Program Year 5 Project Submission
The Illinois Solar for All Program Year 4 concluded on May 31, 2022. The Program Administrator is reviewing projects in the Low-Income Distributed Generation and Non-Profit/Public Facilities sub-programs submitted by Approved Vendors through May 31, and projects will be submitted for approval to the ICC as they are determined eligible.
The Illinois Power Agency’s 2022 Long-Term Renewable Resources Procurement Plan (2022 Plan), which includes details regarding Program Year 5 (PY5) requirements, is currently under consideration by the Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) with approval expected at the July 14, 2022 ICC meeting. Once the 2022 Plan is approved, the Program Administrator will incorporate changes from the 2022 Plan into program documents and the Vendor Portal. Approved Vendors will have time after the Plan’s approval to make any adjustments to projects subject to the new guidelines and final PY5 REC prices.
PY5 submission windows for the Non-Profit/Public Facility, Low-Income Large Multifamily Solar, and Low-Income Community Solar sub-programs are tentatively scheduled to open in the late fall of 2022. The full PY5 calendar will be announced later this summer.
The Program Administrator will open the Low-income Single-Family and Small Multifamily Solar sub-program portal for Program Year 5 project submission and preliminary review on June 15, 2022, with final review in early September after PY5 requirements and REC prices are finalized. With the volume of projects in this sub-program, opening the portal for project submission and preliminary review will help to prevent a review backlog and lessen the impact of project delays on potential participants. The requirements and review process for this interim period are detailed below.
Low-income Single-Family and Small Multifamily Solar sub-program submission and preliminary review process
Beginning on June 15, 2022, Approved Vendors may submit 1-4 unit Distributed Generation (DG) projects that are not seeking the energy sovereignty benefits that are new to PY5. The approved 2022 Plan will contain new provisions related to projects that contribute to energy sovereignty, including a set-aside portion of the ILSFA budget and other additional support. Final implementation details and availability of the energy sovereignty option will be announced at a later date.
Projects should be submitted as outlined in the current Approved Vendor Manual v. 4.0 (dated 04/22/21).
During the preliminary review, Vendor Managers will review project information that is unlikely to change with the approval of the 2022 Plan, such as system design and site requirements. Additional information may be requested at a later date from the Approved Vendor if needed to comply with the final provisions of the 2022 Plan.
PLEASE NOTE:
1. Projects submitted during this time will still have incentive values calculated using PY4 REC pricing, as PY5 REC pricing will not yet be finalized. Calculations will be adjusted once the PY5 REC pricing has been updated in the portal.
2. Disclosure Forms contain a calculation of the total expected REC value, which will change after the PY5 REC prices are determined and PY5 portal updates made. Approved Vendors must demonstrate (either via email or registered mail) that participants have received a revised Disclosure Form, generated within the portal, that reflects the final PY5 REC value. Approved Vendors and Designees must explain to participants—at the time of the initial signing of the Disclosure Form—that the REC pricing information is not final and will be adjusted, and inform the participant how they will receive the updated information. If no other updates to the Disclosure Form impact the participant’s costs or savings, the participant does not need to sign the revised Disclosure Form. If the change in REC pricing impacts the cost of the system to the participant, the participant must sign a new Disclosure Form, and the participant must be allowed to cancel the project at no cost.
In early September, the Program Administrator expects to have the Vendor Portal updated for PY5 and will begin final review of the 1-4 unit DG projects submitted since June 15 (excluding those seeking energy sovereignty benefits) to ensure that the projects reflect all PY5 requirements, and will recalculate REC incentive values using PY5 pricing. For projects submitted after this time, the Program Administrator will conduct complete review based on PY5 requirements and REC prices.