Illinois: Connecting Communities to Clean Energy and Careers
Solar Landscape expanded community solar access across ComEd territory through the Illinois Shines program, pairing local clean energy with workforce training for underserved communities.
Making solar accessible beyond the rooftop
Across Illinois, municipalities are increasingly looking for ways to support resident affordability while strengthening local energy infrastructure. At the same time, many households are unable to participate in traditional rooftop solar due to housing type, property ownership, roof conditions, or upfront installation costs.
Within ComEd service territory, communities face a common challenge: how to make the benefits of solar energy accessible to a broader population without requiring residents to install or maintain their own systems. For many municipalities, this represents both an affordability issue and an infrastructure opportunity.
As Illinois continues to invest in renewable energy development, ensuring residents can directly participate in and benefit from that infrastructure remains a critical priority.
Community solar through Illinois Shines
To expand access to affordable solar energy, Solar Landscape entered the Illinois Shines Community-Driven Community Solar (CDCS) program, a category designed to encourage meaningful community engagement and local participation in the state's growing community solar market. Through this model, Solar Landscape develops community solar projects that allow residents and businesses to subscribe to locally generated solar energy and receive utility bill credits tied to their share of a project.
Community solar provides a practical pathway for municipalities seeking to expand energy access because it removes many of the barriers associated with rooftop solar. Residents can participate without installing equipment on their homes, making the program accessible to renters, condominium residents, multifamily households, and homeowners whose properties may not be suitable for solar installations.
By combining local solar generation with a streamlined subscriber experience, Solar Landscape helps connect Illinois residents to the benefits of the state's growing clean energy infrastructure while supporting municipal goals around affordability, sustainability, and economic development.
Local energy, local jobs, lower bills
Solar Landscape has established a growing presence within Illinois' community solar market, supporting the expansion of renewable energy infrastructure throughout ComEd territory while increasing access to solar participation.
Key outcomes include:
- Deployment of community solar capacity serving Illinois residents and businesses
- Expanded access to solar energy for renters and households unable to install rooftop systems
- Increased participation in Illinois Shines-supported community solar projects
- Additional distributed energy infrastructure connected to local communities
- Monthly utility bill savings opportunities for participating subscribers
- Ongoing workforce development training with local partners, including HACIA, Chicago Urban League, and YouthBuild Global, to ensure residents in underserved communities gain the necessary skill sets to compete for career opportunities made available through the CDCS program. Over 2,500 residents have been trained to date
The result is a model that delivers value both at the infrastructure level and at the household level, helping more Illinois residents benefit from locally generated solar energy.
A scalable model for energy access and affordability
For municipalities, community solar represents more than a renewable energy program, it is a scalable tool for increasing energy access and affordability, creating jobs and supporting long-term infrastructure investment.
Unlike traditional rooftop solar programs, community solar enables participation across a much broader segment of the population. This creates a more inclusive pathway for residents to benefit from solar energy regardless of housing type or property ownership.
Solar Landscape's work in Illinois demonstrates how community solar can help communities connect local energy generation with tangible resident benefits. By pairing new distributed energy infrastructure with accessible subscriber enrollment, municipalities can support affordability goals while participating in Illinois' broader energy transition.
As communities continue to seek solutions that balance economic, infrastructure, and sustainability priorities, community solar offers a proven model for delivering benefits at scale, expanding access to solar energy while helping residents manage one of their most essential household expenses.
Clear, business-focused result:
Access Without Ownership
Renters, condo residents, and multifamily households connected to solar savings
Workforce Built
Over 2,500 residents trained with local partners for clean energy careers
Infrastructure Localized
New distributed energy capacity connected directly to Illinois communities