Castillo Engineering and Recon Corporation Partner on 15 MW of Community Solar Projects in Illinois

Castillo Engineering has been selected by Recon Corporation to provide design and engineering services on two new community solar projects in Illinois, totaling 15 MW dc. Part of the Illinois Shines or Adjustable Block Program, the two 7.5 MW projects are located in the cities of Pontiac and Odell and will use single axis trackers. The projects are expected to break ground in Q1 of 2025 and reach completion in Q4 of 2025. This announcement comes after Castillo secured a portfolio of three projects, totaling 23 MW, with Recon in the first quarter of 2024. Once these most recent projects are complete, Castillo and Recon will have completed over 50 MW of projects together.

"Castillo continues to be our preferred partner thanks to their deep experience in the Midwest and consistent track record of completing projects within schedule and budget," said Scott Walker, President of Recon Corporation. "We look forward to further utilizing their in-house expertise in civil, electrical, and structural engineering to deliver community solar projects more efficiently for the residents of Illinois."

In the last four years, Illinois has seen a threefold increase in its installed community solar capacity. The state now ranks in the top four U.S. states in terms of installed community solar capacity, behind New York, Minnesota and Massachusetts. This is due in large part to favorable legislation in the state. In fact, the Illinois Shines program recently increased the size limit for projects from 2 MW to 5 MW ac, which is significant due to this increasing the economies of scale and for enabling solar companies to more quickly accelerate total installed community solar capacity in the state. These two new projects represent the first projects of this new allowable size that Castillo and Recon have completed. 

"We’re grateful to have yet another opportunity to work alongside an industry leader like Recon Corporation in the Midwest," said Christopher Castillo, CEO of Castillo Engineering. "Their expertise is unmatched in the region and we look forward to helping them efficiently execute this additional set of impactful community solar projects."

Castillo Engineering | castillope.com