Cook County Co-Sponsors Residential Solar Installation Program

Grow Solar helps residents save on energy bills through group purchasing of solar

Cook County has partnered with the Citizens Utility Board (CUB), the Midwest Renewable Energy Association, the City of Chicago as well as DuPage, Kane and Will counties to launch Grow Solar, a program that helps cuts participants energy bills by thousands of dollars through volume pricing discounts on solar panels.

This is the third year the program has been offered. The deadline to participate is Friday, September 30. Grow Solar brings residents and small-business owners together to lower the price of solar and increase the deployment of clean energy.

“Cook County is grateful to be co-sponsoring this important initiative for a third year,” said Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle. “Doing as much as we can as fast as we can to limit our carbon footprint will create a better place to live for generations to come.”

Since its inception, Grow Solar has helped 114 Cook County residents install a total of 743 kilowatts of solar.

“This program makes renewable energy more affordable and accessible for Cook County residents,” said Deborah Stone, director of the Cook County Department of Environment and Sustainability. “The more people participate, the lower the installation cost is for everyone. This is a win for residents and their pocketbooks as well as our environment.”

In addition to offering a lower base price for solar panels, the Grow Solar program has a series of price breaks as the program hits participation benchmarks. State and federal incentives can also cover a significant percent of the cost of going solar.

"At a time when the cost of fossil fuels is causing a lot of consumer pain, the Grow Solar Program is a great opportunity to let Illinois families know about solar incentives and programs that can help them save money,” said CUB Deputy Director Sarah Moskowitz. 

Grow Solar is offering free Solar Power Hours, one-hour informational webinars to teach residents and business owners about the benefits of installing solar. The first Solar Power Hour is scheduled for June 2 at 6:30 p.m.

To view the Solar Power Hour schedule and learn more, visit www.growsolar.org/Chicagoland