Portal Updates & Program Help Guides

Portal Development Roadmap

The Portal Development Roadmap is designed to preview upcoming, planned development for the Illinois Shines portal. Updates on the following planned activities will be provided in weekly Program announcements, and detailed below in the Portal Updates Blog in conjunction with software releases.

Roadmap Update: August 30, 2023
QUARTER 3 2023 (July, August, September)

Disclosure Form: Make a Copy, Archive, Improved Management

  • Make a copy allows for data on a disclosure form to be copied onto a new form. This solution should make new form generation and data corrections faster and easier. The disclosure form search layout will also be improved, with the ability to search by customer name and installation address and to filter by all fields on the dashboard. AVs and Designees will also be able to Archive forms that are no longer necessary to the AV.
QUARTER 4 2023 (October, November, December)

Disclosure Form: Distributed Generation APIs for Purchase, PPA, and Lease Disclosure Forms

  • Allows for the generation and submission of disclosure forms to utilize an Application Programming Interface (API). This solution should assist Approved Vendors and their Designees in more efficient disclosure form generation and submission. A working group will be created in late Summer/Fall 2023 in order to develop this tool and is open to all Approved Vendors and Designees that intend to utilize this tool once released. Those interested in participating in this working group should reach out to [email protected].


Project Searchability Feature on External Website

  • This tool will allow program participants and customers to utilize a search tool on the Program website in order to determine the status of a specific project without needing to call the Program Administrator or for Approved Vendors and Designees, sign in to the portal. This tool will allow for searching by project ID, disclosure form ID, or customer email address.


Approved Vendor Dashboard

  • A centralized place in the portal for AVs to take all of their programmatic actions. Features will be rolled out as completed and may include: actionable applications, program announcements, need info communications, consumer protection warnings, designee management, application withdrawals.
QUARTER 1 2024 (January, February, March)TBA – No scheduled releases at this time
QUARTER 2 2024 (April, May, June)TBA – No scheduled releases at this time

Help Guides

The guides listed on this page are provided to help Vendors and their Designees in their work with the Illinois Shines Portal. Click on a topic to download a PDF containing instructions, tips, and screenshots. 

These guides will be expanded and updated on a regular basis to reflect upgrades and additions to the Program portal. The Program Administrator will update this page when new guides are released. 

REC Contract Help Guides

Topic Last updated
REC Performance Evaluation November 16, 2023
REC Performance Calculation Evaluation Walkthrough Video December 7, 2023

Additional Help Guides

TopicLast updated
How to Reset Your PasswordSeptember 27, 2022
Portal OverviewOctober 10, 2022
Manage Your Disclosure FormsOctober 11, 2022
Part I Apps (DG and CS)November 18, 2022
BatchingNovember 2, 2022
Part II Apps (DG and CS)December 27, 2022
Annual Report GuideJune 15, 2023
Approved Vendor Program Requirements – Annual ChecklistOctober 30, 2023

If you need additional help, please contact the Program Administrator. 

Portal Updates Blog

The Program Administrator will use this space to provide ongoing portal updates on releases of features and functions (newly-available and planned); issue and bug reports, investigations, and resolutions; updates on data availability and reports; changes to portal materials/documents or appearance; new technical documentation and support; and more.