July 20, 2001—Spire Corporation has recently installed a solar electric system on the roof of Chicago’s Field Museum of Natural History. The system, which is rated at 49 peak DC kilowatts of electricity with maximum sunlight, can deliver 60,000 kilowatt-hours annually. The Field Museum installation is the largest solar electric system in Illinois and one of the largest in the Midwest.
The company reported that the Field Museum system is part of a multi-year, multi-site program of solar power installations that Spire is completing in conjunction with the City of Chicago, Commonwealth Edison, and the Illinois Department of Commerce and Community Affairs (DCCA). The peaks in electricity demand in Chicago generally occur on summer days when air conditioners are working overtime. By connecting the rooftop system through interconnect components to ComEd’s electricity grid, the amount of power that has to be delivered from non-renewable, high-emissions sources is reduced during these peak periods.
Financial support for the Field Museum installation came from the Illinois Department of Commerce and Community Affairs, ComEd, and the City of Chicago Department of Environment. In addition, ComEd will provide the interconnection under their innovative Wind and Photovoltaic Generation Pricing Experiment. For more information, contact Spire Corporation.
