New initiative aims to expand solar-powered education and community engagement across northern Illinois energy company’s ‘Community of the Future’ neighborhoods
CHICAGO AND HUNTINGDON VALLEY, PENN., – ComEd, an Exelon company, recently expanded its Community of the Future initiative with a new partnership to deploy off-grid solar workstations made by Sunbolt across Rockford and Chicago’s Bronzeville neighborhood. Designed to promote sustainability, education, and public access to clean energy, the program installed solar-powered charging stations at schools, parks, and community gardens, giving residents a free place to charge phones and tablets, connect outdoors, and experience clean energy firsthand in their own neighborhoods.
The workstations, including models like the CampusXL, Velocity and Dash stand-up from Sunbolt, let residents plug in and charge devices using nothing but sunlight: each station’s integrated solar panels capture the sun’s energy, store it in onboard batteries, and deliver it to plugged-in devices. Each site is selected in collaboration with local leaders, with model types and quantities determined by the needs of each location.
ComEd’s Community of the Future initiative, launched in 2018, is a collaborative effort between ComEd and the communities it serves to identify, develop, execute, and evaluate projects and programs that facilitate the clean energy transition and climate resilience. Implementation prioritizes safety, energy equity, public health, and economic opportunity.
“At ComEd, we are proud to support the communities we serve by helping bring new energy solutions into everyday spaces,” said Andy Plenge, Vice President of Strategy and Energy Policy for ComEd. “It is an opportunity to make clean energy more visible, more approachable, and more connected to people’s daily lives.”
Sunbolt will manufacture and ship the solar units, continuing its mission to provide clean energy solutions that double as educational tools in everyday spaces. ComEd will collaborate with community leaders and site hosts to determine ideal locations, models, and quantities based on local needs. The initiative is expected to support a variety of educational and outreach programs focused on renewable energy, STEM learning, and sustainability practices.
“This isn’t just about charging devices, it’s about empowering and enriching communities with solar experiences that benefit daily life,” said Vanessa Branco, Chief Sales and Marketing Officer at Sunbolt. “We’re proud to help ComEd turn neighborhoods into living laboratories for clean energy.”
The rollout underscores ComEd’s commitment to building smarter, more resilient communities through clean energy innovation. Learn more about ComEd’s Community of the Future at: ComEd.com/CoF.
Sunbolt workstations are installed at colleges, universities, parks and community sites across the country, helping to meet sustainability targets while improving access to power, wellness spaces, and outdoor learning environments.
To learn more about Sunbolt and its solar-powered workstations and charging stations, please visit www.gosunbolt.com.
About Sunbolt
Based in Huntingdon Valley, PA, Sunbolt designs and manufactures off-grid solar-powered furniture and charging stations that combine sustainability, performance, and style. From schoolyards to city centers, Sunbolt’s solutions empower people to stay connected wherever they are, without relying on traditional infrastructure. Learn more at www.gosunbolt.com.
About ComEd
ComEd is a unit of Chicago-based Exelon Corporation (NASDAQ: EXC), a Fortune 200 company and one of the nation’s largest utility companies, serving almost 11 million customers through six fully regulated transmission and distribution utilities — Atlantic City Electric, BGE, ComEd, Delmarva Power, PECO, and Pepco. ComEd powers the lives of more than 4 million customers across northern Illinois, or 70 percent of the state’s population. For more information visit ComEd.com, and connect with the company on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, X, and YouTube.
