{"id":42732,"date":"2025-04-22T10:45:14","date_gmt":"2025-04-22T15:45:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.citizensutilityboard.org\/?p=42732"},"modified":"2025-04-24T03:39:01","modified_gmt":"2025-04-24T08:39:01","slug":"cub-announces-return-of-partner-solar-group-buy-program-switch-together","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.citizensutilityboard.org\/blog\/2025\/04\/22\/cub-announces-return-of-partner-solar-group-buy-program-switch-together\/","title":{"rendered":"CUB announces return of solar group-buy program"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.citizensutilityboard.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/Installing-Rooftop-Solar-Panels.png\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"198\" class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-34320\" src=\"https:\/\/www.citizensutilityboard.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/Installing-Rooftop-Solar-Panels-300x198.png\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.citizensutilityboard.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/Installing-Rooftop-Solar-Panels-300x198.png 300w, https:\/\/www.citizensutilityboard.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/Installing-Rooftop-Solar-Panels-800x529.png 800w, https:\/\/www.citizensutilityboard.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/Installing-Rooftop-Solar-Panels-768x508.png 768w, https:\/\/www.citizensutilityboard.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/Installing-Rooftop-Solar-Panels-391x260.png 391w, https:\/\/www.citizensutilityboard.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/Installing-Rooftop-Solar-Panels.png 935w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">CUB is partnering with county governments, a nonprofit and solar professionals to promote a group-buy program that can secure deep discounts on solar installations and help participants cut their power bills by hundreds of dollars a year. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Switch Together\u2013formerly \u201cSolar Switch\u201d\u2013<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is a nationwide program that makes rooftop solar installations more affordable, while also offering solar education. The most recent auction secured an average discount of <\/span><b>$4,838<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. To date, 1,585 households in northern Illinois have accepted an offer from Switch Together.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8220;The Switch Together program fits well into CUB&#8217;s consumer advocacy mission, because it delivers trustworthy information about solar power&#8211;without annoying, high-pressure sales tactics,&#8221; said Marina Minic, CUB\u2019s solar programs coordinator. &#8220;Clean, affordable energy is in high demand\u2013people tell us this all the time\u2013so we&#8217;re happy to work with the Switch Together program to educate people about solar power, and to help interested homeowners enjoy deep discounts in solar installations and cut their electric bills by hundreds of dollars a year.&#8221; <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The program is a partnership among CUB, fellow nonprofit Midwest Renewable Energy Association and several Chicagoland counties: Cook, DuPage, Lake and Kane. (Residents of Kendall, McHenry and Will counties also can participate in Switch Together.) The program is managed by iChoosr, a company that administers similar programs throughout the United States.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Here\u2019s how Switch Together works to lower costs for participants:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As a \u201cgroup-buy\u201d program, it secures volume discounts for quality solar installations.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The program selects installers through a competitive vetting process and then runs a \u201creverse auction\u201d\u2013where multiple qualified solar installers compete to secure a low base-price.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The 30 percent federal tax credit can further reduce costs, and incentives through the Illinois Shines Program could provide additional savings of approximately 30 percent.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There\u2019s no hard sell. As part of the registration process, you answer basic questions about your roof and energy usage. If your roof is suitable for solar panels, you provide your details to receive a personal recommendation<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You receive a free personal recommendation upon registering for the program. Registrants are also able to attend an online educational session, called a \u201cSolar Power Hour,\u201d to learn more, but there is no obligation to accept an offer. (iChooser promises: \u201cYou will not receive sales calls from us or from installers. Your information will not be shared with third parties.\u201d)<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The personal recommendation will be based on your registration details, and will include your estimated costs, savings, and expected electricity generation.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Then it\u2019s up to you whether to accept or decline the offer\u2013there\u2019s no obligation. If you accept, you will be asked to pay a $150 deposit. The program deposit is fully refundable if for any reason you decide not to move forward with your solar installation.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you accept your recommendation, Switch Together connects you with a program installer, who will contact you for a survey (to confirm the roof\u2019s suitability), finalize the offer and set an installation date. (If the survey deems your roof unsuitable, you can cancel the process.)<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For more information, visit<\/span><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/switchtogether.com\/en\/solar\/chicagoland\/home?utm_source=press&amp;utm_medium=pr&amp;utm_campaign=preauction&amp;utm_content=chicagoland\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"> SwitchTogether.com\/Solar\/Chicagoland<\/a><\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to register or learn more. The final day to register and accept a personal recommendation is June 25.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you believe you may qualify for the state income-eligible program called Illinois Solar for All, please fill out <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/illinoissfa.com\/exit\/?tfa_44=a4JRm000000yCfp&amp;isdtp=p1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">this form<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to receive more information. (And read <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.citizensutilityboard.org\/ilsfa\/\"><b>CUB&#8217;s fact sheet on Solar For All<\/b><\/a><b>.)<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Additional information from CUB:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.citizensutilityboard.org\/blog\/2023\/11\/14\/cub-explainer-what-is-a-solar-group-buy-program\/\"><b>CUB Explainer: What is a solar group-buy program?<\/b><\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.citizensutilityboard.org\/introduction-to-rooftop-solar\/\"><b>Introduction to Rooftop Solar<\/b><\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.citizensutilityboard.org\/illinois-net-metering\/\"><b>Illinois Net Metering<\/b><\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.citizensutilityboard.org\/blog\/2019\/03\/26\/free-solar-panels\/\"><b>CUB WatchBlog: No such thing as free solar panels (but they can be affordable!<\/b><\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.citizensutilityboard.org\/solar-in-the-community\/\"><b>Illinois Solar in the Community (CUB&#8217;s guide to Illinois&#8217; Community Solar program)<\/b><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>CUB is partnering with county governments, a nonprofit and solar professionals to promote a group-buy program that can secure deep discounts on solar installations and help participants cut their power bills by hundreds of dollars a year. Switch Together\u2013formerly \u201cSolar Switch\u201d\u2013 is a nationwide program that makes rooftop solar installations more affordable, while also offering solar education. The most recent auction secured an average discount of $4,838. To date, 1,585 households in northern Illinois have accepted an offer from Switch Together. &#8220;The Switch Together program fits well into CUB&#8217;s consumer advocacy mission, because it delivers trustworthy information about solar power&#8211;without annoying, high-pressure sales tactics,&#8221; said Marina Minic, CUB\u2019s solar programs coordinator. &#8220;Clean, affordable energy is in high demand\u2013people tell us this all the time\u2013so we&#8217;re happy to work with the Switch Together program to educate people about solar power, and to help interested homeowners enjoy deep discounts in solar installations and cut their electric bills by hundreds of dollars a year.&#8221; The program is a partnership among CUB, fellow nonprofit Midwest Renewable Energy Association and several Chicagoland counties: Cook, DuPage, Lake and Kane. (Residents of Kendall, McHenry and Will counties also can participate in Switch Together.) The program is managed by iChoosr, a company that administers similar programs throughout the United States. Here\u2019s how Switch Together works to lower costs for participants: As a \u201cgroup-buy\u201d program, it secures volume discounts for quality solar installations.\u00a0 The program selects installers through a competitive vetting process and then runs a \u201creverse auction\u201d\u2013where multiple qualified solar installers compete to secure a low base-price.\u00a0\u00a0 The 30 percent federal tax credit can further reduce costs, and incentives through the Illinois Shines Program could provide additional savings of approximately 30 percent.\u00a0 There\u2019s no hard sell. As part of the registration process, you answer basic questions about your roof and energy usage. If your roof is suitable for solar panels, you provide your details to receive a personal recommendation. You receive a free personal recommendation upon registering for the program. Registrants are also able to attend an online educational session, called a \u201cSolar Power Hour,\u201d to learn more, but there is no obligation to accept an offer. (iChooser promises: \u201cYou will not receive sales calls from us or from installers. Your information will not be shared with third parties.\u201d) The personal recommendation will be based on your registration details, and will include your estimated costs, savings, and expected electricity generation. Then it\u2019s up to you whether to accept or decline the offer\u2013there\u2019s no obligation. If you accept, you will be asked to pay a $150 deposit. The program deposit is fully refundable if for any reason you decide not to move forward with your solar installation.\u00a0 If you accept your recommendation, Switch Together connects you with a program installer, who will contact you for a survey (to confirm the roof\u2019s suitability), finalize the offer and set an installation date. (If the survey deems your roof unsuitable, you can cancel the process.) For more information, visit SwitchTogether.com\/Solar\/Chicagoland to register or learn more. The final day to register and accept a personal recommendation is June 25.\u00a0 If you believe you [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":25,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":"","_wpscppro_dont_share_socialmedia":null,"_wpscppro_custom_social_share_image":0,"_facebook_share_type":"default","_twitter_share_type":"default","_linkedin_share_type":"default","_pinterest_share_type":"default","_linkedin_share_type_page":"","_instagram_share_type":"default","_medium_share_type":"default","_threads_share_type":"","_google_business_share_type":"","_selected_social_profile":[],"_wpsp_enable_custom_social_template":false,"_wpsp_social_scheduling":{"enabled":false,"datetime":null,"platforms":[],"status":"template_only","dateOption":"today","timeOption":"now","customDays":"","customHours":"","customDate":"","customTime":"","schedulingType":"absolute"},"_wpsp_active_default_template":true},"categories":[460,475],"tags":[1550,1422,910],"class_list":["post-42732","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-renewable-energy","category-solar-2","tag-group-buy","tag-mrea","tag-rooftop-solar"],"cp_meta_data":{"_facebook_share_type":["default"],"_twitter_share_type":["default"],"_linkedin_share_type":["default"],"_pinterest_share_type":["default"],"_instagram_share_type":["default"],"_medium_share_type":["default"],"classic-editor-remember":["classic-editor"],"_edit_lock":["1745483811:5"],"_edit_last":["5"],"_wp_page_template":["default"],"borntogive_page_header_show_hide":["2"],"borntogive_pages_title_show":["1"],"borntogive_pages_Choose_slider_display":["2"],"borntogive_pages_select_revolution_from_list":["3"],"borntogive_pages_slider_pagination":["yes"],"borntogive_pages_slider_auto_slide":["yes"],"borntogive_pages_slider_direction_arrows":["yes"],"borntogive_pages_slider_effects":["fade"],"borntogive_pages_body_bg_wide":["0"],"borntogive_pages_body_bg_repeat":["repeat"],"borntogive_pages_content_bg_wide":["0"],"borntogive_pages_content_bg_repeat":["repeat"],"borntogive_pages_social_show":["1"],"borntogive_strict_no_sidebar":["0"],"borntogive_sidebar_columns_layout":["3"],"borntogive_gallery_slider_pagination":["yes"],"borntogive_gallery_slider_auto_slide":["yes"],"borntogive_gallery_slider_direction_arrows":["yes"],"borntogive_gallery_slider_effects":["fade"],"_wpb_vc_js_status":["false"],"_wpscppro_custom_social_share_image":[""],"_wpscppro_dont_share_socialmedia":["off"],"_wpsp_is_facebook_share":["off"],"_wpsp_is_twitter_share":["off"],"_wpsp_is_linkedin_share":["off"],"_wpsp_is_pinterest_share":["off"],"_selected_social_profile":["a:0:{}"],"_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":["460"],"_yoast_wpseo_content_score":["60"],"_yoast_wpseo_estimated-reading-time-minutes":["3"],"_wpb_post_custom_layout":["default"]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.citizensutilityboard.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/42732","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.citizensutilityboard.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.citizensutilityboard.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.citizensutilityboard.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/25"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.citizensutilityboard.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=42732"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.citizensutilityboard.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/42732\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":42747,"href":"https:\/\/www.citizensutilityboard.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/42732\/revisions\/42747"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.citizensutilityboard.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=42732"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.citizensutilityboard.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=42732"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.citizensutilityboard.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=42732"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}