Through Illinois Solar for All’s Non-Profit Organizations and Public Facilities program, properties occupied by eligible non-profit organizations and public facilities can install on-site solar projects that provide energy benefits directly to them. As an alternative to on-site solar development, non-profit organizations and public facilities may participate as an anchor tenant in the Low-Income Community Solar program. See below for more details.

My organization is interested in installing solar panels on-site through the Non-Profit Organizations and Public Facilities program.

Is my organization eligible?

Organizations must meet certain criteria to meet program eligibility requirements for the Non-Profit Organizations and Public Facilities program. See below for the list of requirements.

• The property is occupied by a nonprofit organization or is owned and occupied by a public entity.
• The project must serve the electrical load of a building that is occupied by the non-profit organization or public sector entity.
• The property is within either a qualified Illinois Solar for All environmental justice community or low-income community.
• The non-profit or public entity must be a Critical Service Provider and demonstrate they have the support of the community by conducting  outreach, education, and recruitment for the on-site solar project.
• For a public facility, the building must host a department/agency that is a critical service provider meeting this standard. Instructions for entities requesting to be considered a Critical Service Provider can be found here.

How does my organization participate?

• If you are interested in participating, the next step is to contact an ILSFA Approved Vendor. A list of those vendors can be found here.
• Approved Vendors must meet rigorous program requirements, including quality workmanship, participant savings, and adhere to the program’s consumer protections guidelines. This ensures participants are benefiting from the program.
• Please note there is high interest in this program, therefore there is no guarantee all projects will be funded. If more projects are submitted than there is funding available, there is a Project Selection process that helps to select projects that are most in line with the goals of the program. Projects have been selected for the 2020-2021 program year and available funding has been exhausted until the next program year, which will begin June 1, 2021.

How much can my organization save?

• Through ILSFA’s Non-Profit Organization and Public Facilities program, participants have low or no upfront costs and savings are guaranteed. The savings will vary depending on a variety of factors such as how much electricity is produced by your onsite solar project and your current electricity rate. Approved Vendors can provide savings information specific to your organization or facility.
• For more details on the ILSFA Non-Profit/Public Facilities program click here, view our Non-Profit Organization and Public Facilities brochure or give us a call at 888.970.ILSFA

My organization is interested in subscribing to a solar project through the Low-Income Community Solar program.

Non-profits and public facilities can also serve as an anchor tenant for a community solar project through ILSFA. Anchor tenants subscribe to a large share of the solar project and receive electricity credits on their electricity bill.  Community solar projects can either be offsite or hosted on the anchor tenant’s site. View the Department of Energy’s quick video for more information on how community solar works.

Please note there is high interest in this program, and there is no guarantee eligible projects will be funded. If more eligible projects are submitted than there is funding available, there is a Project Selection process that helps to select projects that align closest with ILSFA’s goals. Projects have been selected for the 2020-2021 program year and available funding has been exhausted until the next program year, which will begin June 1, 2021.

How do I Participate?

• If you are interested in participating, the next step is to contact an ILSFA Approved Vendor that develops projects for the Non-Profit Organizations and Public Facilities program. Anchor tenants must be identified before the project is submitted for review. A list of those vendors can be found  here.
• Approved Vendors must meet rigorous program requirements, including quality workmanship, participant savings, and adhere to the program’s consumer protections guidelines. This ensures participants are benefiting from the program.

How much can I save?

• Through ILSFA’s Non-Profit Organization and Public Facilities program, participants have no or low upfront costs and savings are guaranteed. The savings come through the form of bill credits on your electricity bill. The savings will vary depending on how much electricity is produced by the community solar system. Approved Vendors can provide savings information specific to your project.
• For more details on the ILSFA Low-Income Community Solar program click here, view our Low-Income Community Solar brochure or give us a call at 888.970.ILSFA

Is there a program if I do not qualify for Illinois Solar for All?

• Illinois Shines is another state-administered incentive program that supports the development of both distributed generation and community solar projects in Illinois. You can learn more about their program here.