INA, Ill. (Oct. 11, 2023)—Rend Lake College will advance toward becoming a greener campus with the assistance of a $130,000 grant from Illinois Green Economy Network (IGEN) to expand upon solar panels on campus.
“The IGEN funding allows us to continue to expand our green energy footprint, exposing our students to alternative technologies along with mitigating the energy costs of the campus,” said RLC President Terry Wilkerson.
The $130,000 grant will be used to support the purchase and installation of solar panels on the main campus and will be adjacent to the existing system which is located in an area near the Agronomy Innovation Center (AIC) and the Applied Science Center. The addition of the new array of solar panels will not only reduce the college’s energy consumption, but also serve as a positive example to surrounding communities to work towards energy sustainability and environmental consciousness.
Kim Wilkerson, Associate Vice President for CTE and Student Support at RLC, was instrumental in writing for the grant. “Solar technology continues to grow in both its efficacy and popularity,” she said. “This will give our students the opportunity to see more of it in action.”
Rend Lake College has partnered with IGEN in the past to install the solar panel array located south of the AIC in 2022 and the solar workstations placed across the main campus in Ina in 2021.
The new array will be situated near the current solar system, close to several academic buildings. Students, staff, and campus visitors will see the College’s commitment to being a good steward to the environment and lead by example seeking greener alternatives to traditional energy sources.
In a related initiative, as part of Earth Week, an emphasis will be placed on activities highlighting the advantages of solar power and what the College hopes to gain from installation of such systems.
IGEN was founded in 2008 to provide support to Illinois community colleges to drive the growth of clean energy economy and greener campuses. Their vision is to serve as a leader across Illinois community colleges systems in transforming the economy and education for a sustainable future.
Since 2018, they have awarded over $11 million in funding from grants through the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency. Approximately $9 million worth of funding has been reallocated to 35 colleges for more than 150 projects related to energy and sustainability.
For more information, contact Kim Wilkerson at wilkersonk@rlc.edu.