INA, Ill. (March 18, 2024) — Rend Lake College has been awarded $129,071 by the Illinois Green Economy Network to upgrade campus LED lighting.
IGEN is a consortium of all 39 Illinois community college districts, formed in 2008. IGEN’s mission is to provide a platform for collaboration among all Illinois community colleges and their partners to drive growth of the green economy. IGEN’s vision is the Illinois community college system as a global leader in transforming education and the economy for a sustainable future. IGEN is considered a national model for a sustainability-focused network in higher education.
"The college is very happy to be the recipient of another generous grant from IGEN," said Kim Wilkerson, Vice President of CTE & Student Support. "We've received grants from IGEN before. It's always a financial boost for us, but it also goes a long way in our commitment to sustainability. Every bulb that's upgraded to LED reduces our energy consumption. We are grateful for IGEN and its vision for a sustainable future."
Donnie Millenbine, RLC's Dean of Facilities Management & Campus Operations, said this campus lighting upgrade will include replacing nearly 1,800 existing light fixtures in various buildings across campus. It's a big step in the college's goal of changing out all fixtures across campus. Since RLC's own maintenance staff are doing the work, all grant funding can go toward purchasing fixtures. He said the college will have an estimated energy savings of 153,750 KWh per year for more than $9,500 in cost savings per year.