⚡ 1480 RENAISSANCE DR

MEMORANDUM

TO: Sunland America Corp. Development Committee

FROM: Senior BESS Site Evaluation Analyst

DATE: October 26, 2023

SUBJECT: Comprehensive Site Diligence Analysis for "Project O'Hare"

PROPERTY: 1480 RENAISSANCE DR, Park Ridge, Cook County, IL (APN: 09221100050000)

This report provides a comprehensive due diligence analysis for the potential development of a distribution-scale (≤5MW) Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) at the subject property. The analysis covers key development pillars including site characteristics, environmental constraints, grid infrastructure, regulatory hurdles, and financial incentives.

1. Site Access & Topography

Road Access & Feasibility: The site exhibits excellent road access. It is located in a well-developed commercial office park directly off Renaissance Drive, which connects to major arterial roads such as West Higgins Road. Proximity to Interstate 294 (I-294) is a significant advantage for logistics. The existing road infrastructure is paved, wide, and designed to handle commercial traffic, including semi-trucks. This suggests that delivery of heavy and oversized BESS equipment, such as battery containers, inverters, and the main power transformer, will be highly feasible with minimal need for road improvements.

Terrain & Buildability: Based on aerial imagery, the property is an existing multi-story office building surrounded by a large, paved surface parking lot. The topography is consequently flat and level, which is ideal for BESS construction. This eliminates the need for significant grading or earthwork, reducing civil construction costs and timelines. The primary buildable area would be a portion of this existing parking lot.

Heavy Equipment Access: Direct access for heavy equipment like cranes (for transformer placement) and transport vehicles is excellent. The open, paved nature of the lot allows for flexible staging areas and straightforward placement of equipment foundations.

Easement Concerns: As part of an established office park, the parcel is almost certainly subject to existing easements for utilities (power, water, sewer, data), access for other tenants, and potentially restrictive covenants that could limit development. A key discrepancy exists between the county's listed 35.02 acres and Regrid's 2.97 acres; this must be clarified. A title report and ALTA survey are required to confirm the exact parcel boundaries and identify any encumbrances that could conflict with BESS placement or interconnection routing.

2. Environmental Constraints

FEMA Flood Zone: The FEMA flood zone designation is listed as "Unknown." A preliminary desktop review using the FEMA Flood Map Service Center suggests the property lies within Zone X, an area of minimal flood hazard. This requires verification with a formal report, but if confirmed, it is a positive finding, as it would likely not require significant elevation of equipment or costly flood mitigation measures.

Wetlands: The presence of wetlands is "Unknown." Given that the proposed development area is a paved parking lot, the likelihood of jurisdictional wetlands within the construction footprint is very low. However, a formal wetlands delineation may still be required by the AHJ as part of the permitting process, particularly if any unpaved or landscaped areas are impacted.

Critical Habitat / Endangered Species: The data indicates no critical habitats or protected areas on or near the site. This is consistent with its location in a dense, developed urban environment. The risk of encountering endangered species that would halt or complicate development is considered negligible.

Brownfield/Superfund Status: The property itself is not identified as a brownfield. While there is one superfund site within a two-mile radius, it does not impact the subject parcel. This is a double-edged sword: the site is clean, posing low environmental liability risk. However, it means the project is ineligible for the 10% IRA brownfield tax credit adder, which applies only to sites meeting specific federal definitions.

Pipeline Proximity: No major gas or hazardous liquid pipelines are identified within a three-mile radius, eliminating risks associated with pipeline proximity, such as required safety setbacks or explosion hazards.

3. Grid Infrastructure & Interconnection

Substation & Transmission Infrastructure: This is the most critical unknown. No substation data was provided. However, satellite imagery analysis identifies a probable Commonwealth Edison (ComEd) substation located approximately 0.5 miles east of the site, across I-294. The voltage, available capacity, and name of this substation are unknown and represent a major data gap. A 138kV transmission line is located 1.5 miles away, which is too distant and at an inappropriate voltage for a cost-effective distribution-scale project; it should not be considered a viable Point of Interconnection (POI).

Recommended Interconnection: The recommended pathway is an interconnection to a local ComEd distribution feeder, likely at 12.47kV. The existing office building has a significant electrical load, indicating that a robust three-phase feeder is already present on-site or along Renaissance Drive. Tapping into this existing infrastructure would be the most direct and cost-effective strategy.

Cost & Timeline Estimate: Interconnection costs are highly speculative without a utility study. If a viable feeder with sufficient capacity runs adjacent to the site, costs could be in the $750,000 - $1.5 million range for protection upgrades and line extensions. If a new feeder pull from the substation is required, costs could exceed $2.5 million. The ComEd interconnection queue in Illinois is known to be congested. A realistic timeline from application submission to commercial operation is 24-36 months.

Utility & Feeder: The interconnecting utility is Commonwealth Edison. The likely feeder configuration is a standard three-phase overhead or underground line serving the commercial park. An immediate interconnection application