Solar Energy Projects

Wastewater Treatment Plant Solar Array

The city owns and operates what is believed to be the largest municipal-owned and operated photo-voltaic solar energy array in Illinois.  The 368 kW array consists of 1,444 solar panels that produce electricity for the purposes of powering the waste water treatment facility. Power production began in August 2012 and supplies approximately 450,000 kWh of electricity annually, or approximately 50% of the electricity required to operate the waste water plant.  The project was made possible with 60% grant funding from the Illinois Clean Energy Community Foundation.  

The annual solar electricity production from the wastewater array is approximately equivalent to the following offsets:

• Annual greenhouse gas emission from 33 passenger vehicles

• C02 emissions from 17,669 gallons of gasoline consumed

• C02 emissions from 367 barrels of oil consumed

• C02 emissions from 2.1 tanker trucks of gasoline

• C02 emissions from the electricity use from 23.6 homes for 1 year

• Carbon sequestered by 4,041 tree seedlings grown for 10 years

• Carbon sequestered annually by 129 acres of U.S. forest

Please view the following case study of the Galena Waste Water Treatment Facility Solar Array prepared by the International City Management Association. 

City Hall Solar Array

On July 20, 2016, the City activated a 125 panel, 32.5 kW, photovoltaic array on the roof of City Hall in downtown Galena. The array is expected to produce as much electricity annually as is consumed annually at City Hall, rendering City Hall a "net zero" facility. Excess power from the array is sold to Jo Carroll Energy through a net metering agreement. The project was made possible with 60% funding from the Illinois Clean Energy Community Foundation.

Monitor the real-time solar energy production at the solar array by viewing the City Hall Solar Monitoring Website.

The annual solar electricity production from the City Hall array is approximately equivalent to the following offsets: