With the help of proactive clean energy legislation like the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act (CEJA), the Future Energy Jobs Act (FEJA), and the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), the adoption of solar energy has grown rapidly over the past decade. Millions of Americans are joining the clean energy economy as solar installation costs continue to drop and new ownership and financing models allow more Americans to harness the energy of the sun to power their worlds. Recently, the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) announced that the United States exceeded five million solar installations nationwide, a milestone number that is expected to triple to 15 million installations by 2034. Illinois was an important contributor to that growth – installations in Illinois grew from 2,500 in 2017 to more than 87,000.
Making the transition to clean energy is a major decision, and oftentimes, consumers do not know where to begin their journey. Consumer protection is vital to the success and longevity of any industry, especially one that is growing as rapidly as clean energy. Resources and guides for consumers not only help educate consumers to empower them to make an informed decision, but it also helps ensure they have a positive experience investing in solar and storage.
Through promoting national standards that provide fair sales practices and empowering consumers with educational resources, the solar industry can help ensure smooth transitions to clean energy for consumers. Not only will this help consumers feel more confident in decisions to go solar, but it will also help solar companies throughout their sales process if their consumers are more educated on what they can expect and the benefits of clean energy.
Consumer education and protection is a core organizational priority for SEIA, which recently updated its consumer resources. You can access the SEIA consumer resources, such as its Smart Solar Guide, at the link below!
The Illinois Power Agency is also ensuring consumers are protected. In June 2024, the agency published a new Consumer Protection Handbook for the CEJA-supported Illinois Shines and Illinois Solar for All programs. These extensive guidelines for companies ensure that consumers will always be engaged with in a fair and honest manner.
Learn More
For more information about consumer protection and to access trusted resources, visit https://consumertoolkit.seia.org/toolkit/.
To view the official Illinois Power Agency Consumer Protection Handbook, visit https://illinoisshines.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/CP-Handbook-Final-for-June-2024.pdf.
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