New Solar Array Scheduled For Abraham Lincoln Capital Airport, Springfield, Illinois

by Jim Bildilli
Published in Midwest Flyer Magazine October/November 2022 Digital Issue

The Springfield (Illinois) Airport Authority held a groundbreaking ceremony July 14, 2022, for the construction of a $5.6 million solar array project. The 2.88-megawatt system will be comprised of a combination of roof and ground-mounted solar arrays spanning across three sites, producing approximately 4,000,000 kWh annually. This should offset over 90% of the current electrical needs for three facilities located in the airport’s north quadrant.

The project is a collaboration with Veregy to design and oversee the construction of this renewable solar energy project that will ultimately provide significant operational savings and energy security for the Airport Authority facilities, as well as StandardAero’s facility, well into the future. is an international company that provides major maintenance, repair and overhaul services for larger business aircraft and its roots in Springfield date back to the 1950s. This project represents the first installation among their 55 current locations.

Once completed, the array will be the largest airport-owned solar array for net-metering in Illinois. It is projected to provide an anticipated savings of $14.1M over the next 30 years, while lowering greenhouse gas emissions at an equivalent to an annual reduction of 7,500 barrels of oil.

Veregy is a guaranteed performance contractor which provides energy and cost-saving solutions that include mechanical, electrical, plumbing, solar, EV, microgrid and building systems control projects that support customer’s environmental and financial sustainability goals. Veregy collaborated with the Airport Authority to help secure the Illinois Block Grant Program’s Solar Renewable Energy Credits (SRECs) for project funding, along with a prepaid power purchase agreement with Balance Solar. Combined, these funding sources provided $3.3 million, or over half of the project costs.