Written by Chad Panton, Co-founder, ISI Energy · Last reviewed October 2026
Why verification matters more in solar than in most home services
A solar agreement can run 20 to 25 years and attach to your house. Illinois has built real consumer protections into its program, and the Attorney General has warned about deceptive marketing in this space. (Source: Illinois Attorney General, "Learn More About Solar Energy.") The protections only help if you use them. Here are the checks, in the order we would do them.
Check 1: Is the installer certified by the Illinois Commerce Commission?
Illinois requires installing companies to be certified as a Distributed Generation Installer by the Illinois Commerce Commission and in good standing. The person performing the installation must also be a Qualified Person under 83 Ill. Adm. Code 468.20. (Source: Illinois Shines Consumer FAQs, "Approved Vendors and Installers.")
What to do: ask for the legal name of the installing company and its ICC certificate number. Look it up on the ICC's Distributed Generation Installers page or through the Illinois Shines "Find an AV, Designee, or Subcontractor" page. If the company selling to you is not the installer, ask who is, and verify that company instead.
Check 2: Is the company on the Illinois Shines directory?
If the project will use Illinois Shines, the company submitting it must be an Approved Vendor, and any company working under it, including sales organizations and installers, should be registered as a Designee. Illinois Shines publishes a searchable directory. (Source: illinoisshines.com/find-an-av-designee-or-subcontractor/.)
What to do: ask, "Who is the Approved Vendor on my project?" Then find that exact legal name in the directory. If the salesperson's company is not listed as either, ask why.
Check 3: Does the company appear in the violation or complaint reports?
Illinois Shines publishes a Program Violations Report (warning and suspension letters) and a Consumer Complaint Report (complaints received and vendors suspended), plus an annual summary. (Source: illinoisshines.com/consumer-protection-support/.)
What to do: search both reports for the Approved Vendor and the installer. A single resolved complaint is not disqualifying; a pattern, or a suspension, is.
Check 4: Is the business in good standing with the state?
Search the company's legal name on the Illinois Secretary of State's business entity database. You are looking for an active entity with a real registered agent, and for the legal name to match what is on the contract and the Disclosure Form. If the names do not match, ask for an explanation in writing.
Check 5: Have they shown you the Disclosure Form before asking for a signature?
In Illinois, the Approved Vendor or its Designee must give you a standardized Disclosure Form before you sign an installation contract. It states system size, cost, how REC value is handled, how your utility credits exported electricity, and key terms. (Source: Illinois Shines Consumer FAQs.) See How Illinois Shines works.
What to do: ask for it before you discuss signing. If a company resists, or presents a contract first, stop.
Check 6: The phone-number test
Many solar conversations in the suburbs start with a phone call. Scammers and lead resellers can spoof names and numbers. The test is simple:
1. Ask for the company's website.
2. Hang up.
3. Find the phone number on that website and call it.
4. Ask whether someone from the company called you.
A real company will have one published number and will be glad you checked. Ours is (224) 395-1162, and it is the only number ISI Energy uses. See How It Works.
Check 7: If roofing is involved, verify the roofing license separately
Roofing in Illinois requires a state roofing contractor license issued by the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR), and Illinois law requires the licensee's name and license number to appear in advertising and contracts. (Source: Illinois Roofing Industry Licensing Act, 225 ILCS 335.) If anyone offers you a roof as part of a solar deal, ask for the roofing company's legal name and license number and verify it on IDFPR's license lookup. ISI Energy does not currently offer roofing.
Red flags that should end the conversation
- "Free solar," "the government pays for it," or "this is a utility program." Illinois Shines pays Approved Vendors for RECs; it does not give homeowners free systems, and ISI Energy is not affiliated with ComEd, the Illinois Power Agency, or Illinois Shines. (Source: illinoisshines.com/about.)
- A guaranteed savings number from someone who has not seen 12 months of your bills.
- Any mention of a 30% federal tax credit for a residential system installed in 2026. The IRS states the section 25D credit is not allowed for expenditures made after December 31, 2025. (Source: irs.gov.)
- A contract before a Disclosure Form.
- A price that "expires tonight."
- Refusal to name the installer or the Approved Vendor.
- Pressure to sign on a tablet during a first visit or first call.
A note on your right to cancel
Federal and Illinois consumer rules can give you a short window to cancel certain contracts signed at your home or away from the seller's place of business. The specifics depend on how and where the sale occurred and the contract amount. Ask the company, in writing, what your cancellation rights are and how to exercise them, and make sure the cancellation terms are in the contract itself. If you are unsure, the Illinois Attorney General's Consumer Protection Division can help (Chicago: 800-386-5438). (Source: Illinois Attorney General.)
What this means for you
You do not need to trust anyone's word, including ours. Every claim a legitimate Illinois solar company makes about certification, program status, and incentives can be checked against a public record in a few minutes. Companies that welcome that check are the ones worth talking to. If you want a second set of eyes on a proposal you already have, bring it to a consultation; we will walk through it with you at no charge. Book a free consultation or call (224) 395-1162.
Frequently asked questions
How do I check if a solar installer is licensed in Illinois?
Ask for the installing company's legal name and its Illinois Commerce Commission Distributed Generation Installer certificate number, then look it up on the ICC's Distributed Generation Installers page or the Illinois Shines directory. Source: Illinois Shines Consumer FAQs.
How do I know if a solar company is an Illinois Shines Approved Vendor?
Search the company's exact legal name on the Illinois Shines "Find an AV, Designee, or Subcontractor" page. Also check the program's Violations Report and Consumer Complaint Report. Source: illinoisshines.com.
Is ISI Energy a solar installer or an Approved Vendor?
Neither. ISI Energy is a sales, education, and project-coordination company. Installation is performed by independent, ICC-certified licensed partners, and projects are submitted to Illinois Shines by the Approved Vendor on your project. We identify both to you before you sign anything with them.
Sources
- Illinois Shines, "Consumer FAQs," illinoisshines.com/faqs/
- Illinois Shines, "Consumer Protection Support," illinoisshines.com/consumer-protection-support/
- Illinois Shines, "Find an Approved Vendor, Designee, or Subcontractor," illinoisshines.com/find-an-av-designee-or-subcontractor/
- Illinois Commerce Commission, Distributed Generation Installers program page, icc.illinois.gov
- Illinois Secretary of State, Business Entity Search, ilsos.gov
- Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, License Lookup, idfpr.illinois.gov
- Illinois Roofing Industry Licensing Act, 225 ILCS 335, ilga.gov
- Illinois Attorney General, "Learn More About Solar Energy" (PDF), illinoisattorneygeneral.gov
- IRS, "FAQs for modification of sections 25C, 25D ... under Public Law 119-21," irs.gov
ISI ENERGY LLC is a sales, education, and project-coordination company and is not affiliated with ComEd, any utility, the Illinois Power Agency, or Illinois Shines. This article is educational and not legal advice.