Kane County considers request for solar farm near Elgin

An aerial view of the 1 Megawatt generating solar farm on Monday, June 23, 2025 at the intersection of Peggy Land and Epperson Road in Princeton.

A landowner is asking Kane County for permission to install a community solar electric facility on farmland near Elgin.

On Tuesday, the county’s zoning board of appeals will consider an application for a 25-acre array near Brookside Drive and Almora Terrace, which is west of Randall Road and south of Highland Avenue.

The site is part of 49 acres of farmland.

The owner, TNT Howard LLC, proposes to install an array of devices that would tilt to follow the sun. The array would have 10,179 modules. The structures would stand no higher than 20 feet.

The field would generate up to 5 megawatts of electricity.

The land is zoned for farming. Solar facilities are allowed on farmland with a special-use permit.

According to the application, the land in question has low crop yields and problems with soil erosion. If the solar panels are allowed, the areas between them would be mowed or grazed by sheep to keep vegetation under control.

TNT Howard LLC is owned by Timothy Meyer of Barrington. The application says he is a former chemical engineer who is now in the financial industry and also practices organic farming.

The ZBA meets at 7 p.m. Tuesday, July 1, in Building A at the Kane County Government Center, 719 S. Batavia Ave. (Route 31), Geneva.

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