Meadow Solar open house to recruit subscribers

DIXON – The Dixon Park District will be hosting an open house looking to draw subscribers for the recently approved Meadow Solar project.

Trajectory Energy Partners petitioned the county under Meadow Solar LLC for a special-use permit to develop a 5-megawatt community solar farm on 24 acres of land in Meadows Park the company is leasing from the park district. It will be built near the dog park on land currently leased for farming.

[ Solar farm coming to Meadows Park in Dixon ]

The Lee County Board signed off on the project in September.

The annual lease with the park district is for $1,500 an acre with 3% increases each year for 25 years, as well as a payment of $150,000 once the project is completed.

Part of the agreement includes the park district marketing the solar farm and recruiting subscribers.

Meadow Solar and the park district will host an open house from 3 to 6 p.m. Oct. 26 at The Facility, 1312 Washington Ave.

“Community solar opens up access to homeowners, businesses and organizations that can’t install solar on their roof or property,” according to a news release from the park district. “Subscribers receive a credit on their bill for the energy produced by their share of the solar installation.”

The solar arrays will be at a fixed tilt rather than resembling others that move to capture different angles of the sun. They will be secured by steel pilings 8 to 12 feet deep, and the maximum height of the panels would be 20 feet.

The project footprint will be surrounded by a chain-link fence at least 7 feet tall, and panels will be covered in an anti-reflective coating to offset glare.

The company will be applying for state renewable energy credits in December and find out in the spring if it receives them. Construction work could begin in 2023.