ILSFA Archives | Citizens Utility Board

Solar Landscape: CUB’s evaluation of Solar Landscape’s community solar offer

Elizabeth — Mon, 05 Aug 2024 21:09:55 +0000

This is an evaluation of Solar Landscape’s community solar offering. If you are not already familiar with community solar, we recommend reading CUB’s Introduction to Community Solar first. How will signing up for the Solar Landscape community solar offer affect my electric bill? Solar Landscape will look at your annual electricity usage history to determine your community solar subscription size, which is measured in kilowatts (kW). Once your subscription is activated, each month, your subscription will produce solar energy, measured in kilowatt-hours (kWh). The supply section of your electric utility bill will be credited for what your subscription produced that month. Solar Landscape offers consolidated billing, meaning they are able to charge you for those solar credits right on your electric bill, but with a 20% discount applied. So, rather than paying your electric utility for that clean energy you are paying Solar Landscape, at a discounted rate. Example: Say you are currently paying your electric utility 10 cents/kWh. Through Solar Landscape’s community solar, you will be paying 8 cents/kWh (20% discount on the supply) for any electricity produced by the farm. Your subscription size is designed to provide credits for your full electricity usage for the year, though there will be changes in your subscription’s energy production from month to month. For example, your subscription will produce less in winter, but more in summer, and your credits from the summer will rollover to help cover your electricity usage in winter. What about alternative suppliers? All customers, regardless of their alternative electricity supplier, can now receive solar bill credits as part of a community solar program. Learn more about alternative suppliers for consumers in ComEd territory and Ameren territory. What does CUB think about this offer? Community solar allows more Illinois consumers to access the benefits of clean energy, and CUB is pleased to see more offers hit the market. This offer includes a 20% savings discount, which is on the higher end of the range. It also offers consolidated billing, meaning everything will be on the ComEd bill. We recommend comparing multiple offers and reading your contract thoroughly before signing up. We have also heard reports of door-to-door marketing. We recommend accepting marketing materials so that you can do more research later, rather than signing up at the door. This chart summarizes key points about the deal: What utility territory does the company serve? ComEd. Does the company offer savings? Yes, 20% supply savings. Is there a credit check when I sign up? No. What is the contract term? 5 years with 2-year auto renewal Is there an “exit fee” for leaving the contract early? None. What are my billing options? Consolidated Billing. How do I contact them? help@solarlandscape-support.com (888) 595-3990 * Your payment is equal to the value of bill credits, assuming the default electricity supply charge with your utility, minus your discount percentage. When will my subscription go live? When will I start to see credits on my utility bill? You should only be charged by your community solar company once you start receiving utility bill credits. When that is depends on when your subscribed community solar project is interconnected to […]

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Solar Simplified: CUB’s evaluation of Solar Simplified IL Solar for All community solar offer

Elizabeth — Mon, 05 Aug 2024 20:32:23 +0000

Solar Simplified is a community solar company offering subscriptions to income-eligible Ameren customers, through the Solar for All program. If you are not already familiar with community solar, we recommend reading CUB’s Introduction to Community Solar first. Learn more about Solar for All. How will signing up for the Solar Simplified community solar offer affect my electric bill? Solar Simplified will look at your annual electricity usage history to determine your community solar subscription size, which is measured in kilowatts (kW). Once your subscription is activated, each month, your subscription will produce solar energy, measured in kilowatt-hours (kWh). The supply section of your electric utility bill will be credited for what your subscription produced that month. Solar Simplified offers consolidated billing, meaning they are able to charge you for those solar credits right on your electric bill, but with a 50% discount applied. So, rather than paying your electric utility for that clean energy you are paying Solar Simplified, at a discounted rate. Example: Say you are currently paying your electric utility 10 cents/kWh. Through Solar Simplified community solar, you will be paying 5 cents/kWh (50% discount on the supply) for any electricity produced by the farm. Your subscription size is designed to provide credits for your full electricity usage for the year, though there will be changes in your subscription’s energy production from month to month. For example, your subscription will produce less in winter, but more in summer, and your credits from the summer will rollover to help cover your electricity usage in winter. What about alternative suppliers? All customers, regardless of their alternative electricity supplier, can now receive solar bill credits as part of a community solar program. Learn more about alternative suppliers for consumers in ComEd territory and Ameren territory. What does CUB think about this offer? Community solar allows more Illinois consumers to access the benefits of clean energy, and CUB is pleased to see more offers hit the market. Solar Simplified specifically offers deals through Solar for All. Solar for All is Illinois’ income-eligible solar program. Use this tool to see if you qualify. This chart summarizes key points about the deal: What utility territory does the company serve? Ameren. Does the company offer savings? Yes, 50%. Is there a credit check when I sign up? TBC What is the contract term? TBC Is there an “exit fee” for leaving the contract early? None. What are my billing options? Consolidated Billing. How do I contact them? (888) 420-9831, cs@solarsimplified.com *Your payment is equal to the value of bill credits, assuming the default electricity supply charge with your utility, minus your discount percentage. When will my subscription go live? When will I start to see credits on my utility bill? You should only be charged by your community solar company once you start receiving utility bill credits. When that is depends on when your subscribed community solar project is interconnected to the utility grid. You can find the month the company expects your subscription to go live in the “Subscription Specifications” section of the Standard Disclosure Form provided to you (if you weren’t provided a Standard Disclosure Form, that’s a problem […]

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Do you know about these Illinois solar programs?

Elizabeth — Mon, 10 Jul 2023 20:33:44 +0000

Thanks to strong state (Climate and Equitable Jobs Act) and federal (Inflation Reduction Act) incentives, the money-saving benefits of solar power have never been more accessible to so many people in Illinois. #1 Want to install panels? Consider the Solar Switch group-buy program CUB and the nonprofit Midwest Renewable Energy Association (MREA), along with Cook, DuPage, Kane, Lake and Will counties, have launched a solar panel group-buy program, Solar Switch. (Read our news release.) This program helps consumers in those five counties (plus Kendall and McHenry counties) utilize the power of volume discounts alongside state and federal incentives to get the best deal on panels. #2 No panels? No problem! Check out Community Solar Illinois’ community solar program allows electricity customers to enjoy the benefits of solar energy without installing panels on their own homes. A community solar subscription is your monthly share of a solar farm that will help offset some of your home’s electricity usage. Thanks to affordable clean energy expanded under CEJA, community solar customers can save roughly 10-20% on the supply portion of their electric bills. #3 Illinois Solar for All makes the switch to solar more affordable than ever Illinois Solar for All (ILSFA) is a state-run program for income-eligible residents. Consumers can take advantage of the benefits of solar at little or no cost for either residential rooftop solar or community solar. These programs are designed specifically to help lower-income families enjoy the benefits of solar power while helping the planet. Check out our first-ever solar guide for more info, and please reach out if you have any questions. We’re happy to help!

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