Adams County Board Member Floats Solar Canopy Idea After Seeing Downtown Quincy Project
District 3 board member Dave Bellis said the solar canopy being installed at The Tower on Maine prompted him to ask whether a similar concept might be worth studying at the Adams County Sheriff’s Department parking lot.
QUINCY, Ill. A solar project currently taking shape in downtown Quincy that Quincy Current previously reported on has prompted an early conversation about whether a similar concept could someday make sense for Adams County.
During Tuesday night’s Adams County Board meeting, District 3 board member Dave Bellis raised the possibility of exploring a solar canopy over the parking lot at the Adams County Sheriff’s Department.
Bellis said the idea came after seeing the solar canopy project being installed at The Tower on Maine, where panels are being placed above parking spaces to generate electricity while also providing covered parking below.
The downtown project led Bellis to wonder whether the same type of approach could be practical on county property.
At this point, the discussion is only preliminary.
There is no approved project, no engineering plan, no construction schedule and no final cost estimate for a solar canopy at the Sheriff’s Department.
Bellis raised the idea simply to begin a conversation and determine whether it would be worthwhile to gather numbers and study the feasibility.
An Idea Inspired by an Existing Quincy Project
Solar canopies differ from traditional ground-mounted systems because the panels are elevated above existing parking areas.
That allows a single piece of property to serve two purposes at once. Vehicles can continue using the parking lot while the canopy overhead generates electricity.
At The Tower on Maine, the concept is being used to provide covered parking while also helping generate power for the property.
Bellis indicated that seeing the project underway there made him interested in whether Adams County could potentially make use of a similar design.
The Sheriff’s Department parking lot could present an interesting location to evaluate because it is already developed and regularly used, meaning a canopy could potentially add energy production without taking additional land out of service.
Whether that makes financial sense is another question.
That is the question Bellis wants answered before the idea goes any further.
The Numbers Would Have to Work
Any serious feasibility study would likely need to examine a number of factors, including the cost of constructing the canopy, expected electrical production, available incentives, the Sheriff’s Department’s current energy usage and how long it might take for energy savings to offset the initial investment.
The county would also have to consider structural, engineering and utility requirements before any project could advance.
None of those decisions have been made.
Tuesday night’s discussion did not amount to an endorsement of solar development or a commitment to spend county funds.
Instead, Bellis was essentially asking whether it might be worth finding out what a project of this type would cost and whether the long-term numbers could justify it.
If the financial picture proves favorable, the concept could be discussed further through the county’s normal committee and board process.
If it does not, the idea may go no further.
A Different Use for an Existing Parking Lot
Even at this early stage, the concept presents an interesting possibility for county property.
Parking lots traditionally serve a single purpose. A solar canopy could potentially allow the same space to provide parking, shade and weather protection while also producing electricity for a nearby government facility.
The project at The Tower on Maine now provides a local example of what such a structure can look like in practice.
For Bellis, that was enough to raise a simple question at Tuesday night’s meeting.
Could something similar work for Adams County?
For now, the answer is unknown.
The county is nowhere near approving a project, but Bellis would like to see what the numbers look like before deciding whether the idea deserves a closer look.
