Solar advocacy · Illinois homeowners

Solar, done right—
on your side
of the table.

We're an independent advisor for Illinois families going solar. We don't install panels—we make sure the company that does has been vetted, approved, and is bidding their best work for you.

See if solar fits your home How it works
2,200+
Illinois Shines approved vendors we screen before recommending
$0
Down payment on most PPAs — federal value passes through as a lower rate
Free
Our advisory service is free for homeowners. We're paid by the chosen installer.
15yr
REC payments through the state's Illinois Shines program
Aligned with
Illinois Shines
Illinois Power Agency
CEJA — 100% clean by 2050
Commercial ITC pass-through
How it works

A simple path to a well-made decision.

No high-pressure sales. No black-box pricing. Four clear steps from "is this right for me?" to a finished installation that pays you back.

STEP 01

A free home assessment

We review your roof, energy usage, utility provider, and household goals. No sales rep at the door—a real conversation about whether solar makes financial sense for you.

STEP 02

We match you to vetted installers

Only Illinois Shines-approved vendors who meet our additional standards on licensing, insurance, warranty quality, and customer reviews. We collect competitive bids on your behalf.

STEP 03

You compare, side-by-side

We translate every bid into plain English: panels, inverter, warranty terms, financing, total cost, payback period. Then we sit with you and walk through it—no jargon, no pressure.

STEP 04

Installation & ongoing advocacy

Your chosen installer completes the project. We stay in your corner through interconnection, REC application, and warranty questions for the life of the system.

Why us

An advocate, not a vendor.

Most "solar companies" calling Illinois homeowners are installers trying to sell you their panels. We're the opposite—an advisor who works on your behalf to find the right installer at the right price.

01 — INDEPENDENT

We don't install anything.

We have zero financial interest in pushing one panel brand, inverter, or installer over another. Our only job is finding the best match for your home and budget.

02 — VETTED

Pre-screened by the state—then by us.

Every installer we work with is an Illinois Shines Approved Vendor, meaning they've passed the IPA's consumer protection vetting. We add our own layer: warranty terms, response time, customer outcomes.

03 — TRANSPARENT

Plain-English bids, side-by-side.

Solar quotes are notoriously hard to compare—different panels, financing structures, REC handling. We standardize every bid into the same format so you can compare apples to apples.

04 — LOCAL

Built for Illinois, not nationally.

Illinois Shines, ComEd and Ameren rebates, REC pricing blocks, CEJA timelines—we know the local incentive landscape because it's the only one we work in.

Three ways to pay

Three ways to go solar in Illinois.

Most homeowners don't know the financing path matters as much as the panels themselves. Here are the three ways we'll help you compare — and which we see work best for most families.

Most common with us
Option 01

Power Purchase Agreement (PPA)

No upfront cost. Pay only for the electricity the panels produce.

  • $0 down. The installer owns the system; you buy the power it generates at a locked rate, typically lower than your utility's.
  • Maintenance included. Repairs, monitoring, and warranty all stay with the system owner — not you.
  • Federal value still flows to you. The residential tax credit ended Jan 1, 2026 — but PPA owners can still claim the commercial ITC and pass that value through to you as a lower locked rate. That's why PPAs got more attractive, not less.
  • Best for: homeowners who want immediate savings on their bill without a big check or a loan.
Most common with us
Option 02

Prepaid PPA

Pay for years of solar power upfront — with cash or a loan — at a steep discount.

  • One upfront payment, locked-in rates. Pay the PPA term in full and lock in the lowest possible per-kWh rate for the life of the agreement.
  • Cash or financed. Pay outright or use a loan — many of our customers finance the prepayment and still come out ahead on the rate spread.
  • The tax credit value funds your discount. The PPA holder claims the commercial ITC on the system and prices the prepaid amount accordingly — so federal incentive value still reaches you, even after the residential credit ended in 2026.
  • Still no maintenance burden. Like a standard PPA, the system owner handles upkeep and warranty.
  • Best for: homeowners who want PPA simplicity with maximum lifetime savings.
Option 03

Loan or cash purchase

You own the system outright. Less common — but we'll help if it fits.

  • You own everything. The system, the warranties, and the REC payments from Illinois Shines come directly to you.
  • Longer payback after Jan 2026. With the federal residential tax credit gone, ownership math is tighter than it used to be — but state REC payments still offset a meaningful portion of system cost.
  • More on you. You handle financing and any future warranty claims directly with the installer.
  • Best for: homeowners who want full ownership, are comfortable maintaining the system, and run the numbers and still come out ahead.
A note from us —

Most of the Illinois families we work with end up in a PPA or prepaid PPA. They're simpler, lower-risk, and the math works for more households. We do help with loans and cash purchases when that's genuinely the better fit — but we won't push you there for our benefit. We don't have one.

"Every quote we got before ILCEA was a different format. Different panels, different math, different fine print. They translated all of it into one chart, sat at our kitchen table, and answered every question without ever once trying to push us. That's why we picked them."

— A homeowner in McLean County
9.8 kW system, installed spring 2025
est. $11,400 in REC
payments over 15 yrs
Common questions

The things homeowners actually ask.

If your question isn't here, ask us directly. We answer every email within one business day.

How do you get paid if your service is free for me?
When a homeowner moves forward with one of our recommended installers, the installer pays us a flat referral fee — never a percentage of project size, never tied to which equipment you pick. That structure exists specifically to keep us neutral. We charge the same whether you go with a $15,000 system or a $50,000 one.
What exactly is Illinois Shines?
Illinois Shines (also called the Adjustable Block Program) is a state program that pays solar owners for 15 years' worth of Renewable Energy Credits generated by their system. With the federal residential tax credit ending January 2026, Illinois Shines is now the single most important incentive Illinois homeowners have for going solar. Only state-approved vendors can submit projects to the program — which is why working with one matters.
Will solar actually save me money?
Honest answer: it depends. Your roof orientation, shading, electricity usage, utility rate, and financing all factor in. For some homes, solar pays back in 7–9 years and saves tens of thousands over its life. For others, it doesn't pencil out. Our assessment will tell you which group you're in — and we'll tell you straight if it's the latter.
How long does the whole process take?
From first conversation to powered-on system, usually 2–4 months. The assessment and bid review take about 2–3 weeks. Installation itself is 1–3 days. The longest part is utility interconnection and inspections, which we coordinate on your behalf.
What if my installer goes out of business later?
A real concern in this industry. Two protections: first, we only recommend installers with strong financial health and long track records. Second, equipment manufacturers (panels and inverters) carry warranties independent of the installer — typically 25 years for panels, 10–25 for inverters — that travel with the homeowner.
Are you affiliated with the state?
No. The Illinois Clean Energy Association is an independent advisory organization. We operate alongside the Illinois Shines program but are not run by the Illinois Power Agency or any state office. Our role is to help homeowners navigate the program and make informed choices.
Free assessment

Start with a conversation, not a contract.

Tell us a bit about your home. We'll come back within one business day with whether solar makes sense for you — and if it does, the next steps to take.

We'll respond within one business day. No high-pressure sales, ever. Your information stays with us — we never sell or share it.

Or call us at (309) 225-8899 · Mon–Fri 8am–6pm CT