Huntley Community School District 158
Huntley Community School District 158
ForeFront Power developed three ground-mounted solar installations across three campuses in Huntley Community School District 158.
Huntley CSD 158 wanted to power its district campuses with clean, renewable electricity and provide new STEM curriculum for its students
ForeFront Power developed a 5.5 MW portfolio of solar projects for the district and provided site tours to students.
The solar project portfolio now offsets 12.3 million pounds of carbon emissions per year while saving millions in utility expenses that can be redirected into student education and quality of learning.
The Huntley Portfolio constitutes the largest solar-powered system at a school district in the State of Illinois, spanning three ground-mounted solar installations across three campuses in Huntley Community School District 158. Huntley has been one of the fastest-growing school districts in Illinois over the past decade, today serving 8,900 PreK-12 students and employing more than 1,400 staff members. This 5.5 MWdc portfolio of solar projects announced in January 2020 will offset 12.3 million pounds of carbon emissions.
“In our 100th year of existence, Huntley 158 is delighted to further our legacy of innovation by powering our operations with cost-effective, clean electricity from 15,100 solar panels,” said Dr. Scott Rowe, superintendent of Huntley 158. “We maintain among the lowest per-pupil spending rates in all of Northern Illinois, and we see the millions of dollars in utility bills saved thanks to these projects as an opportunity to reinvest taxpayer dollars directly into student education, allowing us to more effectively educate tomorrow’s leaders.
"Community solar provides yet another way we can redirect dollars back into the classroom to benefit our students and the community. With ForeFront Power, we have become a district that truly values learning over burning!"
After completing the portfolio, ForeFront Power’s asset management team visited Huntley 158 to talk to a group of honors STEM students about how solar works and give them a tour of their school’s solar array. ForeFront Power, together with our education partners, can complement a school’s STEM curriculum by teaching students about the tangible value of decarbonization and how solar energy connects to their community’s broader sustainability goals. For example, students learn not only about solar energy components like modules and inverters, but that the school’s energy system feeds renewable electricity to the grid that can power hundreds of Illinois homes.
In 2021, the projects were nationally recognized by entities such as Solar Builder and The Cleanie Awards, and CFO, Mark Altmayer, was recognized as a 2021 Distinguished Eagle Award Recipient by the Association of School Business Officials International (ASBO).
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