Category: Electricity

ComEd EV Charger Incentive

Kim Stone

Electric Vehicles (EVs) save money in fuel and maintenance costs over the life of the car, but it can be challenging to cover the additional cost of a charger when purchasing your first EV. ComEd has recently launched a $5 million EV Charger and Installation Rebate Program, which allows qualifying participants to save between $2,500 and $3,750. Any Level 2 charger purchased by a ComEd customer on or after February 1, 2024 is eligible to apply for the rebate program. Compared to a wall outlet (which is a Level 1 charger), a Level 2 charger is able to fully charge an EV in 6-8 hours. Given that most people plug in overnight, Level 2 chargers work well for home use. If you have more than one electric vehicle, you don’t need a separate charger for each car. You can use the same charger for both, just not at the same time. When purchasing a charger, look for a UL certified model.

More information about ComEd’s new program, including the application for the rebate, can be found here.

International Dark Sky Week: April 2 – 8

Kim Stone

As I have learned more about the importance of dark skies, I remembered a high school project where we made telescopes out of broken light fixtures and tracked the locations of the stars. At the time, I was amazed to see how many stars were visible in the sky here in Highland Park.

Light pollution now obscures the view of the night sky, making it harder to see constellations and the Milky Way. Beyond the loss of seeing the night sky, light pollution negatively impacts human health, disrupts wildlife and wastes energy. Compared with suburbs to our south and west, Highland Park has relatively dark skies due, in part, to our location on Lake Michigan which doesn’t generate light pollution.
 
It’s easy to reduce light pollution at home and in your neighborhood. Some simple steps include shielding lights so that they point down, buying bulbs that are less intense and a lower kelvin rating (under 2700K for LEDs), and reducing the use of lights when they aren’t needed with a timer or a motion sensor. If you are purchasing new outdoor light fixtures, please make sure they are dark skies certified. More information from the International Dark Sky Association is here. You can watch a short presentation on the topic here, beginning about 15 minutes into the video.  

ComEd rebates

Kim Stone

As the days get shorter, it’s a good time to think about ways in which you can make your home more comfortable in the winter. ComEd has rebates to help — you can get money back if you purchase certain energy efficient appliances and programmable thermostats. Details are here. 

Building Electrification Webinar on June 13 at 7 pm

Kim Stone

How to Reduce Our Carbon Footprint: 

Buildings are one of the top three sources of greenhouse gas emissions in the US, along with electricity generation and transportation. Many buildings leak heated and cooled air and rely on appliances fueled by methane gas.

Electrification eliminates gas powered appliances, replacing them with energy efficient electric appliances, which can be run off of renewable energy. Join this webinar on June 13 at 7 pm to learn more about electrification options, financial incentives for increasing energy efficiency, switching to electric appliances, and generating your own renewable electricity.

Winter Energy Tips

Kim Stone

The cleanest energy is the energy you never have to use. Improving efficiency is also a great way to lower you energy costs. As we get into the colder months, a little bit of insulation or weather stripping can go a long way. Consider a smart thermostat – some models are eligible for rebates from ComEd. Larger energy efficiency projects may be eligible for a rebate from North Shore Gas. If you go on vacation, remember to turn down the temperature on your water heater. In the summer the electricity bills tend to go up, while in the winter, it’s the gas bill. 

Check out these energy saving tips from NorthShore Gas.

ComEd has partnered with the gas company to provide FREE home energy assessments. They will bring and install a number of energy saving products and can recommend further savings opportunities.You can call 1-855-433-2700.

Going Solar

Kim Stone

Since the passage of the Future Energy Jobs Act in 2016, many solar companies are now operating in Illinois. You can learn more about solar energy here. There are a variety of resources available to help you transition to solar energy. ComEd has this resource to help determine if solar is right for your home. If you choose to install a solar system, here are some questions you may want to consider when vetting contractors. Highland Park has simplified its solar permitting, and a checklist of requirements to install solar systems can be found here.

If you don’t have enough sun, don’t own your home, or live in a multi family building, you can still use solar for your energy needs by participating in community solar. The Wilmette Community Solar project will be open to Highland Park residents – sign up on their website to get more information. Looking forward to a sunny future with many more solar installations in Highland Park!

Speak Up for Clean Power

Kim Stone

October 31 is the deadline to submit a public comment to the US EPA opposing the proposed replacement for the Clean Power Plan, the nation’s first-ever carbon standard for power plants. The administration’s own analysis estimates that the new plan would cause 1,400 premature deaths annually and up to 15,000 new cases of upper respiratory problems, according to this article. There’s information about the plan here and here.  You can submit your comment here.

City Achieves SolSmart Bronze Designation

Kim Stone

The City of Highland Park recently received Bronze designation from SolSmart, a national program that recognizes cities that that foster solar energy usage and remove obstacles to solar development at the local level. Highland Park made changes to our permitting, inspection, planning and zoning processes that will help solar companies reduce the cost of installations and pass those savings on to consumers. To make it easier to navigate the process, the City has posted a solar permitting checklist on its website.

Metropolitan Mayor’s Caucus worked with Highland Park and 14 other Chicago-area municipalities and counties to achieve SolSmart Designation. There are now 18 SolSmart designated municipalities in Illinois, the highest number of any state in the country. Our participation in this program shows that we are open for solar business.  SolSmart is an initiative led by The Solar Foundation and the International City/County Management Association and funded by the US Department of Energy Solar Energy Technologies Office.

Community Solar

Kim Stone

If you are interested in using solar energy to meet your electricity needs but aren’t able to install solar panels at your home, you can subscribe to community solar. A group of Wilmette residents is working to put together a community solar project that will be open to people in our area. To learn more, click here. There will be an informational meeting on Tuesday, February 20 from 7 – 8:30 pm at the Wilmette Public Library. The meeting is free and open to the public. Doors open at 6:30 pm.