Overcoming Challenges in Less Sunny Cities: Chicago, Illinois

9 min readDec 14, 2023

Imagining Chicago as a solar energy hub might initially strike as counterintuitive, given its reputation for being swathed in clouds rather more often than being kissed by sunbeams. Yet, recent advances and initiatives are surging ahead, illuminating the path for solar within this vibrant, windy cityscape. Despite the climatological challenges, the city has embraced a series of policy-driven actions and technological innovations to push the bounds of what’s possible with photovoltaics (PV). As part of the Illinois Renewable Portfolio Standards, Chicago is bound to an ambitious edict that requires 25% of its energy generation to come from renewable sources by 2025, effectively sparking a citywide solar revolution. This is further bolstered by substantial state incentives and federal tax credits, which, together, have created an economically feasible environment for solar investment. Moreover, Chicago’s surge in solar adoption isn’t merely policy-deep. Innovations like bifacial solar panels, which collect light from both sides, and photovoltaic systems optimized for lower light scenarios are now coming to the fore, proving effective even under the city’s often gray skies.

Community involvement further energizes the charge. Local organizations and nonprofits are engaging communities through educational programs, and collaborative projects, ensuring all Chicagoans can participate in the clean energy transition. These cutting-edge variations present a transformative moment, finely adjusted to the unique character and conditions of the city’s rich landscape.

Overview of Chicago

Chicago, often dubbed “The Windy City,” isn’t just about blustering gales; it’s a metropolitan hub where solar energy is gaining traction, thanks to Illinois’ climate which generously offers a mix of moderate and bright seasons. While the city experiences a full range of weather, from bone-chilling winters to sweltering summers, it garners an impressive amount of sunny days, around 189 per year, making it a surprisingly fertile ground for solar panels to soak up the sun’s energy. The cold, however, isn’t a solar deterrent; in fact, photovoltaic panels can operate more efficiently in cooler temperatures, as long as they’re not shrouded in snow.

In the dance of energy policy and usage, Chicago has historically waltzed on the progressive side, with Illinois adopting the Future Energy Jobs Act and more recently the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act, catapulting the state into the limelight for aspiring to a renewable energy zenith. These policies not only incentivize residential and commercial solar installations but also reinforce the state’s commitment to a clean energy trajectory, aiming for 100% clean energy by 2050. In this landscape, Chicago doesn’t just lean on the overarching state guidelines; it also flares up with its own initiatives, such as the Chicago Climate Action Plan, accelerating the city’s energy revolution. Balancing environmental aspirations with the buzzing metropolitan energy demand, the city thrives as a beacon of sustainable growth, nudging solar technology into the spotlight of its urban energy symphony.

Solar Challenges in Chicago

Venturing into the bustling landscape of Chicago, where the wind whips sharply across the grid-like streets, solar installers face a tempestuous dance of challenges, tightly choreographed by the city’s unique tapestry of conditions. The shadow of the Willis Tower and its towering brethren often cast long, literal shadows over the urban density, diminishing the square inches of sunlight that can be captured on the rooftops of the Windy City. This structural mammoth is coupled with the erratic whims of weather: the mosaic of seasons stretches from the searing sun of summer to the Arctic embrace of winter, with lake-effect snow conspiring to blanket potential photovoltaic (PV) majors in an icy cloak, thus disrupting energy yield.

Economically, residents pirouette through a complex performance of incentives and rebates. While Illinois’ Adjustable Block Program and the Illinois Solar for All initiative endeavor to orchestrate a more appealing solar cadenza, the state’s budgetary impasses often play a dissonant note, leading to uncertainty that can stall the uptake of solar energy systems. Additionally, the historic facets of Chicago — from its architectural heritage to strict zoning laws — can curtail the striding march of solar panels onto landmark-rich skylines.

In this urbanscape, where Carl Sandburg’s ‘City of the Big Shoulders’ must also become the city of the big solar ambitions, the push for renewable energy is a ballet that demands strength, resilience, and the strategic footwork to navigate the complex interplay of factors that can either bolster or buffet the growth of solar energy projects.

Solar Initiatives and Solutions in Chicago

In the bustling metropolis of Chicago, Illinois, solar initiatives are surging forward with the vigor of a prevailing wind, propelled by a combination of state legislation such as the Future Energy Jobs Act (FEJA) and the growing cadre of local programs aimed at harnessing the power of the sun. The Illinois Solar for All program is a beacon of inclusivity, offering greater access to solar energy for low-income households, nonprofit organizations, and public facilities, effectively democratizing sunlight. This is further augmented by the ambitious Chicago Solar Express, a collaboration streamlining the permitting process for solar installations, fostering an environment where solar panels can ascend rooftops with unprecedented speed.

The public sector’s embrace of solar energy is mirrored in sprawling projects like the development of the O’Hare International Airport solar installation, a symbol of both modernity and sustainability as airliners soar above. Meanwhile, the Shedd Aquarium glistens with a different kind of aquatic shimmer — its rooftop array cuts a striking figure against the skyline, a clear demonstration that even venerable institutions can pivot towards a photovoltaic future. This partnership between public resolve and private innovation exemplifies the Chicago area’s commitment to a greener world, marrying technical advancement with an ecological conscience. Thus, as one gazes upon the Chicago skyline, it becomes increasingly evident that the city’s architectural heritage and its solar future are inextricably intertwined, casting a long shadow over the conventional energy paradigm.

Technological Innovations in Chicago

Harnessing the effervescent power of the sun in the Windy City is reaching new pinnacles, thanks to a surge in technological acumen. In the nexus of innovation, Chicago is alight with solar potential, supercharged by synergistic partnerships and avant-garde breakthroughs. Local academic titans such as the University of Chicago and the Illinois Institute of Technology are pioneering the frontier of solar technology, diving into research that seeks to push the boundaries of photovoltaic efficiency. These institutions are incubators for out-of-the-box ideas, such as the development of bifacial solar cells that can absorb light from both sides to capture the city’s mercurial sun-dappling due to its vertiginous skyline.

Moreover, the Illinois Solar for All program has fueled a spur in technological ingenuity to expand solar access to low-income communities, which in turn is crafting a unique testing ground for robust, cost-efficient solar solutions tailored to diverse urban environments. The regulatory landscape of Illinois, particularly the Future Energy Jobs Act (FEJA), further promulgates innovation by incentivizing renewable energy adoption, thereby attracting cleantech companies like Inovateus Solar to implement trailblazing microgrid solutions and battery storage systems. These advancements not only ameliorate energy reliability during Chicago’s whimsically fierce meteorological shifts but also fortify the city’s commitment to a sustainable, sun-driven future.

Economic and Environmental Impact

Solar energy in Chicago, Illinois, is soaring as shimmering arrays of photovoltaic panels increasingly punctuate the cityscape, reflecting both ambition and commitment to sustainability. Economically, the expansion of solar installations has ignited a vibrant job sector, with the Illinois Solar for All program powering up new opportunities, particularly in low-income communities. It’s a financial jolt, all zesty with incentives; Illinois’ Adjustable Block Program and the Federal Investment Tax Credit create a compelling matrix of savings and returns that attract homeowners and businesses alike, transforming the once-costly solar deployments into engines for economic growth.

Moreover, with the recent passage of the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act (CEJA), Illinois is charting a more resilient, sustainable future — Chicago’s skyline is no longer just an emblem of architectural prowess but a beacon for green innovation. Through the lens of environmental impact, the numbers are palpable: reduction in carbon footprints, pivoting away from the windy city’s coal-dependent past, solar energy is cutting greenhouse emissions with each kilowatt-hour generated. This leap towards sustainability translates into cleaner air, mitigating the urban heat island effect and fostering a surprising ripple of ecological benefits — Chicago’s waterways and green spaces breathe a little easier under the solar embrace, setting an example of urban environmental rejuvenation.

Community Engagement

Chicago’s vibrant breeze from Lake Michigan is matched by the city’s energized approach to community engagement within the solar sector. Harnessing Illinois’ Adjustable Block Program and the Illinois Solar for All initiative, the Windy City has ignited a solar revolution in neighborhoods far and wide. For instance, in Bronzeville, an innovative, community-centered microgrid project led by ComEd is not just a leap forward for energy resilience but also a model for local collaboration, involving residents and stakeholders in the planning process, thus empowering the community through ownership and education.

On the roofs of its many public schools, the Chicago Public Schools’ Solar Schools Project, supported by the Illinois Clean Energy Community Foundation, turns educational buildings into solar demonstration hubs. This not only offsets energy costs but also integrates solar energy into the STEM curriculum, enlightening the city’s youth on the potential of photovoltaics. The outreach extends further through local NGOs, like the Illinois Solar Energy Association, which amplifies solar adoption via workshops, solar house tours, and hands-on installation experiences. They demystify the technological jargon, making solar accessible to all Chicagoans, regardless of socioeconomic status. Thus, Chicago’s trajectory toward a sustainable future is as much about the kilowatts it generates as it is about the community bonds it fortifies.

Future Outlook

The Windy City’s solar forecast is beaming with potential, as Illinois has set ambitious renewable energy targets with the Future Energy Jobs Act (FEJA) and more recently with the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act (CEJA), aiming for 100% clean energy by 2050. Specifically, in Chicago, the trailblazing Chicago Smart Lighting Program, originally focused on efficiency, hints at broader city aspirations to integrate solar technologies into its infrastructure.

Solar installations in Chicago are igniting, as residential and commercial interests align with the Illinois Solar for All Program, ensuring low-income communities also bask in the solar surge. A notable example is the recently unveiled project in West Pullman, creating a 62-acre solar farm on previously forsaken industrial land. This project typifies the city’s approach — converting dormant spaces into solar goldmines.

Moreover, with Illinois’ Adjustable Block Program (ABP) providing incentives for distributed generation and community solar projects, solar developers are magnetized towards Chicago. Seasoned by the city’s continental climate, marked by fierce winters and sun-soaked summers, Chicago solar is a paradoxical powerhouse; less intuitive yet increasingly productive — thanks to technological advances in photovoltaic efficiency that defy the cold.

Expert chatter buzzes around the potential for Chicago to become the unexpected hotbed for solar innovation, praising policy frameworks and technological advancements as the catalysts. Yet, the pivot to a solar-centric energy grid in Chicago hinges on persistent policy support. The wheels are in motion, and with sustained investment and community engagement, the city’s solar presence is poised to shine ever brighter on the energy stage.

Conclusion

The Windy City’s skyline isn’t just bracing for gusts — it’s absorbing sunshine, too! Solar energy in Chicago is spiraling upwards, invigorated by community zeal and policy propulsion specific to Illinois. Take, for instance, the Illinois Solar for All program, which conscientiously lowers the barrier for low-income households to tap into sun-power. It’s a radiant equalizer in the energy domain! Chicago’s local neighborhoods are effervescent with solar energy co-ops, like the Cook County Solar Co-op, empowering residents with collective bargaining — there’s strength in numbers, and these co-ops negotiate stellar deals on solar installations. Educational outreach sizzles through the circuits of innovation; programs from local institutions like the Illinois Solar Energy Association are conducting workshops and the annual Solar Tour, illuminating minds with the immense possibilities of photovoltaic technology. Schools, decks of apartment complexes, and the roofs of small businesses all become canvases for solar arrays, each installation a brushstroke in an eco-friendly masterpiece. With a climate that encourages both snowy winters and sun-soaked summers, Chicago proves that variety is indeed the spice of solar adoption, showcasing the city’s capacity to harness solar energy year-round.