Mendota Elementary goes solar, may cut 80% of its energy costs

How would you like to save 80% on your electric bill? Mendota Elementary School District 289 believes it can save that much – and recoup its startup costs in just a few years.

On Thursday, district officials cut a ceremonial ribbon outside Northbrook School, one of the three school buildings now equipped with solar panels. The panels are installed on the rooftops, where they can draw energy-saving sunlight without marring the school facades.

It’s a great thing, obviously, because it’s great for the environment, and that fits so well in education.”

—  K. Bradley Cox, Mendota Elementary School District 289 superintendent

“It was a slow decision,” District 289 board President Theresa Komitas said. “It wasn’t something we came to quickly. We love the idea that it is green, obviously. We love the idea that it is a trailblazing effort in our community.”

The solar panels cost $2.1 million, but District 289 Superintendent K. Bradley Cox emphasized that the district’s outlay was only a fraction of that total. The district obtained state funding, a ComEd grant and federal tax credits that will defray all but $200,000 of the startup costs.

If the district realizes annual savings of $40,000 to $50,000 per year, the project will pay for itself in five years or fewer.

“All of our solar panels will produce in the neighborhood of 1 million kilowatt hours annually, which is a big number,” Cox said. “It should account for in excess of 80% of all district electric needs.”

That was an important selling point for state Rep. Bradley Fritts, R-Dixon, whose district includes Mendota and who’s a little conflicted over the rapid growth of solar panels.

Fritts acknowledged at the ribbon-cutting that he laments how much arable farm land has been taken out of production to make way for solar fields. In this case, however, the project not only is environmentally friendly but fiscally responsible and attentive to the needs of overburdened taxpayers.

“This is such an exciting opportunity to see the district come together,” Fritts said, “and really be forward-thinking about how we can continue to provide the best educational opportunities possible for our youngsters while also not pushing that burden to the taxpayers of our communities.”

It’s a prime learning opportunity for Mendota schoolchildren, too. Jordan Zoelzer, an eighth-grade science teacher, was tasked with tweaking the science curriculum to include “a real-world example of what positive change looks like in our community.”

“What started as designing, building and testing wind turbines,” Zoelzer said, quickly grew into curriculum focused on giving students the skills to one day work in the field, or perhaps to add renewable resources to a future home.

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Mendota Elementary staff and children and State Rep. Bradley Fritts, R-Dixon, (right) hold a ceremonial ribbon to celebrate the school district's solar update on Thursday, July 18, 2024, at Northbrook Elementary School. (MaKade Rios For Shaw Media)