ComEd Installs Off-Grid Renewable Lighting at Bronzeville Schools
February 12 2019 - 9:49AM
Business Wire
New pilots support Chicago Police Department
student safety goals
Even as daylight gives way to darkness, the walkway at Beethoven
Elementary School in Chicago’s Bronzeville neighborhood is bright
thanks to off-grid lights powered by renewable energy and installed
by ComEd.
Powering the lights are 30-foot-tall Remote Power Units (RPUs),
miniature power plants that are not connected to the electric grid
but draw energy from a wind turbine, solar panels and battery
storage. Manufactured by ARIS Renewable Energy, the RPUs were
officially activated Friday in a ribbon cutting ceremony led by
Beethoven Elementary School Principal Mellodie Brown. Speakers
included Third Ward Alderman Pat Dowell and Illinois State Sen.
Mattie Hunter. Commander Dion Boyd represented the Chicago Police
Department and the Safe Passage Program, which aims to keep kids
safe to and from school.
“We thank ComEd for enhancing the safety of our campus with
leading edge renewable energy-powered lighting,” said Brown. “Our
science teachers will enjoy using the lights and the data collected
from the solar and wind production and battery charging to design
class lessons related to environmental science and
sustainability.”
ComEd installed the lights earlier this month at Beethoven and
at Bronzeville’s Dunbar Vocational High School. The off-grid lights
are the latest pilot projects in ComEd’s Community of the Future
initiative, which is focused on using smart grid technology to
become more connected, green and resilient, while developing
interests and skills among students in STEM (Science, Technology,
Engineering and Math).
“We hope this innovative lighting solution will not only light
up the physical paths students walk on, but show them that STEM
isn’t just something you study in a classroom; it can transform
everything from the internet to your walk to school,” said Shay
Bahramirad, vice president, engineering and smart grid, ComEd.
The RPU has a unique wind turbine that enhances airflow into the
blades, causing a generator to efficiently produce energy and power
the LED lighting. It combines the potential for wind at any hour of
the day with daytime solar and a battery storage unit large enough
to power the light for up to five days with no generation. The RPU
powers its own internet connectivity to monitor and control its
operation.
Other Community of the Future technology pilots include a
microgrid that will enhance the security and resiliency of the
electric system; an electric vehicle transportation service for
seniors; a community energy storage pilot; interactive kiosks that
provide real-time information, emergency alerts, wayfinding and
free Wi-Fi; and sensor-based technologies that are being piloted
with nearby Illinois Tech. The Community of the Future also
features STEM education programs for Bronzeville and Chicago-area
high school students, who are applying microprocessor technology to
design solutions that address community needs and enhance quality
of life.
ComEd is a unit of Chicago-based Exelon Corporation (NYSE:
EXC), a Fortune 100 energy company with approximately 10 million
electricity and natural gas customers – the largest number of
customers in the U.S. ComEd powers the lives of more than 4 million
customers across northern Illinois, or 70 percent of the state’s
population. For more information visit ComEd.com and
connect with the company on Facebook,
Twitter and YouTube.
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version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190212005573/en/
ComEd Media Relations(312) 394-3500
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