Chicago Construction News staff writer
Construction has started on a solar energy site that will supply power to an Illinois Department of Transportation storage facility along Interstate 64.
The $617,700 project is part of a pilot effort to use underutilized IDOT property for alternative energy generation, aiming to reduce carbon emissions and create long-term savings.
The solar field at the Scott Dome Yard near the I-64 interchange with Illinois 158 will feature 102 solar panels. These panels will provide electricity to a storage building used year-round for maintenance activities, including housing air compressors, heating systems, truck warming stations and pumps for transferring liquids used in snow removal.
Once completed, the system is expected to produce enough energy to offset the building’s annual power consumption by feeding excess energy back into the utility grid.
Work so far includes electrical upgrades, concrete pad pouring and panel installation. Construction is expected to be finished later this summer.
Additional improvements at the Scott Dome Yard include new bathrooms and connections to the municipal sanitary sewer system.
The project supports Illinois’ goal to rely entirely on renewable energy sources by 2050. It also helps evaluate the long-term feasibility and cost-effectiveness of solar energy on IDOT properties statewide.
The pilot program, conducted in partnership with the University of Illinois’ EnergySense Resilience Center, is exploring other potential sites such as weigh stations, rights of way, rest areas, offices and maintenance facilities that won’t interfere with traffic or departmental operations.
The effort aims to benefit workers using the facilities and improve air quality by reducing reliance on fossil fuels. It also demonstrates how state-owned land can be transformed into solar farms to cut costs and promote energy independence.
