ComEd, the electric service provider arm of Exelon Corporation (which delivers electricity to about 70 percent of northern Illinois), is planning a distributed solar array that will involve outfitting 100 Chicago-area homes with solar photovoltaic panels, and retrofitting at least 50 of those with “smart” meters, net metering, battery backup and a grid-tied status that enables them to send unused electricity from their solar energy systems back to the grid.The aim, according to ComEd, is to convert each home into a “mini-utility” in an attempt to prove that individual homes can act as power generators, buying and selling electricity in real-time, according to ComEd Environmental and Marketing VP, Val Jensen.
