How do you check a solar company in Illinois?

Start with the public lists. Illinois Shines posts which companies are registered with it. It also posts warning letters, suspensions and complaints. The Illinois Commerce Commission posts which installers it has certified. Then slow down. A good company gives you time to review the offer. Pressure to sign is a red flag.

Illinois Shines is a state program that provides an incentive for solar projects. See how Illinois Shines works. It works through Approved Vendors and Designees. An Approved Vendor is a company the program approves to sign up solar projects. A Designee works with homeowners for an Approved Vendor. It might be the installer, or the firm that sells the system.

This page names no company and ranks none. The steps work the same for any company that knocks, calls or messages you.

Is the company on the Illinois Shines lists?

The Illinois Power Agency (IPA) puts out a homeowner handout on picking a solar company. It calls it a green flag when the company is registered with Illinois Shines as an Approved Vendor or Designee. You can look that up yourself.

Go to the Find an Approved Vendor, Designee, or Subcontractor page on the Illinois Shines website. It has the Find an Approved Vendor list and the Find a Designee list. Each list is a download. Search it for the company's name.

Both lists matter. The IPA says the credit contracts run through Approved Vendors, not each homeowner. Designees are companies that deal with homeowners for an Approved Vendor. Illinois Shines lists the kinds as installers, maintenance and repair, warranty holders, marketing firms, lead generators, and sales organizations. The program's consumer handbook says every Designee must register, and the program publishes the list.

Ask which Approved Vendor is behind the offer. It may not be the company you are talking to. Illinois Shines says the Approved Vendor is not always the company that markets, sells, or installs your system. Program rules say the seller must tell you who is making the offer and, if different, the Approved Vendor for the project. Look up both names.

The IPA also runs a Solar Restitution Program, with limits. For now it covers only customers who were promised a direct payment for their solar credits and never got it. It is also not available for harm from an unregistered company, unless the company you signed with was registered and brought it in.

Has the company been warned, suspended, or had complaints?

Illinois Shines posts this on its Program Violations and Complaint Reports page. The IPA handout sends homeowners to the Program Violations Report and Consumer Complaint Report to see if a company was suspended, got a recent warning letter, or has complaints. The red flag it names is a history of program complaints, violations, or disciplinary action.

The Program Violations Report

This report posts warning and suspension letters for companies found to have broken program rules. A suspension bars a company from the program, including marketing it and signing up new customers. Each quarter, the report drops warning letters issued more than 12 months before. So older warnings may no longer show.

The Consumer Complaint Report

This report lists every consumer complaint the Program Administrator receives, and companies suspended from the program. Each complaint has a status: Under Investigation, Resolved, Closed, or Reopened.

Read it with care. Illinois Shines says the subject of a complaint comes from the person who filed it, and may or may not match what happened. A complaint tells you what a customer reported. The status tells you where it went. Look at both, and at what the complaints are about.

The IPA also files an Annual Complaints Report with the Illinois Commerce Commission. It has more on the year's complaints and on any discipline. There is a link to it on the same page.

Is the installer certified by the ICC?

The Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) certifies solar installers under a rule called 83 Ill. Adm. Code 468. The rule's term for home solar is distributed generation: equipment that makes or stores power and runs alongside the grid. Under the rule, an installer must be certified by the ICC before installing, unless you install your own system.

The ICC posts a list of certified distributed generation installers on its Distributed Generation Installer page. Illinois Shines ties in here too. It says an Installer Designee must be certified by the Illinois Commerce Commission.

In the rule, install means the wiring and connections that tie the system to the utility grid. So the name to check is the company doing that work. It may not be the company that sold you the system. Ask who performs the installation, then look that company up.

What are the green flags and red flags?

The IPA handout is called Selecting a Solar Company: Green and Red Flags. It sorts what you may see into two columns. These are the ones to watch before you sign.

Green flags

• The company is registered with Illinois Shines as an Approved Vendor or Designee.
• You get time to review and understand the offer.
• The company explains net metering and tells you that you will still have a utility bill.
• It gives references from past customers when you ask.
• It makes claims that are factual and can be checked.

Red flags

• Pressure to sign before you understand the offer.
• A claim that your utility bill goes away.
• No chance to ask questions before you sign.
• A history of program complaints, violations, or disciplinary action.
• A company that suggests it is tied to a utility, the state, or a government agency.
• A promise of panels at no charge, a claim that the government pays for the solar, or any other claim that a product or service comes at no charge.

The bill claim also breaks program rules. The handbook says no seller may say your utility bill goes away. Our guide on whether you still get a utility bill with solar explains why.

What should you ask before you sign?

Ask every company the same questions, and get the answers in writing. The IPA handout says to get at least three estimates, so you can compare them side by side.

• Who is making this offer, and who is the Approved Vendor? Then check both names on the lists above.
• Who does the install, and is that company on the ICC list?
• What kind of agreement is this? The seller must explain the type of agreement and how long it lasts.
• On a PPA, what is the price per kWh, and does it go up each year? The contract must show the price, and any yearly increase. See PPA, lease or buy.
• Is there a fee to end the contract early? A PPA contract must state any early termination fee.
• Can the agreement pass to a buyer if I sell my home? A PPA contract must cover what happens to the PPA if you sell the home. See selling a home with solar.
• Could I ever own the system? A PPA contract must say whether you can buy the system, and on what terms.
• Who would I deal with years from now? Illinois Shines suggests you ask whether the company can sell your contract, and what happens if it goes out of business.
• What if my roof needs work later? Ask whether they remove and reinstall the panels if your roof needs replacing.
• Is a battery part of the offer? If so, you should see battery costs and fees on the Disclosure Form.
• How long do I have to cancel? Program contract rules give three or more calendar days, for systems of 25 kW or less.
• When do I get copies? Electronic copies are due within 24 hours of signing.

Ask for the Disclosure Form, too. It is the program's standard form that lays out the offer. Program rules say you sign the Disclosure Form before the contract. See the Disclosure Form and your right to cancel. Read it at your own table, on your own time.

What can the lists not tell you?

A name on a list means the company is registered or certified. It does not tell you whether a given offer is a good fit for your home. Illinois Shines says it vets companies before they join. Even so, it tells homeowners to be careful when you choose a company.

An empty record does not settle it either. Older warning letters come off the report, and a complaint is one customer's account. Use the lists as a starting point, then judge the offer on what is in writing.

If you see a red flag, you don't have to sign anything. If you think a company broke program rules, you can tell Illinois Shines. The IPA handout points to the Consumer Complaint Center on the Illinois Shines website, at illinoisshines.com/consumer-complaint-center.

Quick answers

Where do I check if a solar company is part of Illinois Shines?

On the Illinois Shines website. Its Find an Approved Vendor, Designee, or Subcontractor page has a list of Approved Vendors and a list of Designees.

Where can I see complaints against a solar company?

Illinois Shines posts a Consumer Complaint Report and a Program Violations Report. The violations report shows warning letters and suspensions.

Does a solar installer need to be certified in Illinois?

Yes. Under 83 Ill. Adm. Code 468, the Illinois Commerce Commission must certify a company before it installs solar, unless you install your own system. The ICC posts a list of certified installers.

Is pressure to sign a red flag?

Yes. The IPA lists high-pressure sales, and being urged to sign before you understand your options, as red flags.

Should a solar company say my utility bill goes away?

No. Program rules say Approved Vendors and Designees may not claim your utility bill goes away. You stay a utility customer and still get a utility bill.

Does being on a list mean a company is a good pick?

No. It means the company is registered or certified. Illinois Shines still tells homeowners to be careful when they choose a company.