Who does what
Three parties, three jobs
ISI Energy
Sales, education, and project coordination. We explain your options, answer the phone, coordinate the licensed partner, and keep you informed from the first call to the final walkthrough. ISI Energy is not a roofing contractor or an electrical installer.
Licensed partner
An independent company certified by the Illinois Commerce Commission as a Distributed Generation Installer. It performs the site survey, design, permitting, installation, inspection, and utility interconnection. Its license and certification belong to it, not to ISI. You will know its legal name before you sign anything with it.
You
You own the home, you choose the option, and you sign only with full information. You remain your utility's customer and continue to receive a utility bill.
The seven steps
The process, step by step
Step 1. The first conversation (5 minutes, by phone)
We confirm you own the home, which utility serves it, and what you want to learn. If solar is clearly not a fit, we say so here and save you the time.
Who: ISI Energy.
Step 2. The consultation (20 to 30 minutes, on Zoom)
We review 12 months of electric bills, look at your roof using satellite imagery, and explain your options: solar, battery backup, EV charging, and the four ways to pay. You ask anything. See Residential Solar and Solar Financing Options.
Who: ISI Energy.
Step 3. The written summary (same or next business day)
A one-page recap: what we discussed, what seems to fit and why, and what the next step would be. Nothing to sign, no deposit requested.
Who: ISI Energy.
Step 4. Site survey and design (if you choose to continue)
The licensed partner visits the home, confirms roof condition, measures, inspects the electrical panel, and produces a design and proposal. In Illinois, the Approved Vendor or its Designee must give you the Illinois Shines Disclosure Form before you sign an installation contract. Review it with us if you like.
Who: Licensed partner. ISI coordinates and attends by phone or video on request.
Step 5. Agreement and permitting
If you proceed, you sign with the licensed partner (and, under a lease or PPA, with the system owner). The partner submits permits to your municipality and the interconnection application to your utility. Timelines depend on the town and the utility queue.
Who: Licensed partner. ISI keeps you updated.
Step 6. Installation and inspection
Installation is usually one to a few days depending on system size. The municipality inspects the work.
Who: Licensed partner.
Step 7. Permission to operate
For ComEd customers, the utility issues a Certificate of Completion confirming permission to operate, and net metering begins after the interconnection application is approved. Your municipal utility, if you have one, has its own process. The system is turned on, monitoring is set up, and you receive your documents.
Who: Utility and licensed partner. ISI confirms you have everything and remains reachable afterward.
Source for the ComEd step: ComEd Net Metering FAQ, 2025.
Timelines, honestly
How long does it take?
The first three steps take days. Steps four through seven depend on three things we do not control: your municipality's permit office, your utility's interconnection queue, and equipment lead times. We give you a realistic range for your specific town during the consultation. We do not publish a single number here because a single number would be wrong for most of the suburbs most of the time.
What we promise
How we work
- We tell you if solar is a poor fit. Early.
- We explain before we recommend, and we show you where the facts come from.
- We identify the licensed partner before you sign anything with them, and we encourage you to verify them yourself. Here is how: How to verify an Illinois solar company.
- We never ask for a deposit on a consultation.
- We honor "stop" the first time you say it, on the phone and by text.
- ISI Energy is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or acting on behalf of ComEd, any utility, the Illinois Power Agency, or Illinois Shines.
Frequently asked questions
Process questions
Do I have to decide anything on the consultation call?
No. The consultation ends with a written summary and no request for a signature or deposit. You decide whether to take the next step on your own time.
Who do I sign a contract with?
If you proceed, you sign the installation contract with the licensed partner, and under a lease or power purchase agreement you also sign with the system owner. In Illinois you must receive the Illinois Shines Disclosure Form before signing an installation contract. ISI Energy coordinates the project and remains your point of contact.
Can I verify the licensed partner myself?
Yes, and we encourage it. Illinois Shines publishes the list of Approved Vendors, Designees, and ICC-certified Distributed Generation Installers, along with program violation and consumer complaint reports. We walk you through where to look.
What if I already have a quote from another company?
Bring it. We will walk through it with you, explain the terms in plain language, and tell you what questions to ask them. There is no charge for that either.
