General Information & Questions Articles

What policies do states need to have in place to use the Connector?

States must have the following in place to use the Connector: A low-income community solar program that meets the minimum savings requirement of 20% (see above) and agrees to enforce minimum consumer protection requirements. Partnership between the state…

Does the Connector require a minimum subscription savings for participants?

The Connector is aligned with the Inflation Reduction Act 48(e) tax credit savings definition. Each qualifying household must be provided a bill credit discount rate of at least 20% difference between the financial benefit (utility bill credits, reduction…

How does the Connector work?

First, states must individually opt into using the Connector. This includes signing an agreement with NREL and working with DOE to implement the Connector. States should reach out to DOE to express interest. In states where the Connector is available,…

Can the Connector be used to verify a household's eligibility for the 48(e) tax credit?

The Clean Energy Connector is approved by the Department of the Treasury for income verification for the Low-Income Communities Bonus Credit Program 48(e) outlined in the Inflation Reduction Act. For additional details, see question 44 in the Department…

What requirements must local LIHEAP administrators meet to list a household on the Connector?

In order for a household to be listed on the Connector, the following are required: -Household received community solar education materials during their LIHEAP enrollment process -Household opts in to be connected to a community solar subscription through…

What requirements must community solar subscriptions meet to be listed on the Connector?

In order for a subscription manager to list a community solar subscription/project on the Clean Energy Connector, the subscription must include the following requirements: -Must achieve the 20% bill discount rate (as described above) -Project has an…

Will LIHEAP-eligible households use the Connector software directly?

LIHEAP households will not directly use the Connector software. The users of the Connector include subscription managers, local LIHEAP administrators, and state program administrators. LIHEAP households will opt into community solar and consent to having…

User Tutorial Videos

These tutorials show a pre-launch version of the Connector and give a basic orientation for the core functions of each user type. While The look and function of the website is likely to change over time, the core user experience will remain. The graphic…