Officials say the project is the first such investment by the EPA’s Office of Energy. They hope it will be replicated across the state on and off college campuses.
The project includes two other components. It will provide long-term solar-powered communication modules for the SIU and Carbondale police departments and the city’s fire department. It also hopes to show the viability of photovoltaic systems as backup power sources.
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