Illinois Shines Designee Portal

IL Shines Designee Portal

Welcome to the Halo Solar Illinois Shines Designee portal.

We are excited to have the opportunity to work with you on Illinois Shines Projects! Below, you will find the necessary resources to ensure that you stay up to date with all IL Shines Program requirements. 

• April 11, 2024 – MES Compliance Plan for next Program Year (2024-25) opens for submissions 
• May 1, 2024 – MES Year-End report opens for submissions
• May 27, 2024 – Conclusion of the 2023-24 Program Year 
• June 3, 2024 – Deadline for submission of MES Compliance Plan for 2024-25 Program Year  
• July 15, 2024 – Deadline for submission of MES Year-End Report for Program Year 2023-24

• IL Shines Program Updates *Please subscribe 
• ABP Program Guidebook
• ABP Consumer Protection Handbook
• ABP DG Contract Requirements
• ABP Program Brochure
• ABP Guide to Going Solar
• Designee Renewal Application

Minimum Equity Standards:

In 2023, the Illinois Shines Program began implementing Minimum Equity Standards that all approved vendors and designees the program must comply with. Beginning in the 2023-2024 Illinois Shines Program year, each participating Designee must have a 10% minimum percentage of their project workforce include Equity Eligible Persons (EEPs). The 10% equity commitment is based on the total number of employees over the entire program year (June 1- May 31). An equity eligible person is defined as:

1. Graduates or current or former participants in the Clean Jobs Workforce Network Program, Clean Energy Contractor Incubator Program, Illinois Climate Works Pre-apprentice Program, Returning Residents Clean Jobs Training Program, or the Clean Energy Primes Contractor Accelerator Program, and the solar training pipeline and multicultural jobs program created by FEJA 
2. Persons who are graduates of or currently enrolled in the foster care system 
3. Persons who were formerly incarcerated 
4. Persons whose primary residence is in an equity eligible investment community. Click here for the Equity Investment Community Map for eligibility. 

The project workforce includes all employees, contractors and their employees, and subcontractors and their employees whose job duties are directly required by or substantially related to the development, construction, and operation of a project that is participating in Illinois Shines program.

Throughout the Program year, Designees and Approved Vendors are asked to complete a Compliance Plan, which outlines how they plan to meet the MES yearly requirement, and a Year-End Report, where they report their outcomes. If, despite significant efforts, your company determines that prior to the end of the Program Year, it will not achieve the 10% MES goal, your organization is encouraged to request a waiver.

Information on Minimum Equity Standards - IPA

2024-25 MES Compliance Plan Form

Equity Investment Eligible Community Map

MES Waiver Form

Equity Eligible Person Registration Form

Clean Energy Job Listing Dashboard

MES Year-End report link