Village of Sleepy Hollow
Sleepy Hollow, Illinois
Intern: Timothy Ryan
Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago
The Village of Sleepy Hollow, located in the northeast corner of Kane County, encompasses just
over six square miles of land that includes homes, wetlands, farmlands and parks. The current
population is just over 3,500 people.
The intern project involved the evaluation of energy use in municipal facilities, waste debris
clean up and storage, water quality monitoring and nutrient control.
Results:
The intern made the following recommendations:
• Install motion occupancy sensors or reminder signs to shut off lights in low use areas of
the village hall.
• Retrofit incandescent exit signs with LED signs at the village hall.
• Proceed with a full lighting upgrade when grant funding becomes available.
• Install a geothermal system to heat and cool the village hall. The heating and cooling
system is scheduled to be replaced in 2007. An estimated energy savings of 60 % could
be achieved by installing a geothermal system with a payback period of five years.
• Utilize a better practice for storing and disposing of paving debris to minimize the
potential for stormwater runoff.
• Continue to monitor water quality of the local lake and adjacent creeks to help maintain
wetland biodiversity and preserve natural areas in the community.
• Use barley straw and other best management practices to prevent nutrients from building
up in waterways.
• Discontinue the practice of burning yard waste.
