INA, Ill. (October 25, 2024)—Rend Lake College was awarded $74,995.50 to install a solar system at the Murphy-Wall campus in Pinckneyville. Additionally, RLC was awarded $92,130 for LED lighting upgrades for the Ina campus and completing upgrades at the Mt. Vernon MarketPlace.
The solar panel array was purchased from Sunvolt Solar, which was the low bidder at $90,000 and $2.25 per watt. The projected completion date for this project will be the end of December 2024. With the $74,995.50, more than 80 percent of this project is being funded through an Illinois Green Economy Network (IGEN) Grant.
With $92,130 IGEN grant for LED lighting upgrades, RLC is expected to be able to change out approximately 835 light fixtures with estimated energy savings of 135,108 kWh/year and an estimation of 75,000 hours out of each fixture. These fixtures will be installed by the RLC Physical Plant Staff.
Formed in 2008, IGEN is a consortium of all 39 Illinois Community College districts with the mission of providing a platform for collaboration among all these colleges and their partners to drive growth of the green economy.