Prairie Solar
Project Overview
Prairie Solar is a 183 MW solar project located in Champaign County, Illinois. This project will span approximately 800 acres and started construction in the spring of 2024.
Capacity
183 MW Solar
Location
Champaign County, Illinois
Status
Under Construction
Construction Timeline
Installation will be divided into three stages: pile driving, tracker installation, and solar module installation. Piles are the vertical poles that elevate modules off the ground, while trackers are the horizontal support components upon which the solar modules are placed. The project is set to reach full operational status expected by the end of 2025.
Upcoming Milestones
Following the start of structural and mechanical installation, the construction team will proceed with electrical installation and substation construction. This phase involves laying underground DC and AC cables to connect the solar panels and connect them to the inverters and substations. The substation, responsible for transferring energy from the solar project to the grid, will have a significantly smaller footprint than the solar facility. Typically, the substation is completed near the end of the construction process.