Welcome to Illinois Shines
Building our solar future
Illinois Shines ensures that together, we can all play a role in our clean energy future and supports the State’s renewable and clean energy targets. Renewable energy as defined in Illinois law includes solar, wind, hydropower in certain circumstances, anaerobic digestion, and crops and untreated and unadulterated organic waste biomass. Clean energy as defined in Illinois law is energy generation that is 90% or greater free of carbon dioxide emissions. In Illinois, some energies qualify as clean energy but not as renewable energy. Illinois targets include:
- 40% of energy from renewable sources by 2030
- 50% of energy from renewable sources by 2040
- 100% of energy from clean sources by 2050
Ready to learn more? See the Introduction to Illinois Shines: Solar Basics and More resource!
The Benefits of Solar and Illinois Shines
More consumers, businesses, schools, and communities are choosing solar because of its many benefits.
Financial Benefits
As solar technology costs decrease and incentives increase, customers may be able to lower utility bills by generating their own electricity or subscribing to a community solar project.
Environmental Benefits
Replacing fossil fuels and traditional power plants with clean, renewable solar energy reduces air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions, helps fight climate change, and contributes to a healthy environment.
Economic Growth
With hundreds of solar companies operating in the state to manufacture, sell, install, and service solar systems, solar generates enormous economic activity for Illinois.
Though customers can “go solar” on their own, Illinois Shines provides substantial, additional benefits including:
Financial incentives you may receive
Approval and compliance monitoring of Approved Vendors
Educational resources and consumer protection support
Equity opportunities for contractors, workforce, and your community
Ways to Participate in Illinois Shines
Illinois Shines provides incentives to solar vendors to develop different types of projects, which can be passed on to customers. Illinois Shines helps you find approved solar vendors, understand which project type might be right for you, and understand the financial considerations of these options. Illinois Shines provides incentives for solar projects through the purchase of Renewable Energy Credits, or RECs. To learn more about RECs, visit Solar and Illinois Shines Basics. To learn more about Distributed Generation and Community Solar in Illinois Shines, and how to consider which project type, vendor, and financial options may be right for you, visit Exploring Solar.
Quick Links & Resources
Quick links to some commonly-used areas of the site
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