Consumer FAQs
General
It means that Program capacity for project applications in a specific Group (A or B) and category (e.g., Small Distributed Generation or Large Distributed Generation) has been depleted for this Program Year, and therefore new project applications submitted to the Program are added to a waitlist for the next Program Year. Waitlisted projects receive priority consideration when additional capacity becomes available, most commonly when the next Program Year begins.
(Updated February 2024)
Project applications are removed from the waitlist after project(s) of the same or greater size ahead of it have withdrawn or Program capacity opens at the start of a new Program year. In the new Program Year, projects are selected from the top of the waitlist of a given Group (A or B) and category (e.g., Small Distributed Generation or Large Distributed Generation) are taken off. A project application will be reviewed for compliance with Program requirements only after it has been selected from the waitlist. Because the rate of withdrawals is unknown, it is not possible to determine if or when a project may be selected from the waitlist and thus be considered for an incentive through the Program.
Waitlists can be viewed on the Illinois Shines Block Capacity Dashboard across all of the Program’s project categories.
(Updated February 2024)
Each Program Year, Illinois Shines allocates incentives for a specific amount of capacity for new solar projects. When the capacity for the current Program Year has been fully depleted for that group and project category, the program begins waitlists for that group and project category, with priority review for waitlisted projects occurring when more capacity becomes available, most commonly when the next Program Year begins. The exhaustion of Program capacity does not mean that Illinois Shines or the state have run out of Program funds to support future projects. New capacity is released for all Program categories at the start of each Program Year, which occurs annually in June.
(Updated February 2024)
Yes, customers may still purchase, install, and finance solar projects during the current Program Year even if the capacity associated with the project category has been depleted. When the vendor submits the project application, the project will be placed on a waitlist and waitlisted projects will be allocated capacity in the new Program Year before new applications
(Updated February 2024)
There are two ways you can participate in Illinois Shines:
You may either 1) host a solar photovoltaic system by having solar panels installed on your roof or property and contracting with an Approved Vendor that will apply for the Program on your behalf (This is the general application process and a list of Approved Vendors); or 2) you may participate as a subscriber to a community solar project—which allows you to receive benefits associated with your share of a large, centralized solar project. You do not need to install solar on your home/business/property in order to subscribe to a community solar project. More about community solar can be found on the Exploring Community Solar page.
(Updated February 2024)
All project applications are submitted to the program by Approved Vendors. New project applications are accepted on a rolling basis pursuant to fulfillment of Program requirements and subject to block capacity and waitlists. The Program’s block capacity dashboard and waitlists can be viewed on the Block Capacity Dashboard page.
(Updated February 2024)
All applications must be submitted by an Approved Vendor. Customers may not submit applications and should find an Approved Vendor to work with.
- For small systems that have already been built (and energized after June 1, 2017), if your installer does not become an Approved Vendor, or work with an Approved Vendor, you will need to choose an Approved Vendor from the Approved Vendor list to apply on your behalf. Each Approved Vendor may offer you different terms and you should review multiple offers and choose carefully.
- Find an Approved Vendor on the Find an AV or Designee page.
- Systems will have to comply with all Program requirements, which may require retroactive adjustments to the system or agreements with the installer. Systems in the Program must have been installed by an individual who is a “Qualified Person” as defined in Section 16-128A of the Illinois Public Utilities Act and Title 83, Part 468 of the Illinois Administrative Code.
(Updated February 2024)
No, you are not required to participate in the Program. You can indicate to your installer that you do not wish to participate in Illinois Shines; additionally, if you want to keep the RECs from your solar photovoltaic system or sell them outside the Illinois Shines program, you can seek to negotiate that with your installer. However, the funding available through Illinois Shines is likely to make a system installed under the umbrella of the Program more affordable than if not.
(Updated February 2024)
Projects in the service territories of rural electric cooperatives, municipal electric utilities, and Mt. Carmel Public Utility Company are eligible to participate in the Illinois Shines program. More information on requirements applicable to projects in the service territories of rural electric cooperatives or municipal electric utilities can be found in the IPA’s Long-Term Plan or the Illinois Shines Program Guidebook.
(Updated February 2024)
The Illinois Power Agency Act calls for a cumulative 1,500,000 RECs to be delivered annually from Illinois Shines by the end of 2025-2026, then a cumulative 2,000,000 RECs annually by end of 2030-2031. As such, the Agency expects the Program to remain open well into the future in order to support these statutory goals.
Please see the Block Capacity Dashboard for an update on the capacity available at this time. Reminder, new capacity for each new Program Year is released annually in June.
(Updated February 2024)
Net metering is a policy that allows your distributed generation (on-site) solar project to create additional economic value. Net metering allows you to receive credits on your electricity bill for extra electricity that your solar project generates and sends to the grid.
If you are located in Ameren, ComEd, or MidAmerican service territory, you are eligible for full retail rate net metering (also called 1:1 net metering) as long as (1) you are a residential or small business customer that purchases electricity from your utility, (2) you submit your application prior to January 1, 2025, and (3) you do not take the smart inverter or distributed generation rebate (only available in Ameren and ComEd service territories).
If your solar project makes more electricity than you are using, the electricity flows to the grid. On the other hand, if you use more electricity than your project is generating at any specific time, you will pull electricity from the grid. Your electric utility will “net out” the extra electricity that your project sends to the grid against the electricity that you pull from the grid. The electric utility will then only charge you supply, delivery, and other volumetric fees (fees that are based on kWh usage) on the netted amount of usage.
For example, if your solar project sends 400 kWh of extra electricity to the grid, and you use 500 kWh of electricity from the grid, the utility will only charge you for using 100 kWh of electricity. (For electricity that is produced directly from your solar project that you use onsite, there are no utility charges or credits.) Thinking about it another way, you will receive credits on your electricity bill for electricity that you send back to the grid. Full retail rate net metering means that you are compensated at the same per kWh rate that you pay for electricity (that is, the full retail rate) when your solar project produces more energy than you use.
If you overall send more electricity to the grid in a month than you pull from the grid, the utility will not charge you any volumetric fees (fees that are based on kWh usage), and the extra net metering credits (in kWh) will “roll over” to the next month. You will still have other charges on your bill, such as the customer charge.
If you receive energy supply from an Alternative Retail Electric Supplier (ARES) but your electricity is delivered by Ameren, ComEd, or MidAmerican, the utility will provide net metering of the delivery charges and other volumetric charges (charges based on kWh usage) from the utility. The ARES will be responsible for net meter crediting for supply and transmission charges.
Large commercial and industrial customers generally do not pay the retail rate for electricity supply, and therefore receive fewer net metering credits; instead, they receive credits equal to the electricity provider’s avoided supply cost, rather than the full retail rate (which includes both delivery and supply service charges).
Net metering policies will change on January 1, 2025, but solar projects that have submitted net metering applications prior to that date will be grandfathered in with full retail rate net metering.
(Updated February 2024)
Net metering is a policy that allows your distributed generation (on-site) solar project to create additional economic value. Net metering allows you to receive credits on your electricity bill for extra electricity that your solar project generates and sends to the grid. Each municipal utility and rural electric cooperative has its own rules for how it calculates the value of net metering credits.
Ask the solar company for information on your utility’s net metering rate, and make sure you understand how this affects the overall financial benefits of a solar project.
Note that the Approved Vendor or Designee selling the solar project must provide you with a customer acknowledgment form explaining if your utility does not provide net metering credits that are comparable to the credits provided by Ameren, ComEd, and MidAmerican, instead, what type of crediting you will receive. This form is available at Net Metering Credits – Illinois Shines.
(Updated February 2024)
Yes, solar systems still produce electricity in the winter months, but production could be significantly lower due to winter’s shorter days, the lower angle of the sun in winter, and snowfall that may occasionally cover your panels.
If your solar system was designed to offset all of your annual electricity usage, it was likely designed to produce excess electricity in summer months, which can balance out lower production experienced in winter months. Under the Illinois Public Utilities Act (Sec. 5/16-107.5. Net electricity metering), utilities must allow unused net metering credits (from high production months during spring and summer) to carry forward and offset subsequent electricity usage until the end of your annual period (which you can choose to be either the end of April or October each year).
After the annual period closes, these credits expire and can no longer be used toward your electricity bill. If you install solar in the fall or winter, your system has not yet had a chance to generate excess credits during high production months. This could result in your electricity bill not decreasing significantly since the installation occurred during lower production months. At this point in the year when lower production occurs, your system’s production might not meet the needs of your home/property.
Please note that if you are not a customer of ComEd, Ameren, or MidAmerican, excess net metering credits may or may not carry forward. Additionally, keep in mind that the carrying forward of net metering credits only applies to specific rate classes, which can vary depending on utility. Please check with your electric utility to learn more about its specific metering policy.
If you believe that your system is underperforming, please contact your Installer for more information. If you have questions about your Illinois Shines application, please contact your Approved Vendor.
For more information about net metering specific to each Illinois utility, please click on the following ComEd, Ameren, and MidAmerican links.
(Updated February 2024)
Incentive Payments
Your Approved Vendor should be able to keep you updated on the status of your application and you may view the status of your application by using the project status tool.
(Updated February 2024)
When submitting a project application to Illinois Shines, the Approved Vendor will include an estimate of how much electricity your solar project will generate based on your project’s size and specifications (to be approved by the Program Administrator), and the incentive payment will be based on this amount. Feel free to discuss this before signing a contract with your Approved Vendor. Make sure you understand whether the Approved Vendor will keep the incentive payment, or whether any will be passed through to you.
(Updated February 2024)
The most common options are 1) buying the system, 2) leasing the system, or 3) signing a Power Purchase Agreement (“PPA”). For many lease and PPA customers, you will not be able to directly take advantage of incentives because the system is owned by a third party. Instead, the system owner or Approved Vendor will receive the incentive. A portion of these incentives may be passed on to you in the form of reduced costs. When deciding on the best option for you, consider:
- If you’re buying the system, how much will it cost? Will you take out a loan to pay for it and if so, what is the interest rate on the loan and how much will the financing costs be? How do the loan payments compare to projected reductions in your monthly electric bill? Do the loan payments escalate over time?
- If you’re leasing, how much is your monthly lease payment? How does that compare to projected reductions in your monthly electric bill? Do you have to put money down at the start?
- If you’re signing a PPA, how much is the per kilowatt hour price for the energy produced? How does that compare to your current electricity rate? Do you have to put money down at the start?
- Does your lease or PPA include an escalation clause that increases the amount of payments over time? If so, by how much do payments increase?
(Updated February 2024)
Billing and payments will be handled between you and your solar provider; it will not be through your regular electric utility bill. In addition to lease, PPA, or solar loan payments, you will still receive an electricity bill. Net metering credits—credits for excess electricity that your project generates and sends back to the electric grid—will be credited on your utility bill.
(Updated February 2024)
Your community solar provider may bill you directly for your subscription payment, or your community solar provider may choose to have the subscription charge be included on your ComEd or Ameren utility bill.
(Updated February 2024)
Ameren and ComEd are required to provide an option “rebate” for customers who install distributed generation and/or battery storage with a smart inverter. This is sometimes called a “distributed generation rebate” or a “smart inverter rebate.” This rebate is now available for residential and nonresidential customers.
Solar projects for residential and small commercial customers receive $300/kW for installed solar project capacity and $300/kWh for nameplate capacity for associated energy storage (commonly referred to as “batteries”). If the solar project takes the rebate for generation (regardless of whether you also take the energy storage rebate), you will only receive net metering for your electricity supply and transmission fees (rather than full retail rate net metering).
For commercial and industrial customers, the rebate is $250/kW for generation and $250/kWh for energy storage. Taking the rebate does not affect commercial and industrial customers’ net metering rate, which is generally already lower than full retail rate
Make sure you understand who keeps the rebate – you or someone else – and whether there are any special utility rates or programs that you will be required to participate in.
(Updated February 2024)
You are not guaranteed to save money unless your contract with your solar provider includes an explicit guarantee. Answers to the questions below will help you assess whether or not you might save money. You can answer some questions yourself, while others can be answered by your solar installer or sales agent.
- What per kilowatt-hour rate are you currently paying for electricity? The higher the electricity rate before you go solar, the more money you can potentially save.
- Is your roof suitable for solar panels? The direction your roof faces and how much shade it gets will affect how much electricity roof mounted photovoltaic will generate. The roof’s condition should also be considered.
- How much electricity will the system generate? If your system produces more electricity than you use over an annual period, you may not receive credit for all the electricity generated.
- Will the Approved Vendor pass through any of the Illinois Shines incentive payment to you? The Approved Vendor will be paid by a utility for the Renewable Energy Credits (RECs) that your solar project generates and may use some of that money to directly or indirectly reduce your cost of going solar.
- Can you use the federal Investment Tax Credit? If you buy your system, you may qualify for a substantial federal income tax credit. Consult your tax adviser.
- How long do you expect to stay in your home or business location? If you lease or sign a PPA, you may be required to buy out the contract if you move. Read your contract to find out what happens if you move.
For income-eligible customers, please see the Illinois Solar for All program, which ensures that all qualified participants see savings on their energy bills.
(Updated February 2024)
Renewable Energy Credits (RECs)
One Renewable Energy Credit, or “REC”, is equivalent to 1 megawatt hour of renewable electricity produced. RECs represent the environmental value of the electricity generated from renewable resources like solar panels, but not the electricity itself. Whoever owns the RECs has the right to say they used that renewable power. Utilities must purchase RECs to meet their obligation to supply a certain amount of power from renewable energy. RECs can also be valuable to businesses with sustainability goals. A home solar photovoltaic system might generate 50-200 RECs over 15 years. By participating in Illinois Shines, your Approved Vendor will transfer the RECs from your solar project to an Illinois electric utility. Selling your RECs will not affect your photovoltaic system’s production or your net metering credits. For more information on RECs, see an explanatory video at https://vimeo.com/113250210.
(Updated February 2024)
“SREC” stands for Solar Renewable Energy Credit. An SREC is a specific type of REC generated by a solar project, as opposed to another type of renewable energy resource (such as wind or hydropower).
(Updated February 2024)
REC prices for each Program Year can be found in the Program Guidebook, found on the Program Documents page.
(Updated February 2024)
No. Although you can keep your RECs or sell them to someone besides utilities, participating in Illinois Shines and thus allowing your RECs to be sold to the utility is likely to be your best financial option. Selling your RECs through this Program will make it more likely that your solar project will save you money.
(Updated February 2024)
Once your solar project is approved to participate in the Program, REC transfers happen automatically and electronically for the duration of the contract the project is awarded via the Program, which might be 15 or 20 years. Your Approved Vendor will take care of the transaction details with the utility that purchases the RECs your system produces. The REC payments may affect the economic terms of your installation transaction, however; you should discuss that with your installer and/or Approved Vendor. As always, feel free to shop around and consider carefully among installers and/or Approved Vendors before making a final decision.
(Updated February 2024)
By state law, the funds come from the ratepayers of large electric utilities in Illinois. Every utility customer contributes funds through a dedicated line item for renewable energy resources on their monthly electric bill. A utility will use these funds to purchase RECs from your Approved Vendor.
(Updated February 2024)
If the system produces more than contracted under the REC Contract, the Approved Vendor gets no extra REC incentive payments. If the system is producing less than contracted under the REC Contract, the Approved Vendor might be required to give some portion of any pre-paid REC payments back; check your agreement to understand if that has any implications for you or if your Approved Vendor will seek to recover these costs from you.
(Updated February 2024)
Solar Project Design and Installation
Factors determining the adequacy of your roof include: its physical condition; the direction it faces; its angle; and any obstructions that cause shade to fall on the system, such as nearby trees. Potential installers can help investigate these issues and advise you on whether solar makes sense for you.
(Updated February 2024)
A basic list of approvals is as follows:
- Before installation, you will probably need to get a permit from your local municipality; some customers may also need to gain approval from a Homeowners Association (HOA). Talk to your local municipal government (or your installer may do this on your behalf).
- After installation, you will probably need an official from your local municipality to inspect and approve the work.
- You will need to apply to interconnect the system to your electric utility’s distribution system (or your installer may do this on your behalf).
- In order to receive the full economic benefit of your solar project, you will need to apply to your electric utility or to your alternative retail electric supplier (if you have one) to enroll in net metering. Information about net metering and the application process can be found here.
For more information about net metering specific to each Illinois utility, please click on the following ComEd, Ameren, and MidAmerican links.
(Updated February 2024)
Disclosure Forms
There are four types of Disclosure Forms:
- Purchase, where a customer buys, either outright or through a loan, a distributed generation (DG) solar project installed on their property.
- Lease, where a customer leases a distributed generation (DG) solar project installed on their property.
- Power Purchase Agreement or PPA, where a customer buys electricity generated by a distributed generation (DG) solar project installed on their property.
- Community Solar, where a customer subscribes to a community solar project located within their electric utility’s service territory.
(Updated October 2024)
The Disclosure Form is a standard document required by Illinois Shines and includes key information about your solar project or community solar subscription. You should review and sign the Disclosure Form before you sign your contract or subscription agreement. The standard format means you can use the Disclosure Form to compare offers from different solar companies on an apples-to-apples basis.
An installation contract or subscription agreement, on the other hand, is a legal agreement between a customer and the Approved Vendor or Designee solar company. Your contract or subscription agreement may include additional information that is not included in your Disclosure Form. Make sure to read both documents carefully.
(Updated October 2024)
For both distributed generation (DG) solar projects and community solar (CS) subscriptions, Approved Vendors and Designees must present a completed Disclosure Form to the customer for their review and signature before the installation contract or subscription agreement is signed. The Disclosure Form includes important information about the proposed solar project. Please review the Disclosure Form in full and ask your solar company to provide any additional information you may need before signing.
(Updated October 2024)
Please review the Block Capacity Dashboard to understand the funding available in the current Program Year for each category of projects within the Illinois Shines program. Illinois Shines allocates incentives for a specific amount of capacity for new solar projects for each Program Year, which runs from June through May. The exhaustion of capacity in a particular category for a Program Year does not mean that Illinois Shines or the State have run out of Program funds to support future projects. The Illinois Shines program has waitlists for all Program project categories where capacity is exhausted prior to the close of the Program Year, therefore customers may still purchase, install, and finance solar projects. Waitlisted applications are first in line when new capacity becomes available at the opening of a new Program Year. The waitlisting of an application could delay the Illinois Shines incentive payments, but these delays do not affect other economic benefits that customers receive from net metering, rebates offered by the utilities, or any federal tax incentives.
(Updated October 2024)
You can direct any questions about the Disclosure Form to your solar provider. The contact information for your solar provider is listed on your Disclosure Form. If you have additional questions or wish to confirm information from your solar provider, please reach out to the Illinois Shines Program Administrator at the email [email protected].
(Updated October 2024)
For a list of companies that participate in the Illinois Shines program from whom you could obtain additional offers, please visit our lists of Approved Vendors and Designees.
You may also be interested in viewing our Consumer Protection resources, which includes consumer complaint information and Program violation information for solar companies participating in the Program.
(Updated October 2024)
Net Metering
Net metering credits you for your electricity that your solar project sends to the utility electric grid. If your solar project generates more electricity than you use, the excess electricity flows to the grid and you will receive a credit on your bill for that electricity.
Rural electric cooperatives and municipal electric utilities may limit access to net metering or may offer a different approach for crediting customers for electricity that is sent to the grid.
(Updated July 2024)
Net metering policies and rates for ComEd, Ameren, and MidAmerican distributed generation (on-site) residential and small commercial solar customers are changing. Full retail rate net metering will no longer be available to residential and small commercial customers net metering customers interconnecting new renewable energy systems after December 31, 2024.
Your utility will “net out” the electricity that your project sends to the grid against the electricity that you pull from the grid. For example, if your solar project sends 400 kWh of extra electricity to the grid, and you use 500 kWh of electricity from the grid, your net usage would be 100 kWh. You will then only pay supply and transmission charges for that net usage.
With supply-only net metering, electric delivery charges are no longer included in net metering. This means that customers will pay delivery charges for the entire amount of electricity that they pull from the grid, regardless of how much electricity they send back to the grid. With the above example, you would pay supply and transmission charges for 100 kWh, but you would pay delivery charges for the full 500 kWh pulled from the grid. Your electric bill will also include non-volumetric (not based on kWh used) customer charges and fees.
Customers that have systems installed that are already receiving full retail rate net metering will continue to receive full retail rate net metering for the life of their system, or unless the solar project is modified so extensively that it requires a new interconnection agreement (in ComEd territory) or doubles the nameplate capacity of the project (in Ameren territory).
(Updated July 2024)
Under Illinois law, customers beginning net metering service on or after January 1, 2025 will receive net metering just for supply charges, rather than the full retail rate net metering. The Agency understands that as a result, ComEd will require customers submit a certificate of completion by December 31, 2024 to be assured full retail rate net metering, and that Ameren will require customers to submit the Witness Test Request by December 31, 2024 to be assured full retail rate net metering. If the submissions are incomplete or have errors, or if they are submitted after 5 PM on December 31, 2024 but before January 1, 2025, the utilities may or may not be able to review and approve net metering before the January 1 deadline. (Note: this date was updated to December 31, from December 13, on October 4, 2024). MidAmerican requires that a completed net metering application be submitted prior to January 1, 2025 for the solar project to receive full retail rate net metering.
(Updated October 4, 2024)
Residential and small commercial customers interconnected to Ameren or ComEd prior to January 1, 2025 who did not request a Distributed Generation Rebate from the utility will continue to have full retail net metering for the life of the system unless material modifications are made. Residential and small commercial customers in MidAmerican territory who submit a net metering application prior to January 1, 2025, will receive full retail rate net metering. If you are unable to determine if you are receiving full retail rate net metering, you may want to check with your utility.
(Updated July 2024)
If the system has been receiving full retail rate net metering prior to January 1, 2025, it will continue to receive full retail rate net metering even if ownership of the project changes.
(Updated July 2024)
If your system is enrolled in the legacy full retail rate net metering, meaning it was interconnected prior to January 1, 2025 and you did not request a DG (also called “Smart Inverter”) rebate with the utility, the net metering rate will change if the system is modified under the following circumstances:
- For ComEd, changes to the system that require a new interconnection application
- For Ameren, an increase to the system’s nameplate capacity of more than 100%
(Updated July 2024)
Customers enrolled in net metering on or after January 1, 2025, will only receive supply credits, meaning that customers whose systems send excess energy to the grid will be compensated at a lower rate per kilowatt-hour than those already enrolled in net metering.
(Updated July 2024)
If your system was fully interconnected and receiving full retail rate net metering prior to December 31, 2024, and did not receive a Distributed Generation or Smart Inverter rebate from the utility , the amount of savings will not be affected unless material changes are made to the system.
Customers whose project is approved for net metering after December 31, 2024 will be enrolled to the new net metering rates and will only receive supply credits.
(Updated July 2024)
ComEd:
- General Net Metering Information: https://www.comed.com/smart-energy/my-green-power-connection/developers-contractors/net-metering
- Changes to Net Metering: https://azure-na-assets.contentstack.com/v3/assets/blt3ebb3fed6084be2a/blt81f54d30b184ae59/66630a42613ade000a0858cd/ComEd_2025-Changes-To-NetMetering.pdf
Ameren:
- General Net Metering Information: https://www.ameren.com/illinois/residential/supply-choice/renewables/net-metering
MidAmerican:
- General Net Metering Information: https://www.midamericanenergy.com/customer-interconnection#IllinoisApp
(Updated July 2024)
If you buy electricity from your electric utility, you must contact the utility to enroll in net metering. If you buy electricity from a Retail Electric Supplier (e.g., through municipal aggregation or an individual contract), you must contact the supplier to enroll in net metering. If you later change your electricity supplier, you may need to re-enroll in net metering with your new supplier. Failure to enroll or re-enroll may significantly impact the value you receive from your solar project.
(Updated February 2024)
Approved Vendors and Installers
Yes, there is a requirement that company that installs your system be certified as a Distributed Generation Installer and in good standing with the Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC). Details of this requirement can be found at the ICC’s Distributed Installers page. A list of Certified Distributed Generation Installers can be found here. Any questions about this requirement should be directed to the ICC, which certifies Distributed Generation Installers.
Additionally, if a solar project is applied to Illinois Shines, it must be installed by a Qualified Person as defined under 83 Ill. Adm. Code § 468.20.
(Updated February 2024)
A system submitted to the Illinois Shines program can only be self-installed if the individual installing the system is a Qualified Person which is defined under 83 Ill. Adm. Code § 468.20:
“‘Qualified person’ means a person who performs installations on behalf of the certificate holder and who has either satisfactorily completed at least five installations of a specific distributed generation technology or has completed at least one of the following programs requiring lab or field work and received a certification of satisfactory completion: an apprenticeship as a journeyman electrician from a DOL registered electrical apprenticeship and training program; a North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners (NABCEP) distributed generation technology certification program; an Underwriters Laboratories (UL) distributed generation technology certification program; an Electronics Technicians Association (ETA) distributed generation technology certification program; or an Associate in Applied Science degree from an Illinois Community College Board approved community college program in solar generation technology.”
Please see Section 4(D) of the Program Guidebook for the full requirements to self-install a Distributed Generation System.
(Updated February 2024)
Another Approved Vendor could obtain the rights to your project’s REC contract, but only with the consent of your original Approved Vendor.
(Updated February 2024)
Some Approved Vendors are installers, but some Approved Vendors are aggregators who manage applications and submission to the Program for smaller installers, or have a different business model. Aggregator Approved Vendors may choose to work with Installer Designees to complete the installations. However, every Illinois Shines solar photovoltaic system will ultimately have an Approved Vendor associated with it, even if you only deal with an installer. The Illinois Shines Disclosure Form that your installer provides to you will name the Approved Vendor. The Approved Vendor is ultimately responsible for ensuring that consumer protections are met, your application is submitted to the Program, and that the RECs from your system are delivered to the utility.
(Updated February 2024)
The Program Administrator of Illinois Shines, acting on behalf of the Illinois Power Agency, has a thorough application process. A vendor submits information about its business via an online application and will “approved” if it meets Program qualifications and requirements. More requirements on becoming an Approved Vendor can be found on the Become and AV or Designee page.
(Updated February 2024)
Installers for Illinois Shines include Approved Vendors and their Installer Designees. You can contact the installers directly; if an Approved Vendor is not an installer, they may be able to refer you to an Installer Designee acting on their behalf. You should shop around, get a few quotes, read consumer reviews if available, and consider the transaction carefully before entering into any installation contract.
Prospective customers are invited to view the list of Approved Vendors, Equity Eligible Contractors, and Designees found at the Find an Approved Vendor or Designee page, and are also encouraged to visit the Program Violations and Complaint Reports page to review if their Approved Vendor or Designee has been the subject of complaints and/or disciplinary action, and to consider that information.
(Updated February 2024)
Community Solar
A list of community solar projects that have opted to be listed publicly is posted on the Illinois Shines website. Please keep in mind that projects that are in development and have not yet applied to and been approved by the Program will not appear on the list. Also keep in mind that some of the projects here may already be fully subscribed. This list will be updated quarterly or as requested by an Approved Vendor. Otherwise, a prospective community solar customer can locate a Community Solar Approved Vendor and contact them for any openings in their community solar projects.
(Updated February 2024)
When you subscribe to a community solar project, you receive community solar bill credits on your electric utility bill. The credits are shown in dollars. The credits are calculated by taking the electricity your share of the community solar project generated during that billing period (in kilowatt hours) and multiplying that by the utility “price to compare” for your customer class. The utility “price to compare” is the utility’s price for electricity supply plus the transmission charge. For more information on the price to compare, visit https://plugin.illinois.gov/understanding-the-price-to-compare.html.
You do not receive actual electricity supply from the community solar project, nor do you receive the Renewable Energy Credits (RECs) associated with the electricity generated by the solar project.
(Updated February 2024)
If you sign up for a community solar project that isn’t up and running yet, there may be some lag time for completion of construction and energization of the project after you sign the subscription contract. Your community solar provider will be able to keep you updated about the status of the project. When the community solar project begins producing energy, you will start receiving community solar credits on your electricity bill in the next month or two, and your subscription payments to the project will likely begin around the same time.
(Updated February 2024)
Under state law and the Long-Term Renewable Resources Procurement Plan, subscriptions to community solar projects must be portable (i.e., the subscriber may retain the subscription while changing locations within the same utility service territory) and transferable (i.e., a subscriber may assign or sell the subscription to another person within the same utility service territory). The Illinois Shines program requires that the community solar provider may not charge a fee for transferring your subscription to someone else. These rights of transferability and portability may still be subject to other restrictions, including the community solar provider’s right to check a new subscriber’s credit score, and the utility’s right to ensure that a subscription is appropriately sized relative to the subscriber’s usage.
(Updated February 2024)
Distributed Generation
No. The project approval is location-specific. Any movement of a project that is participating in the Program is prohibited.
(Updated February 2024)
Consumer Protection and Illinois Shines
The passage of the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act (Public Act 102-0662) requires the Illinois Power Agency, along with the Program Administrator of its solar incentive programs, to propose various program terms, conditions, and requirements for participating entities and project applications. Consumers can consult the 2024 Long-Term Plan, the Program Guidebook, and the Consumer Protection Handbook, to understand consumer protections requirements Approved Vendors and Designees must comply to.
Consumer protection is a cornerstone of the Program, and Illinois Shines maintains processes, resources, and available to support to protect and assist customers. All participating entities must go through an approval process with the Program Administrator to become Approved Vendors, and which must be completed before they can submit any project applications to the Program. Designees of Approved Vendors must also be registered in the Program. Additional information on this process can be found at the Become an AV or Designee page of the Program website. The Program Administrator also monitors the marketing materials Approved Vendors and Designees use to ensure they are compliant with the requirements of the Program
To strengthen customer understanding of the Illinois Shines program and individual solar projects, the Agency requires Approved Vendors to provide the following documents to prospective customers :
- Disclosure Form: The Disclosure Form is designed to provide customers with clear information about their solar project. The Disclosure Form is provided to each Program participant before the execution of a contract for on-site system installation or for a community solar subscription. There are different Disclosure Forms based on project type (and financing type, for Distributed Generation projects) that a customer may sign with their installer or sales agent. A Disclosure Form Deep Dive tool provides a detailed walkthrough of different Disclosure Form types to familiarize potential customers and explain key elements.).
- Brochures: The Program requires Approved Vendors to provide Program participants an informational brochure with the Disclosure Form prior to the execution of the contract. Brochures are available in both print and electronic form and explain key concepts about Illinois Shines, Renewable Energy Credits, how incentives are paid, financing structures for distributed generation, and details on consumer rights, procedures for filing complaints, and more. An additional Guide to Going Solar brochure must be provided for Distributed Generation projects, which outline and explain Illinois Shines project application steps and stages. Copies of Distributed Generation (on-site solar) and Community Solar brochures, other tools, and resources are available at the Program Brochures & Other Resources page of the Program website .
“Stranded” customers are Illinois Shines Distributed Generation (on-site solar) customers whose Approved Vendor and/or Designee is unable or unwilling to (a) complete the solar project installation and/or (b) submit a project application to the Illinois Shines program. This may be because the Approved Vendor and/or Designee:
- Has gone out of business or ceased/limited operations,
- Is unable to meet Program requirements, or
- Is suspended due to disciplinary action and prohibited from advancing projects through the application process.
A Help for Stranded Customers page outlining resources and support is available at the Program website.
In addition, the program supports a monthly Consumer Protection Working Group to discuss market trends, best practices, consumer education, updates to Program requirements and documents, and other consumer protection issues for both Illinois Shines and Illinois Solar for All. This is an opportunity for consumers, solar companies, community and nonprofit organizations, and other members of the public to directly provide their insight and perspectives to the Program Administrators for both Programs and IPA. Consumers are encouraged to consider participation in the Consumer Protection Working Group.
Lastly, the Program works diligently to investigate issues that consumers face that are reported to the Program. The Program’s Consumer Protections team reviews reported incidents and sometimes issues a warning or suspends an Approved Vendor or a Designee from operating in the Program. Approved Vendors and Designees that have faced disciplinary measures can be reviewed in the Program Violations Report. Consumers may also refer to the Consumer Complaint Report which tracks customer complaints and their status, as well as an Annual Complaint Report that contains information regarding complaints received and any disciplinary action taken by the Program Administrator over the course of the year.
(Updated February 2024)
If you have complaints related to your solar project and community solar subscription, first try to resolve the problem with your installer or Approved Vendor. If you can’t agree with the company about how to solve the problem, you may visit our Consumer Complaint Center to file a complaint with the Illinois Shines program. The Program Administrator will review your complaint and follow up with via email and/or phone to request any additional information. We may also reach out to the entity that is the subject of the complaint to discuss the alleged Program violations and attempt to informally mediate a resolution. For confirmed Program violations, depending on the severity of the violations, past violations from the entity, and other factors, the Consumer Protection Team may:
- Send the entity a Warning Letter detailing the Program violation(s) and identifying consequences for additional violations;
- Restrict the entity’s ability to take on new customers;
- Require certain corrective actions or satisfaction of a compliance plan to avoid disciplinary action;
- Suspend the entity from the Program; and/or
- Revoke the entity’s eligibility with the Program.
If you have been subject to fraudulent or deceptive sales practices, the Consumer Protection Division of the Illinois Attorney General’s Office may be able to help. To contact the Illinois Attorney General’s Office, please follow the contact information listed in the Consumer Complaint Center (bottom of the page).
If you are experiencing issues with a system installation, a specific installer, or an Alternative Retail Electric Supplier, please consider also submitting your complaint to the Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC). To properly file an informal complaint with the ICC, please follow the directions outlined in the Consumer Complaint Center.
(Updated February 2024)
