What is Chicago solar express

The City of Chicago is accelerating solar energy, making installation of rooftop solar easier, cheaper, and faster than ever. By cutting fees, and reducing time-in-line, streamlining and standardizing permitting and zoning processes, the City of Chicago has made putting solar on your rooftop as efficient and affordable as possible. 

About "Solar Chicago" Bulk purchase program.

On March 17th 2014, Mayor Emanuel announced Chicago was named Earth hour capital winning a grant to help accelerate Chicago's solar market.

In July, the City and partners Cook County, World Wildlife Fund, Environmental Law and Policy Center and the Vote Solar Initiative, launched Solar Chicago, a program to make rooftop solar more affordable than ever for Chicago residents.


Through the Solar Chicago program, Chicago residents will be able to install solar starting at $3.49 per-watt - more than a 25% discount off the average market installation costs. This offer is available until September 30, 2014.

Background of "Solar Chicago"

In 2012, the City of Chicago and ComEd were awarded a grant under the U.S. Department of Energy’s SunShot Initiative to support solar PV installations by reducing market barriers and soft costs. The grant was sponsored through the Mayor’s office, and the team was comprised of multiple City, industry, utility, non-profit, and institutional stakeholders. Core project partners included West Monroe Partners, Environmental Law & Policy Center, and Illinois Institute of Technology.

As outlined in Mayor Emanuel’s environmental action agenda, Sustainable Chicago 2015, the deployment of these initiatives is a critical part of economic development in Chicago and integral to the City’s goal of becoming the greenest and most sustainable city in America, while giving more choices to residents and businesses.

The Solar Energy Permit Program

In 2013, the City of Chicago streamlined and standardized the permitting and zoning process for rooftop solar photovoltaic (PV) systems. Small and large rooftop PV generators can now access the City of Chicago Easy Permit Process. Qualifying projects can receive same-day permit approvals (a process that used to take 30 days) at a reduced fee of $275 (down from $375).There are separate steps for small and large rooftop systems. Small rooftop solar PV systems are those generating less than 13.44 kilowatt (kW). Large rooftop solar PV systems are those generating greater than 13.44 kW.Along with the Easy Permit Process, Chicago’s Department of Buildings has published new permitting guidelines that allow general contractors to clearly demonstrate safe design of solar systems on all Chicago building types, leading to a reduction of engineering fees and potential savings of $2,000-$4,000 for qualifying solar projects.The new City of Chicago Solar Zoning Policy gives clear guidance on how to design solar projects in accordance with the City’s zoning ordinance. In the EPP process, applicants are able to forgo a dedicated zoning review, saving time and money.

Application Procedure

The process involves the selection of a licensed solar contractor with experience installing solar in Chicago and approval by the City of Chicago and ComEd. Interested applicants should view the program website for more information on the application process.


To get the best solar solutions in Chicago Visit Verde Solutions

Source : Cityofchicago.org

Getting In Depth Of Online Energy Audit

As a business owner, you might find it difficult to carve out time for an online energy audit, but investing in company energy efficiency is not only worth your time, it is the best use of it. In only seven minutes, you can input common, off-the-cuff understanding about your business operations into an internet audit using the Business Energy Checkup tool and receive an energy savings plan to decrease energy prices. The result: potentially thousands in yearly savings along with a carbon footprint to your institution. Discover what to expect from an online audit and have your most frequent concerns put to break to find the true worth of an online energy audit.

What to expect from the online audit

When filling out the online energy audit provided inside the Business Energy Checkup tool, you can anticipate to input information about your operations that you already understand. Questions include what kind of company you operate, how many times you run and if you use electricity or gas for heating.

Once you've gone through the Business Energy Checkup, you will receive a snapshot of current usage practices and an energy savings plan with specific and relevant energy efficiency recommendations. The proposed changes outline the best ways you can alter your business practices to execute in depth cost economies and include timelines for seeing returns on your energy investments. Use this to notify energy efficiency budgeting that allows for little dollar changes instantly and works up to more involved updates as you realize cost savings.

Answers for Frequent concerns

The most common misconception about completing the online energy audit within the Business Energy Checkup tool is that rigorous research is necessary. But there is no need to be worried you won't ever have the opportunity to look up info because no study is necessary. What is more, pictures make it effortless to remember details you may not have already committed to memory. No issue. Photographs of bulbs and other energy use items help jog your memory because you take the energy and ensure it is easy to fill out. Moreover, the Business Energy Checkup tool functions together with the information you have available to give you instant results on your current level of business energy efficiency. If you don't know the answer to a specific question, simply fill in the"I do not know" choice and proceed. Your results have been generated based on the information that you do know so that your energy savings won't be stored up.

The next deterrent that commonly prevents company owners out of filling out an online energy audit is the belief that it takes a large quantity of time to implement the recommendations within the energy savings plan. On the other hand, the recommendations within the Business Energy Checkup tool comprise practices it is possible to begin implementing now free of cost. There's no need to get overwhelmed with suggestions for improving energy efficiency. Detailed recommendations tell you exactly what you want to know to estimate your situation quickly and earn money immediately. Begin with low-hanging fruit and strategy around the bigger updates you decide to incorporate into your own operations.

Finally, budgetary issues associated with executing energy audit recommendations are satisfied with cost-effective answers. Many little to medium-sized businesses operate under tight budgets that don't allow for additional costs, even if these expenses produce potential cost savings. However, as well as some no-cost recommendations, Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) offers fantastic energy efficiency rebate applications accessed readily from inside the Business Energy Checkup tool. In fact, some lien provides cover the complete cost economies, which means that your budget doesn't suffer and you realize pure savings without any price. Furthermore, On-Bill Financing enables business owners to cover the price of an energy efficiency upgrade by simply paying their regular utility bill every month. The service offers energy efficiency budgeting for you, diverting costs saved in the investment every month into the initial cost of the job prior to the loan is paid off.

Additional benefits of the Business Energy Checkup tool

Additional advantages of the Business Energy Checkup tool stem out of the info which you share with other people, specifically energy savings data such as how many tons of CO2 your steps are deflecting yearly. Utilize the Business Energy Checkup instrument as the logical starting point to muster a large-scale initiative, realize additional cost savings and build support for further efforts that involve your entire team. Integrating the Business Energy Checkup as part of your organization practice shows a corporate commitment to reducing carbon emissions and assembles team support for additional efforts toward a long-term energy savings strategy.

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