The Illinois Power Agency (IPA) and the Illinois Solar for All (ILSFA) Program Administrator are seeking feedback on a proposal to facilitate the connection of interested income-eligible households with Approved Vendors in the Illinois Solar for All: Residential Solar (Small) sub-program. The IPA and the Program Administrator are also interested in broader stakeholder feedback on barriers to participation and suggestions on how to improve participation in the Residential Solar (Small) sub-program.
The IPA and the Program Administrator will conduct a virtual workshop on Thursday, December 3, 2020, from 1 to 4 p.m. CT. The workshop will discuss barriers to participation and then focus on a discussion of a draft Referral Proposal.
A request for written feedback based on the discussion at the workshop and potentially a revised proposal will be issued, and additional workshops may also be conducted, if necessary. To register for the workshop, email your name and affiliation to info@illinoisSFA.com for an invitation.
Workshop Agenda
Part 1: Review goals for changes to participant-AV connections; review identified barriers for AVs and participants; identify additional barriers
- Identified barriers to Approved Vendor participation include:
- Small profit margins for Approved Vendors owing to small project sizes, lack of an economy of scale
- High customer acquisition costs
- Consumer protections and program requirements
- Customer eligibility – must be income-qualified and have appropriate documentation
- Site suitability screening- Approved Vendors must be able to conduct a screening of the property, and sites need to be in good enough condition to host PV array for at least 15 years
- Low participation of small businesses and Minority and Women-Owned Business Enterprises
- Identified barriers for potential participants include:
- Lack of clarity about how to participate in ILSFA, including which Approved Vendors to contact, what the program costs, anticipated savings, etc.
- Absence of opportunities to participate in some regions of Illinois
The session will discuss these barriers and solicit feedback on other barriers not listed. The session will also consider what program improvements could be made without changes to the Long-Term Plan, and what improvements would require changes to the Long-Term Plan (which could be considered during the process of updating that Long-Term Plan, which will begin in the summer of 2021).
Part 2: Review of the Draft Referral Proposal
- Is the draft Referral Proposal likely to increase participation in the Residential Solar (Small) sub-program?
- Would the draft Referral Proposal increase participation by Approved Vendors in areas of the state not currently served (e.g., central and southern Illinois)?
- Are there aspects of the draft Referral Proposal that would preclude participation by Approved Vendors?
- How would the draft Referral Proposal impact the participant experience?
- Should referrals be provided to all Approved Vendors or only to those who provide offers included in the Residential Solar (Small) Offers resources?
- What unintended consequences could the draft Referral Proposal create for Approved Vendors or participants?
- Are there alternative structures for a competitively neutral referral program for income-eligible households to consider?
The Illinois Power Agency and the Program Administrator will consider feedback received during the session and may issue a revised proposal for written feedback and/or schedule subsequent workshops.