Carroll Center Renovation and Addition

OAK PARK, IL

The Park District of Oak Park is a forward-looking institution, and a leader in the implementation of solar PV in the community. This rehab and addition project qualified for an Illinois Clean Energy Foundation Zero Energy Grant by designing to Passive House (PHIUS) certification and annual net-zero energy for the building. The program includes day care for the first part of the day, after-school programs until evening, and adult classes in the evening. The new addition features a movable partition to allow two day care rooms in the morning, but a big open space for larger groups. Mechanical systems include geothermal heating and cooling, energy recovery ventilation, and high-efficiency lighting.

An interactive dashboard on the Park District’s website highlights the use and cost savings achieved from collecting and conserving energy at the Center. Current energy modeling shows the building generating 25% more energy from the on-site solar array than the building will use on an annual basis.