How our members are helping bring the first community solar projects to Illinois

Solar power is the most affordable and prolific energy available, but the vast majority of Americans can’t install rooftop solar panels. In fact, only about eight percent of Americans are eligible. For the other 92 percent, community solar is an easy way to tap into solar power savings, while supporting a clean energy investment for the local community.

Arcadia members in Illinois are first in line to benefit from six new community solar projects that will begin generating power in early 2020.

And, if you live in Illinois, community solar may be coming to your neighborhood. But it needs your help! Community solar is currently only available in certain areas, and even in areas where policy allows for solar gardens to be built, building them requires proof that consumers in the local area — like you — want it. Fortunately, at Arcadia, we are able to leverage our community to demonstrate demand. Just this year, we’ve added nearly 700 acres of community solar across the country.

All Arcadia members in Illinois are first in line to benefit from six new community solar projects. In Illinois, Pivot Energy and Summit Ridge Energy are actively building solar gardens that will start generating power in early 2020. These community solar projects will not only be among the first-ever built in the state, but will also be exclusive to Arcadia members. Combined, the projects will provide guaranteed monthly savings to about 12,500 local subscribers. And, most importantly, by signing up now, Illinois community members ensure these projects get built.

How it works

If you aren’t yet an Arcadia member, you can join the community in two minutes by connecting your Ameren or ComEd account to our platform. We will then reserve your spot in a local community solar project for free. Because the project is still under construction, it might take a couple of months before you see any changes to your bill. But once the project goes live, the sun gets to work and clean energy flows into your local power grid.

Arcadia does not replace your utility, we just enhance the services you can take advantage of as an Illinois resident. So, once you’re enrolled, you will no longer receive a power bill directly from your utility. Instead, we will email you a monthly statement, which will include the savings from your community solar project. You’ll see lower bills and you will have access to our other account features such as environmental impact tracking, no credit card fees, and more.

Joining is simple. There are no credit checks, no extensive paperwork, no long-term contracts, and no hidden fees. The best part — signing up will cost you nothing, and will save you about 10% on the supply portion of your power bills, equivalent to about $50 a year for the average household.

That’s the idea of community solar: it’s all the savings of solar, without any of the cost or headache of installing your own panels. Best of all, you’ll be part of an important movement bringing clean energy to your local area for years to come.

Why our community solar program is different

Community solar is important to customers and to the environment; unfortunately, all too often, these programs have been complicated and risky for customers. Many community solar programs across the country have required users pay two different monthly bills, fill out extensive paperwork, agree to binding contracts with cancellation fees, and undergo a credit check. Arcadia’s Community Solar program eliminates all of these barriers.

• No hidden fees: Users will pay one monthly bill, can start or stop without cancellation fees, will not have to pay a sign-up fee, and are not required to undergo a credit check.
• Available to all: Ameren and ComEd customers can sign up by connecting their electric utility account to Arcadia.
• Easy to use: The process takes just a few minutes. Once the assigned project begins producing energy, members will start saving on their monthly power bills and can track their solar savings on their online dashboard.
• Added benefits: Users will have access to additional Arcadia member programs.
• Cancel anytime: You can always cancel without penalty or early termination fees.

Creating an Arcadia account makes signing up for these projects easy. Your solar savings and regular power costs are consolidated into one easy statement. There are no credit checks, no extensive paperwork, no long-term contracts, and no hidden fees. The best part — signing up will cost you nothing, and will save you about 10% on the supply portion of your power bills, equivalent to about $50 a year for the average household.

If you are a renter or homeowner in Illinois interested in signing up for a local community solar project, all you need to do is create an Arcadia Power account. It is an easy concrete step you can take right now to help support and tap into real clean energy, locally. As soon as the projects are completed and operational, you will start to receive savings on your monthly energy bill.

Learn more about Arcadia Community Solar in Illinois

FAQ:

Who can enroll in Arcadia’s Illinois community solar projects?

You must be on your utility’s basic generation service to be eligible. If you don’t know what this means, don’t worry, we will confirm that for you - no action is needed. If you are currently served by an ARES, we will let you know that as well and can help advise you on switching back to the utility if you want to participate in community solar.

What if I am on an hourly or real-time utility supply rate?

You cannot be on an hourly or real-time utility supply rate to be eligible for Arcadia’s community solar projects. If you are on one of these rates, we will let you know, and can advise you if you’d like to switch back to the utility’s basic service. We will not make this change for you unless you explicitly direct us to do so.

How much will I save on my bill?

The exact amount you save each month will depend on how much power the community solar project produces each month, and your share of the project, so we can’t tell you in advance how much money you’ll save. We can tell you how the savings will be calculated, though. You will earn credits on your bill as the solar project produces power. Those credits will reduce your bill. In exchange, you will pay a “fee” to the community solar project for those credits. In our case, the fee is always 90 percent of the value of the credits, so you’ll always save 10 percent on the solar portion of your bill.

Why will it reduce my power bill?

Our relationship with solar developers means that they can provide the credits to you at a discount.

Does this cost me anything?

No. We do not charge you for Arcadia’s service. You only pay for the bill credits you receive under your subscription.