A unique partnership among five Chicagoland counties, nonprofit advocates and expert solar professionals will educate consumers on how they can install solar panels at some of the deepest discounts in the state, the Citizens Utility Board (CUB), Illinois’ top utility watchdog, said as the program launched its Fall program. The…...
CUB Explainer: What is a solar group buy program?
For the last few years, CUB has helped organize a “solar group buy program” in the Chicago region–now called “Solar Switch”–and these programs have helped save participants an average of about $820 a year on their utility bills, according to CUB’s partner in the program, Midwest Renewable Energy Association (MREA).…...
Do you know about these Illinois solar programs?
Thanks to strong state (Climate and Equitable Jobs Act) and federal (Inflation Reduction Act) incentives, the money-saving benefits of solar power have never been more accessible to so many people in Illinois. #1 Want to install panels? Consider the Solar Switch group-buy program CUB and the nonprofit Midwest Renewable Energy…...
CUB releases first-ever Solar Guide: new resource shows IL consumers how to secure clean, affordable energy with solar
This Earth Week, CUB released its first-ever solar guide to help consumers learn more about and navigate their solar energy options in the state. CUB’s Guide to Solar is a free, comprehensive introduction to solar energy for your home. Written in plain, easy-to-understand language, the guide educates consumers on how…...
Solstice: CUB’s evaluation of Solstice’s community solar offer
If you are not already familiar with community solar, we recommend reading CUB’s Introduction to Community Solar first. How will signing up for the Solstice community solar offer affect my electric bill? Solstice will look at your annual electricity usage history to determine your community solar subscription size, which is measured in…...
Update: What’s Going On with Net Metering for Ameren Solar Customers?
UPDATE: The Illinois Commerce Commission sided with CUB and state solar advocates in a Dec. 2 ruling, asserting that Ameren’s calculations ended retail-rate net metering for solar customers too soon. Ameren will now return to retail-rate net metering and provide retroactive credits to any customers who might have been affected…...
Solarize Chicagoland to Install 80 Solar Arrays
The Solarize Chicagoland program surpassed its goals this summer, achieving commitments to install more than 580 kilowatts (kW) of solar on 80 properties in the Chicago area. The Citizens Utility Board (CUB) and Midwest Renewable Energy Association (MREA) launched this solar group buy program in April, and the program’s participation…...
Breaking Down Illinois’ Community Solar Offers
Illinois’ new community solar program allows electricity customers to enjoy the benefits of solar energy without installing panels on their own homes. Through community solar, you can purchase a portion of the electricity produced by a solar installation—called a community solar garden—and in return receive credits on your electric bill.…...
MC Squared: CUB’s evaluation of a new community solar offer
This post is an evaluation of Chicago-based MC Squared Energy Services (MC 2) community solar offering. (If you are not already familiar with community solar, we recommend reading our Introduction to Community Solar first.) How will signing up for the MC Squared community solar offer affect my electric bill? MC…...
Clearway: CUB’s evaluation of a new community solar offer
This is an evaluation of Clearway’s community solar offering. (If you are not already familiar with community solar, we recommend reading our Introduction to Community Solar first.) How will signing up for the Clearway community solar offer affect my electric bill? Clearway will look at your energy usage history to determine…...
