All of Illinois · Performance incentive
Illinois Shines (Adjustable Block Program)
Run by Illinois Power Agency (IPA); Program Administrator Energy Solutions
Illinois Shines buys the renewable energy credits (RECs) from home solar systems up to 25 kW, paying the incentive to the solar company (Approved Vendor), which may pass it on as a lower price. Customer-owned systems get an extra $20 per REC in 2026-27.
Amounts
How much you get
Illinois Shines pays the solar company (the Approved Vendor), not the homeowner, for the RECs your system is expected to produce over a 15- or 20-year contract, based on its size and estimated output. How much is passed on to you is stated on the vendor's Disclosure Form. For Small DG projects approved on or after June 1, 2026, half is paid at energization and the rest over six years. Customer-owned Small DG systems that don't get the federal tax credit get an extra $20 per REC during 2026-27.
Eligibility
Do I qualify?
You need to meet all 3 of these.
Your home is in Illinois.
The project must be submitted by an Illinois Shines Approved Vendor (the installer must be a Designee of one).
What to doFind an Approved Vendor or Designee in the Illinois Shines directory and get bids from more than one. Get a quote from a contractor
On-site (distributed generation) solar systems up to and including 25 kW are in the Small DG category.
Equipment
What equipment counts
Applying
How to apply
Your contractor applies for you. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis; each Program Year runs June through May, and a category that runs out of capacity waitlists new projects for the next year.
- Get bids from several Approved Vendors.
Every vendor must give you a standard Disclosure Form showing costs, estimated savings and how much of the Illinois Shines incentive they'll pass on to you.
- Choose purchase, lease or power purchase agreement (PPA).
Owners keep net metering credits and maintenance duties; with a lease or PPA a third party owns the system and may pass on the incentive as a lower price.
- The Approved Vendor applies to Illinois Shines.
If the category's capacity is used up, the project goes on a waitlist for the next Program Year (new capacity opens each June).
- Enroll in net metering with your utility.
- The system is energized and the vendor receives the REC incentive.
Forms and instructionsIllinois Shines: Small Distributed Generation · Illinois Shines: FAQs · Illinois Shines: Block Capacity Dashboard · Illinois Shines: Contact Us
Questions about applying(877) 783-1820
Stacking
Use it with
Your address
Next steps
Check that it covers your address. Then, if you want, ask for a contractor quote.
Is it available at your address?
Before anything else
Your quote request is in If a contractor we work with serves your ZIP, they can contact you. We take one request per person; contact us to change it.
Get an email if this program changes
We'll write if its amount, status or deadline changes. Nothing else.
FAQ
Questions
How much does Illinois Shines (Adjustable Block Program) pay?
Illinois Shines pays the solar company (the Approved Vendor), not the homeowner, for the RECs your system is expected to produce over a 15- or 20-year contract, based on its size and estimated output. How much is passed on to you is stated on the vendor's Disclosure Form. For Small DG projects approved on or after June 1, 2026, half is paid at energization and the rest over six years. Customer-owned Small DG systems that don't get the federal tax credit get an extra $20 per REC during 2026-27.
Do I have to use a contractor?
Yes. The project must be submitted by an Illinois Shines Approved Vendor (the installer must be a Designee of one).
What’s the deadline?
No fixed deadline. Apply any time while it’s open.
Is it still available?
Yes. It was open when we last checked, on October 27, 2026.
Does the incentive go to me or to the solar company?
To the solar company. Approved Vendors receive the REC payments and may pass them on as lower equipment, installation, lease or PPA costs; the Disclosure Form shows how much.
Can I still go solar if my project category runs out of capacity?
Yes. You can still buy and install; the vendor's application is waitlisted and may get capacity at the associated REC price in the next Program Year.
Does a federal funding rollback affect Illinois Shines?
No. Illinois Shines doesn't rely on state or federal funding, so federal changes don't affect its funding or capacity.
Where can I complain about a solar company?
File with the Illinois Shines Consumer Complaint Center at (877) 708-3456, and contact the Illinois Attorney General's Consumer Protection Division if you suspect fraud.
Plain words
Words used on this page
References
Sources
This page is built from these official pages, run by the program itself.
- Illinois Shines: Small Distributed Generation
- Illinois Shines: Explore Distributed Generation
- Illinois Shines: FAQs
- Illinois Shines: Block Capacity Dashboard
- Illinois Shines: Contact Us
When one of these pages changes, we re-check this page against it.
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