What is Illinois Solar For All?

What is Illinois Solar for All (ILSFA)?

The ILSFA program is a state initiative designed to make solar energy accessible to income-eligible households, non-profit organizations, and public facilities.

By covering up front costs the program:
✔ Makes solar more accessible to people and communities who haven't been able to tap into the benefit of solar.
✔ Produces clean, cost effective energy to meet energy needs in Illinois
✔ Introduces long-term savings to income-eligible homeowners
✔ You are guaranteed to save with the ILSFA program.

Ask us how you can today!

Who Qualifies for ILSFA?

Qualifying for the Illinois Solar for All (ILSFA) program is straightforward. If your household is income-eligible, or if you're already part of other state or federal assistance programs like LIHEAP (Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program) or HUD housing assistance, you likely meet the requirements.

If you’re not sure, don’t worry—we’ve made it easy for you.

1. Check the Eligibility Calculator: Use our eligibility calculator to see if your household meets the income requirements for the ILSFA program. If your income falls at or below the threshold listed for your county and household size, you’re likely eligible.
2. Consider Illinois Shines: If you don’t meet the income requirements for ILSFA, don’t worry! Ask us about Illinois Shines, another affordable program that can help you get solar on your home.
3. Fill Out the Contact Form: If you meet the ILSFA requirements, fill out our contact form, and one of our team members will reach out to you as soon as possible to get the process started.
4. Income Eligibility Verification: After we reach out, we’ll help guide you through the next step—income eligibility verification. This can be done at any time in the process, and we’ll direct you on how to provide the necessary documents to confirm your eligibility.

How much can I save with the program?

Savings will vary depending on the size of your solar installation and your energy consumption. However, solar energy systems installed through ILSFA are required to provide energy savings of at least 50% of the participants' utility costs.

You will still receive a regular electricity bill from your utility, along with a bill from your Approved Vendor. However, these two bills will add up to less than your bill amount before the program.

Is the solar installation really free?

For many income-eligible households, yes. ILSFA covers most, if not all of the installation costs.

Don't worry though, as an approved vendor we will walk you through the process with complete transparency.

We have no issue saying solar isn't right for you or your home. 

What are the financing and ownership options?

Here are the most common ways to finance and own your solar system:

Buying the Solar System: You can choose to buy the solar system upfront. Many participants opt for financing through a loan to cover the purchase.

Leasing the Solar System: Another option is to lease the system. While the solar panels are installed on your property, ownership remains with a third party.

Buying the Power Produced: Through a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA), you pay for the electricity generated by the solar system, which is on your property, but the system itself is owned by someone else.

How long does the process take?

The process typically takes a few months from start to finish.

Between eligibility checks, site assessments, and installation, there's a lot of moving parts. Luckily, as an approved vendor we are also an EPC company. This means that we handle everything from Engineering (building the system) to Procurement (getting the materials) and Construction (system install).

Do I maintain the Solar Panels?

With the ILSFA program, you don’t have to worry about ongoing maintenance! We handle it for you.

ARC provides full maintenance of your solar system for 15 years, ensuring everything runs smoothly and efficiently. There's a small $25 maintenance fee for the first 10kW of your system, with any additional kW prorated after that.

Additionally, we offer a 10-year roof penetration warranty, giving you peace of mind for your property.

This means your solar system stays in peak condition, and we’re here to take care of everything—so you can benefit from clean energy with minimal effort.

What happens to my solar panels if I move?

If you own the system (see ownership options above), your lender must allow the option to re-assign the loan or pay it off early without any pre-payment penalties.

If you have a lease or Power Purchase Agreement (PPA), your Approved Vendor must provide options to either transfer the agreement to the new property owner or allow you to buy the system outright and transfer ownership.

We’ll guide participants through reviewing and understanding all terms and conditions under which transfers may be permitted before program initiation.

Can renters apply for the program?

Absolutely! As long as your landlord agrees, you can still take advantage of ILSFA’s benefits. It’s worth talking with your landlord about the long-term savings solar offers because everyone wins.