Electric bill savings through
shared solar projects.
Community Solar enables income-eligible homeowners and renters to save on electricity costs without installing solar panels on the property. Residents subscribe to a community solar project in their utility area, developed by Approved Vendors. The program is designed to ensure participants pay less for electricity than they would without the subscription.
HOW YOU SAVE
- No upfront costs
- Savings are directly applied to your electricity bill
- To ensure savings, your monthly subscription fee will never be more than 50% of the value of your community solar credits.
See FAQ for details.
HOW IT WORKS
1
Approved Vendors build large solar projects in communities.
2
Income-eligible residents can sign up to use the electricity generated by a portion of that large solar project with no upfront costs.
3
Participants receive credits on their electricity bill from their utility company based on how much electricity is generated from their portion of the solar project.
4
Participants will see savings on their electric bill from using solar!
Who Can Participate in Illinois Solar for All: Community Solar?
Renters and Homeowners
The combined income of individuals living within the same household must have an income of 80% or less of the Area Median Income (AMI).
Benefits of Subscribing to Solar
Simple Process
- Streamlined process to subscribe
- There is no solar installation on your home or apartment
Community Impact
- Reduces the impact of climate change
- Helps Illinois reach its renewable energy goals
Frequently Asked Questions – Community Solar
With ILSFA, participants will pay less on their electric bills than they would without the program. Participants will have no upfront costs to subscribe to a solar project.
The graphic below is an example of how ILSFA can help lower your electricity bill monthly with a Community Solar subscription.
Electricity Bill Before Solar
Supply 800kWh x $0.10$80
Delivery$45
Fees$8
Total $133
Electricity Bill With Solar
Supply 800kWh x $0.10$80
Community Solar Credit 600kWh x $0.10-$60
Total supply$20
Monthly Subscription Cost$30
Delivery$45
Fees$8
Total$103
Your monthly solar subscription fee can be no more than 50% of your community solar credit. Some solar providers offer no-cost subscriptions. You can use the standard disclosure forms from Approved Vendors to compare community solar offers. The savings example is based on average electricity supply rates. Individual savings will vary.
ILSFA ensures that all qualified Community Solar participants will see savings in the form of credits on their monthly utility electric bill. If your monthly credits are greater than your total electricity supply bill, those credits may roll over to the next month.
Below is the most common subscription option:
Percent Savings: This option refers to a guaranteed percent savings, even if your cost of energy changes. For example, a 50% guaranteed savings might refer to a cost of $0.03 per kWh for community solar generation, when you receive $0.06 per kWh of credits on your bill. If the bill credits increase to $0.08 per kWh, your community solar fee increases to $0.04 per kWh. If the bill credit rate decreases, then the community solar subscription rate you have decreases. This subscription option agreement must have no upfront costs and meet minimum savings requirements.
As another example, if the subscription fee is 50% of the bill credits, and the customer receives $50 of community solar bill credits in a billing period, their community solar subscription fee would be $25.
By subscribing to a shared solar project, you are signing up to use a portion of the electricity that solar project generates. You will receive a credit for your electricity bill based on the amount of electricity generated by your portion of the solar project.
Illinois Solar for All and DCEOs Office of Community Assistance have partnered together to facilitate the enrollment of Low-Income Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) verified households to Illinois Solar for All: Community Solar subscriptions, through the LIHEAP referral process.
The LIHEAP referral process saves time for LIHEAP-verified households by eliminating duplicate income verification and connecting interested participants directly to an ILSFA Community Solar project.
The program contracts with 7 local LIHEAP Administering Agencies throughout Illinois and only subscription managers and community solar projects vetted by the Program will be connected to participants. LIHEAP households who are interested in enrolling in community solar can sign up at any participating local LIHEAP Administering Agency, and consent to securely share their information to be paired with a subscription manager.
It depends on whether the solar project you are subscribing to has been built and energized. Your Approved Vendor can provide a more accurate timeline.
Your community solar project is operated within your utility’s coverage area. Your Approved Vendor will provide exact location of the facility to you before your subscription begins.
Illinois Solar for All protects income-eligible residents through clear requirements for Approved Vendors, transparent pricing, and straightforward contracts, ensuring participants know what to expect and who to turn to if something doesn’t seem right. ILSFA is a state solar program implemented by the Illinois Power Agency (IPA), an independent state agency of the State of Illinois.
Approved Vendors must present a standard disclosure form before you sign a contract. Disclosure Forms provide important information on how much you will pay and estimates of how much you will save. You can even use the Disclosure Forms to compare offers from different Approved Vendors. The ILSFA program has a 3-day cancellation period without penalties for community solar subscriptions. In addition, you can cancel subscriptions at any time with a 30-day notice.
You can typically keep your subscription when you move within the same utility territory (e.g., from one home with an Ameren bill to another). The terms of the contract will generally remain the same, although the size of the subscription may change if your household’s electricity usage is expected to change.
If you are moving outside of the utility territory, you can cancel or transfer your subscription to another household. Subscribers should review the terms of the standard disclosure form to understand the conditions under which the transfer may be permitted and the terms and costs associated with moving.
Residents who do not qualify for ILSFA may be able to subscribe to a Community Solar project through Illinois Shines, another state solar program.