The Program Administrator is announcing the Illinois Solar for All (ILSFA) 2023-2024 program year schedule.
Project Submission Windows
Updated July 6, 2023: The Program Administrator has updated the Illinois Solar for All (ILSFA) 2023-2024 program year schedule in response to the enactment of Public Act 103-0188, which adds prevailing wage requirements to Illinois Solar for All: Community Solar and Illinois Solar for All: Non-Profit and Public Facilities projects. The Non-Profit and Public Facilities sub-program project submission window is now from July 31 to August 14, 2023.
ILSFA’s sixth program year will begin in June 2023 and features three separate initial project submission windows.
- June 26 – July 31, 2023 – Approved Vendors may submit projects for the Illinois Solar for All: Residential Solar (Small and Large) sub-programs.
- July 31 – August 14, 2023 – Approved Vendors may submit projects for the Illinois Solar for All: Non-Profit and Public Facilities sub-program (Updated July 6, 2023).
- October 23 – November 3, 2023 – Approved Vendors may submit projects for the Illinois Solar for All: Community Solar sub-program.
View the full project application timelines for the 2023-2024 program year below.
Project Submission, Review, and Eligibility
Once the project submission windows open, Approved Vendors can submit Part I Applications. Part I Applications must be entered and submitted during this window to be part of the Project Selection Protocol process if required.
For sub-programs where the Project Selection Protocol is unnecessary, the Program Administrator will promptly review and submit eligible projects to the Illinois Commerce Commission for approval after the review period. If sub-program funding remains, a rolling submission window will be opened, and projects will be considered on a first-come, first-served basis until the end of the 2023-2024 program year or as long as remaining sub-program funding is available.
Environmental Justice Community Self-Designation Applications
Requests for self-designation as an Environmental Justice Community (EJC) are considered on an ongoing basis. However, EJC self-designation requests must be approved by the EJC Self-Designation Committee before the submission window closes for any associated projects to be considered within an EJC for project selection scoring.
Applicants seeking approval of their designation request by the EJC Self-Designation Committee before the project submission windows close must submit their applications by:
- June 30, 2023 – Non-Profit and Public Facilities sub-program (Updated July 6, 2023)
- September 22, 2023 – Community Solar sub-program
Read more about the EJC Self-Designation process.
Critical Service Provider Requests
For a project to be eligible for the Non-Profit and Public Facilities sub-program or to receive specific points as described in the Project Selection Protocol, the project must serve the load of a building occupied by a non-profit organization or public sector entity that is a Critical Service Provider. If a prospective non-profit or public sector entity is not represented within the list of Critical Service Providers in the Approved Vendor Manual, the Approved Vendor, or that entity, may submit a request to the Program Administrator for consideration as a Critical Service Provider.
Entities seeking approval as a Critical Service Provider must submit their requests to the Program Administrator by:
- June 30, 2023 – Non-Profit and Public Facilities sub-program
- September 22, 2023 – Community Solar sub-program
Read more about Critical Service Provider requests.
Approved Vendor Registration
Approved Vendor registration applications are reviewed on an ongoing basis. However, to submit projects during the 2023-2024 project submission windows, entities seeking to become Approved Vendors must submit their applications by:
- June 19, 2023 – Residential Solar (Small and Large) sub-program
- July 10, 2023 – Non-Profit and Public Facilities sub-program (Updated July 6, 2023)
- October 6, 2023 – Community Solar sub-program
Applications must be completed to submit projects before the submission window closes.
Learn more about the registration process. As a reminder, applicants must first be registered with Illinois Shines (Adjustable Block Program).
Project Selection
As noted in Section 8.10.2 of the Agency’s 2022 Long-Term Renewable Resources Procurement Plan, “the Project Selection Protocol developed for the 2022-2023 program year will be maintained without changes for the 2023-2024 program year to promote stability and certainty for Illinois Solar for All Approved Vendors, with the exception of adding in the new criterion related to Energy Sovereignty.”
As Energy Sovereignty selection criteria was added before the Selection Protocol was released last year, the Program Administrator will not add further requirements or details.
See the ILSFA Project Selection Protocol Guidance Document for the 2022-2023 Program Year, which will be used for this 2023-2024 program year.
Program Year Timelines
Residential Solar (Small and Large)
Community Solar
Non-Profit and Public Facilities (Updated July 6, 2023)
