Are you an Illinois Resident looking to participate in one of our solar programs?
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Become an Approved Vendor
Approved Vendors are qualified and vetted solar companies that play a pivotal role in the Illinois Solar for All program. Approved Vendors support the program’s mission to expand solar energy in Income-Eligible and Environmental Justice Communities. Approved Vendors are the experts responsible for coordinating with residents and organizations to plan and develop solar projects within the program. They ensure all program standards are met, including verifying income, meeting job training requirements, and ensuring participants see guaranteed savings. Approved Vendors are the driving force behind bringing affordable solar energy to Illinois residents through the program.
Becoming an Approved Vendor allows businesses to participate in the growing Illinois renewable energy economy. Illinois Solar for All is committed to supporting solar companies in accessing the program to become Approved Vendors. Before registration, educational resources, like the Small and Emerging Businesses Guide, workshops, and other events, are available to businesses. During registration, the ILSFA program team is available to answer questions and provide additional guidance on the registration process. Once registered, Approved Vendors receive comprehensive support and valuable resources to ensure success, including identifying Qualified Job Trainees and dedicated ILSFA program team office hours.
What it Means to be an Approved Vendor
Illinois Shines
Solar companies interested in becoming Approved Vendors with Illinois Solar for All must first qualify as Approved Vendors with Illinois Shines, another state solar incentive program. Once approved, companies can register as Illinois Solar for All Approved Vendors.
Community Engagement
Community engagement plays a role in becoming an Approved Vendor. Illinois Solar for All strives to create an environmental impact in under-served communities. Like Illinois Shines, prospective Approved Vendors must present a community engagement plan during registration and project development, particularly for community solar projects.
Job Training
Illinois Solar for All aims to expand access to individuals seeking a career in the solar industry through Job Training requirements. Approved Vendors must demonstrate that a minimum number of hours performed during the installation process are completed by Qualified Job Trainees. The registration process requires applicants to submit a plan for achieving these requirements.
Guaranteed Savings
Illinois Solar for All requires that all eligible solar projects are offered to participants with no or low upfront costs and any ongoing costs and fees do not exceed 50% of the value of energy generated by the system in the first year, regardless of whether the system is owned, leased, or financed.
Consumer Protection
Illinois Solar for All protects participants by working with Approved Vendors to ensure safe and fair business practices. This includes guidelines around marketing and providing a clear, accurate, and transparent experience for participants. Other protections include standard disclosure forms, no prepayment penalties, and a cancellation policy.
Business Development
Illinois Solar for All is committed to ensuring Minority and Women-Owned Business Enterprises (MWBE) and small and emerging businesses have opportunities in the program. Dedicated ILSFA program team members are available to support these businesses, and project selection prioritization is available for projects developed by Minority and Women-Owned Businesses.
Determine Your Role
Illinois Solar for All offers various pathways for solar companies to participate in the program. Learn about your options to determine the right fit for your company.
Approved Vendors are companies that are the contractual counterparty with either the Illinois Power Agency or an Illinois electric utility (contracting utility) for Renewable Energy Credits (RECs) purchased through the Illinois Solar for All program. Approved Vendors receive a one-time pre-payment for the total amount of expected REC deliveries generated from the IPA or the contracting utility upon project energization, Part II project approval, and meeting contractual obligations. Approved Vendors are responsible for submitting documentation to the ILSFA Program Team, maintaining collateral requirements, and providing ongoing information and reporting. Approved Vendors also coordinate with installers/developers and individual system owners.
Projects submitted by Minority and Women-Owned Business Enterprise Approved Vendors or in coordination with Minority and Women-Owned Business Enterprise Designees and subcontractors may receive additional prioritization during project selection.
Companies interested in only serving as an Approved Vendor for one project can choose to register as an Illinois Solar for All Single Project Approved Vendor. Single Project Approved Vendors must be the registered owner of the system, the total project capacity of the system is at least 50 kW AC, and they are only submitting one project to either Illinois Solar for All or Illinois Shines. In addition, a Single Project Approved Vendor must meet the job training requirements of at least 10% of all hours performed by Qualified Job Trainees for a project and must first be approved as an Illinois Shines Approved Vendor. Illinois Solar for All does not require Single Project Approved Vendors to have standard contracts between the Approved Vendor and program participant/system host, standard disclosures, or the use of Illinois Solar for All standard brochures.
For community solar projects, all consumer protection requirements for Illinois Solar for All apply to projects submitted by Single Project Approved Vendors. Also, all Single Project Approved Vendor projects must meet the job training requirement that qualified trainees perform 10% of all installation hours.
Projects submitted by a Minority and Women-Owned Business Enterprise Single Project Approved Vendor may receive additional prioritization during project selection.
Designees are companies that provide services within ILSFA on behalf of an Approved Vendor and that interact directly with participants. This includes installers, entities that perform maintenance and repair, warranty holders, marketing firms, lead generators, and sales organizations. Designees cannot enter into Renewable Energy Credit (REC) contracts with the Illinois Power Agency or the contracting utility. Instead, Designees must use Approved Vendors to manage their long-term REC contracts and act as the counterparty to those contracts. However, Approved Vendors may find a market advantage in providing collective services for their Designees, like leveraging installation services, compliance with job training requirements, or procurement.
It is required that organizations working on Community Solar subscriber acquisition must register as a Designee (versus a subcontractor) in order to facilitate processing and ensure proper record-keeping within the program.
Projects submitted by Minority and Women-Owned Business Enterprise Designees may receive additional prioritization during project selection.
Approved Vendors may also use subcontractors such as installers and electricians. This role is common across the solar industry and allows multiple businesses to play a role in the development of solar projects. Subcontractors may be used for any non-Approved Vendor role that does not have direct interaction with the participant.
Subcontractors must register as Designees if their role requires direct interaction with participants (such as marketing, installation, lead generation, or sales). Organizations working on Community Solar subscriber acquisition must register as Designees (versus subcontractors) like all non-Approved Vendor entities that interact with end-use participants within the Program.
Projects submitted by Approved Vendors with Minority and Women-Owned Business Enterprise subcontractors may receive additional prioritization during project selection.