Illinois Solar for All Program Milestones

Supporting Racial and Environmental Equity

The mission of Illinois Solar for All (ILSFA) is to promote equitable access to the solar economy through incentivized solar projects serving low-income and Environmental Justice Communities (EJCs). This mission supports the fundamental rights of Black individuals and communities to safety and opportunity. We cannot strive for environmental justice and economic equity without demanding racial equity as well.

As such, we show solidarity with protesters of racism and police brutality, and we offer our deepest condolences to those who have lost loved ones.

First ILSFA Projects Reach Key Milestone

We’re excited to announce that the first two ILSFA solar installations have completed their Part II review, which verifies they’ve been effectively completed and energized. These projects are now connected to the electrical grid and can soak up the sun this summer.

The projects will help offset the energy use and lower electricity costs for the Cunningham Children’s Home in Urbana and the Chicago Ridge Park District in Chicago Ridge – both of which have proven connections and service to the low-income communities and EJCs where they’re located.

Together, the solar projects are projected to offset over 200 metric tons of carbon emissions every year. That’s about equal to the emissions from a car driving 500,000 miles. More information about each of ILSFA’s approved projects, whether completed or still under development, is available here.

COVID-19 Program Updates

We’re continuing to adapt ILSFA in light of the COVID-19 pandemic and Governor J.B. Pritzker’s Restore Illinois Reopening Plan. The Illinois Power Agency (IPA) released its Updated COVID-19-Related Marketing Guidelines on June 4, 2020, which detail whether certain ILSFA program elements and Approved Vendor marketing activities are allowed or prohibited.

In summary, the IPA has relaxed previous restrictions on in-person marketing and solicitation activities to permit certain in-person sales activities where representatives can distribute materials but avoid unsolicited interactions at residences. Door-to-door sales and solicitation remains prohibited for the time being. Project development work, such as site installation, is still allowed. Future updates to these guidelines will be posted as website announcements.

Program Updates and Deadlines

We’re gearing up for the next ILSFA program year, which will kick off on July 6, 2020 for Distributed Generation and Non-Profit/Public Facility project applications. A full timeline of the project submission and selection processes for each sub-program is available here. Several deadlines and program developments are coming up this month as we prepare for the 2020-2021 program year:

Updated Documents

Updated versions of the Project Selection Protocol and Approved Vendor Manual have been posted to the ILSFA website. The redline versions of these documents detail changes to the ILSFA program, including the expansion of MWBE points during project selection to include MWBE subcontractors and revised eligibility and savings requirements for Non-Profit/Public Facilities projects.

EJC Self-Designation

The deadline for communities to submit an Environmental Justice Community Self-Designation application to be considered before the initial submission window closes for the Low-Income Community Solar sub-program is July 24, 2020. Click here for more information. The deadline for the Low-Income Distributed Generation and Non-Profit/Public Facilities sub-programs was June 5, 2020.

Grassroots Education Funding

Funding selections for grassroots education campaigns will be announced shortly. We’re working with selected organizations to finalize contracts and will conduct onboarding in mid-July.

Please note that continued disruptions related to the COVID-19 pandemic could necessitate changes being made to this schedule. Any future changes will be published as a website announcement.