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CHICAGO, Ill., Dec. 31, 2002 -- Spire Solar Chicago has provided solar electric systems for Lakefront SRO Holland Apartments and the Children's Place at Vision House Apartments, two affordable multifamily housing developments in Chicago.
Each of the solar photovoltaic (PV) systems incorporates a solar array with a peak capacity of 18 kilowatts, enough to supply over 21,000 kilowatt-hours in a typical Chicago year.
The Holland Apartments, developed by Lakefront SRO, will provide 81 rehabilitated apartments for senior citizens in the South Side community of Roseland. The Children's Place at Vision House developed by the Interfaith Housing Development Corporation of Chicago is a daycare facility for children affected by HIV/AIDS.
The facility will offer childcare, counseling, learning services and support for nearly sixty children and their families. These developments are the second phase of the Vision House Apartments, started by Interfaith Housing in partnership with Liberty Baptist in the Grand Boulevard neighborhood. Both projects will be completed by the end of December 2002.
Stephen Hogan, Executive Vice President and General Manager of Spire Solar, said, "These solar installations are a progressive step toward making Chicago one of the greenest cities in the U.S. They are an excellent example of the forward thinking of our partners in these projects, and they represent a move by Spire Solar Chicago into a new market."
Henry Kurth, manager of the Energy Division of the Illinois Department of Commerce and Community Affairs, the largest source of funding for the PV systems, stated, "DCCA is proud to be an active partner with ComEd, the City of Chicago, the Clean Energy Community Foundation and Spire Solar Chicago in developing innovative renewable resource projects. Capturing energy from the sun will play a vital role in meeting our future energy needs. Through this unique partnership, Illinois has become a leader in demonstrating solar power systems as a source of clean, renewable electricity."
The two housing developments join an increasing number of photovoltaic installations on Chicago's South Side, including the DuSable Museum of African American History, the Museum of Science and Industry, three Chicago public schools and the upcoming "New Homes for South Chicago", a development of single-family homes by Claretian Associates.
Since its establishment in 1999, Spire Solar Chicago has provided more than 600 kilowatts of solar electric systems on over 25 buildings in Chicago, including seven of the City's major museums and eight Chicago public schools. Spire manufactures solar electric modules and designs systems at the Chicago Center for Green Technology.
Besides DCCA, funding sources for the PV systems include the Chicago Department of Environment and ComEd. These organizations, along with Spire, the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, the Community Energy Cooperative, the Chicago Public Schools and BP Solar, comprise the Chicago Solar Partnership, whose mission is to promote the use of solar energy in Chicago. The Illinois Clean Energy Community Foundation also provided funding. For further information on the Chicago Solar Partnership, visit www.chicagosolarpartners.org.
About Spire Solar
Spire Solar provides solar electric systems for distributed power generation and is a supplier of photovoltaic module manufacturing equipment and turnkey solar energy businesses. For more information, visit Spire Corporation's web site at www.spirecorp.com. Spire Solar Chicago provides solar electric systems for distributed power generation in the Chicago metropolitan area. For more information on Spire Solar Chicago, contact Mark Burger at (773) 638-8700 or visit www.spiresolarchicago.com.
About Spire Biomedical, Inc.
Spire Biomedical, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Spire Corporation, provides premium medical products and biotechnology surface engineering services for improving the performance of implantable medical devices. For more information, visit Spire Biomedical's web site at www.spirebiomedical.com.
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