The Devonshire Aquatic Center and the Weber Leisure Center became the third and fourth Skokie Park District facilities to install solar panels this month, continuing to save the district both money and energy.

The system activated at the Devonshire Aquatic Center in early October is a 63-panel, 30 kilowatt solar array that should offset approximately 8-10 percent of the facility’s annual electrical consumption. This will combine with the 81-panel, 33 kilowatt Devonshire Cultural Center system that was installed in 2022, to help reduce the total shared electrical expenditures at that site.

Phase 1 of the Weber Leisure Center system is a 457-panel 251 kilowatt system. The panels will supply approximately 37 percent of the center’s electrical needs, saving the park district an estimated $10,000 a year as part of a power purchase agreement with Realgy Energy. Phase 2 of the Weber Leisure Center project is coming soon and will bring solar power to the adjacent Skatium Ice Arena.

Forty-four panels were installed at the Emily Oaks Nature Center in 2021, with an estimated electrical savings of 21 percent.