GHG Emissions, Commercial, Solar  -  January 29, 2025

McDonald's and Wendy’s Adopt Community Solar

Over 30 McDonald's and Wendy’s locations in northern Illinois will use clean energy from community solar farms.

Mike Allegro of All Star Management, which owns 31 Wendy's and McDonald's locations in Illinois, signed a contract to partner with Perch Energy in an agreement that will save the company over $20,000 annually in electricity costs for 20 years by using power from local community solar farms in Rockford and Pontiac. 

Based on the franchises’ energy use through 2024, the fast-food locations would collectively save an estimated $1 million over two decades. In their first round of community solar subscriptions with Perch Energy, the restaurants will save about $500,000 from solar farms producing almost 8 MW of clean electricity. 

As additional capacity becomes available, the franchises will have the opportunity to double their initial subscription to achieve their estimated $1 million savings potential. The energy produced from these solar farms is the carbon equivalent of avoiding 13,437 metric tons of CO2 emissions.

“It was an easy decision. A lot of our restaurants are open early and close late. And some are open 24 hours a day, so we use a lot of electricity,” said Mike Allegro, the franchise owner, in a statement. “Everything is more expensive these days, but while the cost of everything else is going up, it’s one bill that Perch and Solar On Earth are helping to bring back down.” 

Small-scale solar farms like the Perch-managed projects in Pontiac and Rockland are accessible through community solar programs to many businesses, renters, and homeowners. Solar on Earth, a community solar customer acquisition organization, facilitated the partnership between Perch and Allegro. Solar on Earth partners with Perch in six states to help individuals and businesses access the cost-savings of clean energy. 

Community solar allows the restaurant chains to receive the benefits of clean energy development without the need for on-site solar panels, allowing for energy savings while supporting the deployment of local clean energy resources.