Program Help Guides and Application Tips

This page includes Program Help Guides and Application Tips and Tricks designed to help Vendors and their Designees successfully participate in  Illinois Shines. Click on a topic to view a resource, which include PDFs and videos. This page and these materials are revised as Program systems, processes, and the Program portal are updated.

These materials are designed to support all participating entities, regardless of project category that they participate in.  

For additional reference, interested entities may wish to review the Presentation Recordings and slide decks from the 2023-24 Program Year Mentorship Pilot Program which cover a range of topics including Program overview, REC contracting, project applications, ongoing Program requirements, Marketing best practices and consumer protection, and more. 

Disclosure Forms are an important consumer education tool that customers can use to understand key project information and to compare offers. In addition to these materials, the Disclosure Form Deep Dive tool is a helpful resource solar vendors may wish to review.

These resources support use of the Program portal  

TopicLast updated
How to Reset Your PasswordSeptember 27, 2022
Portal OverviewJuly 1, 2025
TopicLast updated
Part I Applications (DG and CS)March 31, 2025
Part II Applications (DG and CS)March 31, 2025
BatchingMarch 31, 2025

Application Tips & Tricks Blog

Application Tips and Tricks 

Respond to the original Need Info request email rather than starting a new message 

Application Tips and Tricks 

Photos of Arrays are critical to successful Part II application verification. Below are helpful tips to consider prior to submitting photos of arrays: 

Application Tips and Tricks – Use USPS Address When Filling Out Disclosure Forms 

Incorrect or mismatched addresses can delay application approval. When filling out Disclosure Forms, AVs should use the USPS address of the project and not the utility address. P.O. boxes for project location addresses are not acceptable. If an address has not yet been assigned to a site within a parcel,

Application Tips and Tricks – Distributed Generation Project Application Checklist 

Distributed Generation Project Application Checklist – To avoid common errors, inconsistencies or omissions in Part I and Part II for Distributed Generation project applications, the Program provides a DG Project Application Checklist to assist stakeholders. Please see the current Program Guidebook for full application requirements. Stakeholders needing assistance or who

Reminder – Distinctions Between Interconnecting Utility and Contracting Utility 

Some projects located in one utility’s service territory may be contracted to another utility, as the interconnecting utility and the contracting utility may or may not be the same entity. A project system may be interconnected to Ameren but contracted with ComEd for REC delivery, or vice versa. The Program

Application Tips and Tricks – Exact Project Values and Rounding in Project Applications 

Whenever possible, data values for project details should be exact and aligned when provided in the program portal, documentation, and applicable registries. However, some portal fields do not allow for decimals. In these instances, AVs should round to the nearest available value.

For assistance within specific project categories, contact the dedicated Sector Strategist, listed here, or the Program Administrator team at [email protected]

Small Distributed Generation

Kaitlin Hogan, at [email protected]

Large Distributed Generation

Stellan Roberts, at [email protected] 

Community Solar (TCS & CDCS)

Jess Blue, at [email protected] 

Public Schools

Brian Keller, [email protected]

Equity Eligible Contractor

Conner Rettig, at [email protected]