McHenry County plans to build solar wall at courthouse

McHenry County taxpayers spend tens of thousands of dollars every year heating and cooling the county courthouse in Woodstock.

Next year, the sun is going to pick up some of the tab.

County officials this month announced plans to construct a solar wall on the west side of the courthouse to capture the sun's energy and convert it to power that will operate the building's heating and air conditioning systems.

The project, along with several others aimed at making the county more energy efficient, is possible through $2.47 million in stimulus funds recently awarded through federal energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant program.

"It's exciting to be able to do this," said county board member Tina Hill, a leading voice in the county's drive to become more energy efficient. "We would not be able to do these things within our own resources."

Besides the solar wall, the funds will help the county replace older lighting with LED systems, upgrade boilers, install high-efficiency motors and create an educational program, among other efforts.

Hill said the county had to sell the federal government with a combination of "innovative" projects like the solar wall and less eye-catching work like lighting upgrades to win the grant funding.

There also was talk of installing wind turbines atop county buildings, but those plans were dropped, Hill said.

Officials believe the projects will reduce the county's carbon footprint by 2,819,253 pounds of carbon dioxide in the first year alone, and significantly reduce utility expenses.