The Institute brought a group of UChicago undergraduate and grad students to tour the Bronzeville Community Microgrid.
About the Microgrid
One of the first solar-powered electric grids of its kind in the country, the Bronzeville Microgrid project is a collaboration between the Illinois Institute of Technology, the Chicago Housing Authority (CHA) and Commonwealth Edison. The microgrid is powered by rooftop- and ground-mounted solar installations at the CHA’s Dearborn Homes and provides service to more than 1000 customers in the Bronzeville neighborhood of Chicago.
“The Bronzeville Microgrid is one of the coolest renewable projects I’ve seen since coming to college. I found it especially fascinating that cultural and aesthetic elements, such as a mural were incorporated into the renewable design. Then, this infrastructure can transform from being a thing to being a symbol, which is a lot more powerful and long-lasting.” — student attendee Zvi Gomez Fisher.