A north suburban coffeehouse is now serving up drinks and conversation about going solar.
The Windfree Solar Cafe on Dempster Street in Evanston is believed to be the first of its kind in the country.
It’s modeled after Capital One Cafes, but with a focus on sustainability.
The space that officially opened Wednesday is part sales floor for the Chicago-based solar energy design and installation company.
Manager Kathryn Heineman describes it as “a place where people can learn about solar, buy solar, talk to a person - in person - with a coffee.”
The cafe has a bar made out of reclaimed wood, composts food and packaging materials and uses real dishes for dine-in customers.
A 440-watt solar panel hangs on the wall as a display board with information about going solar.
It does not power the cafe right now because Windfree is renting, but Heineman says they’re in the process of applying for Evanston’s Community Solar Program.
The opening comes a year after the city council passed an ordinance requiring large buildings to have a plan for clean energy by 2030 and run on renewables by 2050.
Heineman says they want the cafe to be a resource for owners of buildings and homes to learn about installing solar panels.
Windfree is encouraging commercial property owners to take advantage of federal tax credits for buying solar panels before they expire on July 4th.
Credits from the state and rebates from ComEd remain for buyers, and Heineman says there are still incentives for those who install panels but rent them, instead of buying.