Home » Renewable Energy » DeKalb Airport Solar Array Starts Bill Credits for 1,100 Homes

October 8, 2026

DeKalb Airport Solar Array Starts Bill Credits for 1,100 Homes

ComEd and SunVest energized a 7.7 MW community solar array at DeKalb Taylor Municipal Airport on October 2, 2026. About 1,100 households have signed up, and 60% of capacity is…

ComEd and SunVest Solar energized a community solar array at DeKalb Taylor Municipal Airport in northern Illinois on October 2, 2026. The array is rated at about 7.7 megawatts (direct current). The companies say 60% of subscription capacity is reserved for low- and moderate-income customers. Shaw Local reports that about 1,100 households have signed up for bill credits.

From airport land to bill credit

The array sits on 47 acres of municipal land at 3001 Pleasant St. in DeKalb, with about 13,000 solar modules, per Shaw Local. The ComEd and SunVest release places the project at the airport.
It was energized on October 2, 2026.
Subscribers receive credits on their ComEd bills for a share of the array’s output.
Renters, people with unsuitable roofs, and small businesses can take part under Illinois community solar rules. The Illinois Power Agency says Illinois Shines community solar is open to residential, commercial and industrial customers.
The release projects the average subscriber will save more than $300 a year, or nearly $11,000 over the project’s 35-year life. Shaw Local reports officials estimating $200 to $300 a year. The release also gives a total of $246,000 a year in subscriber savings.

Why It Matters to You

If you rent, have a shaded or unsuitable roof, or run a small business, community solar lets you get bill credits without putting panels on your own building.
In DeKalb, the array is live and about 1,100 households have signed up. The coverage does not say whether capacity remains, and Illinois Shines lists community solar options.
The savings are projections. The array just started operating, so no realized savings exist yet.

Money for the community

The land generates revenue for local government. The release says SunVest pays $91,000 a year in site rent to the airport and $36,000 a year in property taxes to DeKalb County. State law directs most property tax revenue to local schools. Shaw Local, citing information from SunVest, says SunVest pays $4.52 million to rent the property under a 25-year operating lease. That total can’t be reconciled with the annual rent figure. ComEd says its territory has more than 280 community solar sites serving over 53,000 residential customers, and expects 16 SunVest community solar systems by the end of 2026.

The figures side by side

Figure	Value	Source
Capacity	About 7.7 MW DC	Shaw Local; ComEd release says “nearly eight”
Average subscriber saving	More than $300 a year	ComEd and SunVest release
Officials’ estimate	$200 to $300 a year	Shaw Local
Total subscriber savings	$246,000 a year	ComEd and SunVest release
Households subscribed	About 1,100	Shaw Local

Read these as company and official projections. Dividing $246,000 by 1,100 households gives about $224 each, lower than the “more than $300” average, so the figures may rest on different subscriber counts. The 35-year total of nearly $11,000 assumes the savings last the project’s full life. The release does not give a household count, and it does not call the project a “first” on a municipal airport. Illinois regulators say sellers may not claim guaranteed savings without a binding guarantee in the contract.

Quick answers

Can I still subscribe? The coverage does not say whether capacity remains. Illinois Shines lists community solar options.
Who is the 60% for? Low- and moderate-income customers, per ComEd and SunVest. The reports do not list the income limits.
Who gets the lease and tax money? The airport receives site rent, and DeKalb County receives property taxes, which mostly go to schools under state law.
Is this the only ComEd and SunVest project? No. ComEd expects 16 SunVest community solar systems by the end of 2026.