District 225 signed a contract with Convergence Energy, a solar and storage company, spending a total of $9,572,882 to create an energy-storing battery in the Field House, as well as at North, according to the Guaranteed Energy Savings Contract in the 2024 District 225 Memo.

The battery will help to to reduce long-term energy costs, while also supporting sustainability efforts at South, Dr. Kimberly Ptak, District Director of Operations and Purchasing, said.

“Solar and battery storage help reduce energy costs for South, providing backup power and generating revenue that can be reinvested in future district projects, while also supporting sustainability goals,” Ptak said.

The battery converts energy from the sun into electricity, working similarly to a solar panel in conserving energy, Jeffery Rylander, Instructional Supervisor of Science, said. The battery is also designed to store and share energy with a larger grid, Rylander said.

“The battery allows us to conserve energy by creating an electrical current that can be stored,” Rylander said. “The battery works as a storage device, where energy can be saved from the daytime and used to power the lights.”

District 225 expects to save $6,392,728 through the Energy Storage System (ESS) and storage panels incentives from the State of Illinois, the district memo stated.

“Roughly half of the incentives are paid upfront and would be received in the first year of the project,” Ptak said. “The remaining long-term savings are primarily based on reductions to the District’s energy bills over approximately 15 years.”

The new battery additions to South and North also offer students a hands-on experience in the study of energy, Rylander said. The solar panel’s installation offers AP Environmental Science students an opportunity to learn in person about solar energy as a renewable energy source, Rylander added.

“AP Environmental Science may do things such as a field trip to meet with the folks doing the installation to understand how it works, how much energy we get from solar energy, and how feasible it is to run portions of the school on solar energy,” Rylander said.

Classes can also study how the battery functions as a source of energy, Rylander said.

“Students will now be able to study different renewable energy sources, wind energy, solar energy, and nuclear energy, all things that they will study as part of their curriculum,” Rylander said. “This experience will be more meaningful looking ahead, once the battery gets up and running.”