Oakley-Lindsay Center to reduce electric rates 14 percent in next 25 years with solar energy system

QUINCY — The Oakley-Lindsay Center unveiled Friday its solar photovoltaic system that is estimated to generate 70 percent of the building’s future electricity usage.

“Going solar was the right decision for our facility to reduce our operating costs and lock in long-term savings for electricity,” Christopher Landwehr, executive director of the Oakley-Lindsay Center, said in a press release.

The 391 kilowatt solar photovoltaic system will produce an estimated 463,100 kilowatt hours of energy in the first year. Through a Power Purchase Agreement with StraightUp Legacy Fund, LLC, the center will receive a 14 percent reduction in its electric rates over the next 25 years, totaling more than $100,000.

The $550,000 system required no initial investment from the center. The Legacy Fund is a subsidiary of StraightUp Solar, LLC, a solar photovoltaic system design, installation and maintenance provider in Illinois and Missouri. The system earned solar renewable energy credits from Illinois Shines, a state-administered incentive program from the Illinois Power Agency, along with a utility rebate and federal tax credits.

StraightUp Solar installation teams built the system, attaching 1,046 solar modules to the roof and connecting six inverters to the arrays. The system was completed Jan. 21.