{"id":9947,"date":"2017-06-06T12:25:23","date_gmt":"2017-06-06T17:25:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/citizensutilityboard.org\/?page_id=9947"},"modified":"2022-10-29T04:42:56","modified_gmt":"2022-10-29T09:42:56","slug":"community-solar-illinois","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.citizensutilityboard.org\/community-solar-illinois\/","title":{"rendered":"Community Solar in Illinois"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wpb-content-wrapper\"><p>[vc_row][vc_column][vc_custom_heading text=&#8221;Community Solar in Illinois&#8221; font_container=&#8221;tag:h2|font_size:24|text_align:left&#8221; use_theme_fonts=&#8221;yes&#8221;][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=&#8221;5\/6&#8243;][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n<h6><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><ul class=\"icon \"><li><i class=\"fa fa-caret-right\"><\/i> <a href=\"https:\/\/citizensutilityboard.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/CommunitySolar.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>PDF version of this fact sheet<\/strong><\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/span><\/h6>\n<p>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][vc_column width=&#8221;1\/6&#8243;][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_custom_heading text=&#8221;What is community solar?&#8221; font_container=&#8221;tag:h2|font_size:24|text_align:left&#8221; use_theme_fonts=&#8221;yes&#8221;][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=&#8221;5\/6&#8243;][vc_column_text]Are you interested in solar power but prevented from installing solar panels because you can\u2019t afford it, don\u2019t have enough space or sunlight on your property, or live in an apartment?<\/p>\n<p>Illinois\u2019 community solar program allows electricity customers to enjoy the benefits of solar energy without installing panels on their own homes.<\/p>\n<p>Through community solar, you can purchase a portion of the electricity produced by a solar installation\u2014called a community solar garden\u2014and in return receive credits on your electric bill.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][vc_column width=&#8221;1\/6&#8243;][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_separator color=&#8221;custom&#8221; accent_color=&#8221;#006bb6&#8243;][vc_custom_heading text=&#8221;Why is this possible now?&#8221; font_container=&#8221;tag:h2|font_size:24|text_align:left&#8221; use_theme_fonts=&#8221;yes&#8221;][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=&#8221;5\/6&#8243;][vc_column_text]<span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;\">The <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.citizensutilityboard.org\/future-energy-jobs-act\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">2016 Future Energy Jobs Act<\/a><\/strong> created Illinois\u2019 community solar program, and the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.citizensutilityboard.org\/climate-and-equitable-jobs-act\/\"><strong>2021 Climate and Equitable Jobs Act (CEJA) <\/strong><\/a>strengthened it. CEJA allocated funding for 250 MW of pending projects\u2013for about 40,000 subscribers\u2013and then about 150 MW per year of projects going forward.<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][vc_column width=&#8221;1\/6&#8243;][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_separator color=&#8221;custom&#8221; css=&#8221;.vc_custom_1575323818210{background-color: #0f4b91 !important;}&#8221;][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_custom_heading text=&#8221;How does community solar work?&#8221; font_container=&#8221;tag:h2|font_size:24|text_align:left&#8221; use_theme_fonts=&#8221;yes&#8221;][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=&#8221;5\/6&#8243;][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_14465\" style=\"width: 310px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><a href=\"https:\/\/citizensutilityboard.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Community-Solar-Graphic-Blue-Bar-1.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-14465\" class=\"wp-image-14465 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/citizensutilityboard.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Community-Solar-Graphic-Blue-Bar-1-300x170.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"170\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.citizensutilityboard.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Community-Solar-Graphic-Blue-Bar-1-300x170.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.citizensutilityboard.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Community-Solar-Graphic-Blue-Bar-1-768x435.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.citizensutilityboard.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Community-Solar-Graphic-Blue-Bar-1-1024x580.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.citizensutilityboard.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Community-Solar-Graphic-Blue-Bar-1-958x543.jpg 958w, https:\/\/www.citizensutilityboard.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Community-Solar-Graphic-Blue-Bar-1-600x340.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-14465\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Click to see an enlarged image.<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Under Illinois\u2019 community solar program, subscribers enter into an agreement that helps fund a solar installation somewhere in their utility\u2019s service territory in exchange for a credit on their bills.<\/p>\n<p>The owner of the community solar garden pays the upfront costs to build, maintain and connect the garden to the utility\u2019s power grid. Subscribers pay the owner for their portion of the electricity produced. The owner then reports the output of each solar subscription to the utility, and the utility company adds credits to the subscriber\u2019s electric bill equal to that output.<\/p>\n<p>Here\u2019s how it works: Let\u2019s say your home uses 1,000 kilowatt hours (kWh) of electricity in a month, and your portion of the solar garden you subscribe to produces 950 kWh in that same month. You would receive a credit on your bill amounting to your supply rate multiplied by 950 kWh, meaning that month you would only need to pay for the remaining 50 kWh.<\/p>\n<p>Then you receive a separate bill from your community solar provider for that 950 kWh generated by your subscription. Currently, all community solar companies in Illinois offer savings by charging you lower than what you would have paid ComEd or Ameren. Compare community solar offers on our <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.citizensutilityboard.org\/solar-in-the-community\/\">Solar in the Community site<\/a><\/strong>.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][vc_column width=&#8221;1\/6&#8243;][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_separator color=&#8221;custom&#8221; align=&#8221;align_left&#8221; css=&#8221;.vc_custom_1475699807900{background-color: #0f4b91 !important;}&#8221;][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_custom_heading text=&#8221;How do I know what a good deal is?&#8221; font_container=&#8221;tag:h2|font_size:24|text_align:left&#8221; use_theme_fonts=&#8221;yes&#8221;][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=&#8221;5\/6&#8243;][vc_column_text]The Illinois Commerce Commission and the Illinois Power Agency have to sign off on community solar contracts, so there are consumer protections. But some offers might be better for you than others.<\/p>\n<p>Questions to ask when deciding between community solar offers:<\/p>\n<p>&#8211; How long is the term of the contract?<\/p>\n<p>&#8211; Does the company charge a fee if you exit the contract early?<\/p>\n<p>&#8211; How do you pay for your subscription? If it is per kilowatt-hour, what is the rate? Can that rate increase over the time of the contract?<\/p>\n<p>&#8211; Do they require a credit check?<\/p>\n<p>&#8211; How will the company bill you? Electronically? A paper bill? How do they accept your payments? Can you choose? Do they require automatic payments?<\/p>\n<p>&#8211; How much will you save? So far, people are expected to save anywhere from 10 to 20 percent on the electricity produced through their community solar subscription.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Important Info about Community Power Deals\u2014<\/strong> While community solar is a good deal for most consumers, you should always do the math. In the current market, community solar may not be the best deal if you are on a municipal aggregation deal (also called a community power deal) that has a lower price than the utility rate. Municipal aggregation deals involve community leaders negotiating an electricity price with an alternative supplier. If your community has a community power deal and you have questions about community solar, please contact Marina Minic at CUB, <strong>mminic@CitizensUtilityBoard.org<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][vc_column width=&#8221;1\/6&#8243;][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_separator color=&#8221;custom&#8221; align=&#8221;align_left&#8221; css=&#8221;.vc_custom_1475699807900{background-color: #0f4b91 !important;}&#8221;][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_custom_heading text=&#8221;Frequently asked questions&#8221; font_container=&#8221;tag:h2|font_size:24|text_align:left&#8221; use_theme_fonts=&#8221;yes&#8221;][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=&#8221;5\/6&#8243;][vc_column_text]<strong>What are the benefits of community solar?<\/strong><br \/>\nIt can lower electric bills for subscribers and improve the power grid\u2019s reliability. Also, adding solar power to the grid lessens the need for expensive power plants, lowering market prices for all.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Who can be a subscriber?<\/strong><br \/>\nAll residential and business customers can subscribe to a community solar garden\u2014as long as it\u2019s located in their electric utility\u2019s service territory. The minimum subscription per customer is 200 watts, or about one solar panel. No individual can subscribe to more than 40 percent of a project, but you can subscribe to multiple projects.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Do subscribers directly receive power from the solar garden?<\/strong><br \/>\nNo. Unlike a home with its own solar panels, there\u2019s no way to send the power generated by a solar garden exclusively to a subscriber\u2019s home. Like all electricity, power produced by a solar garden is sent to the utility\u2019s grid and distributed indiscriminately the moment it\u2019s created.<\/p>\n<p><strong>What if you move?<\/strong><br \/>\nIf you move to a new home within your utility\u2019s territory, you can continue your subscription. If you move outside the territory, you must cancel your subscription or transfer it to another customer who meets the eligibility requirements.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Will you pay a fee if you end your subscription early?<\/strong><br \/>\nYou probably will have to pay a termination fee. That\u2019s a good question to ask when you are considering a community solar project. Also ask if you are required to participate for a certain number of years.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][vc_column width=&#8221;1\/6&#8243;][\/vc_column][\/vc_row]<\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>[vc_row][vc_column][vc_custom_heading text=&#8221;Community Solar in Illinois&#8221; font_container=&#8221;tag:h2|font_size:24|text_align:left&#8221; use_theme_fonts=&#8221;yes&#8221;][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=&#8221;5\/6&#8243;][vc_column_text] [\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][vc_column width=&#8221;1\/6&#8243;][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_custom_heading text=&#8221;What is community solar?&#8221; font_container=&#8221;tag:h2|font_size:24|text_align:left&#8221; use_theme_fonts=&#8221;yes&#8221;][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=&#8221;5\/6&#8243;][vc_column_text]Are you interested in solar power but prevented from installing solar panels because you can\u2019t afford it, don\u2019t have enough space or sunlight on your property, or live in an apartment? Illinois\u2019 community solar program allows electricity customers to enjoy the benefits of solar energy without installing panels on their own homes. Through community solar, you can purchase a portion of the electricity produced by a solar installation\u2014called a community solar garden\u2014and in return receive credits on your electric bill.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][vc_column width=&#8221;1\/6&#8243;][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_separator color=&#8221;custom&#8221; accent_color=&#8221;#006bb6&#8243;][vc_custom_heading text=&#8221;Why is this possible now?&#8221; font_container=&#8221;tag:h2|font_size:24|text_align:left&#8221; use_theme_fonts=&#8221;yes&#8221;][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=&#8221;5\/6&#8243;][vc_column_text]The 2016 Future Energy Jobs Act created Illinois\u2019 community solar program, and the 2021 Climate and Equitable Jobs Act (CEJA) strengthened it. CEJA allocated funding for 250 MW of pending projects\u2013for about 40,000 subscribers\u2013and then about 150 MW per year of projects going forward.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][vc_column width=&#8221;1\/6&#8243;][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_separator color=&#8221;custom&#8221; css=&#8221;.vc_custom_1575323818210{background-color: #0f4b91 !important;}&#8221;][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_custom_heading text=&#8221;How does community solar work?&#8221; font_container=&#8221;tag:h2|font_size:24|text_align:left&#8221; use_theme_fonts=&#8221;yes&#8221;][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=&#8221;5\/6&#8243;][vc_column_text] Under Illinois\u2019 community solar program, subscribers enter into an agreement that helps fund a solar installation somewhere in their utility\u2019s service territory in exchange for a credit on their bills. The owner of the community solar garden pays the upfront costs to build, maintain and connect the garden to the utility\u2019s power grid. Subscribers pay the owner for their portion of the electricity produced. The owner then reports the output of each solar subscription to the utility, and the utility company adds credits to the subscriber\u2019s electric bill equal to that output. Here\u2019s how it works: Let\u2019s say your home uses 1,000 kilowatt hours (kWh) of electricity in a month, and your portion of the solar garden you subscribe to produces 950 kWh in that same month. You would receive a credit on your bill amounting to your supply rate multiplied by 950 kWh, meaning that month you would only need to pay for the remaining 50 kWh. Then you receive a separate bill from your community solar provider for that 950 kWh generated by your subscription. Currently, all community solar companies in Illinois offer savings by charging you lower than what you would have paid ComEd or Ameren. Compare community solar offers on our Solar in the Community site.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][vc_column width=&#8221;1\/6&#8243;][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_separator color=&#8221;custom&#8221; align=&#8221;align_left&#8221; css=&#8221;.vc_custom_1475699807900{background-color: #0f4b91 !important;}&#8221;][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_custom_heading text=&#8221;How do I know what a good deal is?&#8221; font_container=&#8221;tag:h2|font_size:24|text_align:left&#8221; use_theme_fonts=&#8221;yes&#8221;][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=&#8221;5\/6&#8243;][vc_column_text]The Illinois Commerce Commission and the Illinois Power Agency have to sign off on community solar contracts, so there are consumer protections. But some offers might be better for you than others. Questions to ask when deciding between community solar offers: &#8211; How long is the term of the contract? &#8211; Does the company charge a fee if you exit the contract early? &#8211; How do you pay for your subscription? If it is per kilowatt-hour, what is the rate? Can that rate increase over the time of the contract? &#8211; Do they require a credit check? &#8211; How will the company bill you? Electronically? A paper bill? How do they accept your payments? Can you choose? Do they require automatic payments? &#8211; How much will you save? So far, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-9947","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.citizensutilityboard.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/9947","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.citizensutilityboard.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.citizensutilityboard.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.citizensutilityboard.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.citizensutilityboard.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9947"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.citizensutilityboard.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/9947\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":35866,"href":"https:\/\/www.citizensutilityboard.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/9947\/revisions\/35866"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.citizensutilityboard.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9947"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}