Illinois Commercial Battery Hosting

Your Property Can Earn Income
by Hosting a Battery. No Upfront Investment.

Available to qualifying commercial properties across Illinois, including facilities served by ComEd and Ameren Illinois. Guaranteed annual hosting payments for up to 10 years.

Watch the full program overview - how it works, what you earn, and what it takes to qualify.

Get Program Details

See If Your Illinois Property Qualifies

Fill out the form and a SimpleActions specialist will reach out within one business day. Have a recent commercial electric bill handy - it contains the usage and demand figures needed to evaluate your facility.

Your information is never sold or shared. SimpleActions contacts you directly.

What Is Commercial Battery Hosting?

A small corner of your property can become a revenue-producing asset.

Commercial battery programs are expanding across Illinois and need suitable business and commercial properties to host battery systems. The batteries help support the local electric grid, and participating property owners are paid for hosting them.

Through SimpleActions, qualifying commercial property owners in Illinois may be able to host a commercial battery energy storage system with no upfront investment. The system is provided, installed, monitored, and maintained as a completely turnkey project. In return, the property receives guaranteed annual hosting payments for up to ten years, with a five-year extension option also available at no additional operational expense.

The footprint is modest - in most cases no more than the size of one or two ordinary parking spaces. The opportunity is available to qualifying facilities throughout Illinois, including those served by ComEd and Ameren Illinois.

How It Works

A smart energy buffer between your building and the grid.

Step 01

Submit Your Electric Bills

Provide a recent commercial electric bill for each meter on your property. Peak demand and annual usage figures are found right on the bill.

Step 02

Facility Evaluation

The program team reviews your usage history, facility information, and utility service to determine whether the property qualifies, what size battery it may support, and the estimated annual hosting payment.

Step 03

Turnkey Installation

A battery energy storage system (BESS) is installed behind your electric meter, in most cases near your large utility transformer. Capital funding, equipment, installation, and permitting are all covered.

Step 04

Host and Get Paid

Software continually monitors your facility's electric usage. The battery charges during lower-demand periods and discharges during costly demand spikes - and you collect guaranteed annual hosting payments.

Two Configurations

Choose maximum revenue, or revenue plus backup power.

Savings Configuration

Designed to maximize annual hosting revenue. Depending on the approved system size, annual payments may range from approximately $4,000 for a 125-kilowatt system to as much as $10,000 for a 500-kilowatt system.

  • Maximum annual hosting payment
  • Substantial passive revenue over the 10-year hosting period
  • Helps reduce peak demand charges
  • Five-year extension option available

Resilience Configuration

Combines hosting revenue with dedicated backup power for critical building systems. A portion of the annual payment is exchanged for added operational protection - for example, a 500-kilowatt system may provide approximately $8,000 per year while reserving battery capacity for backup.

  • Hosting revenue plus dedicated backup power
  • Transitions to backup operation in under 60 seconds
  • Protects designated equipment during a qualifying outage
  • Valuable for hotels, senior living, food service, and manufacturing
Program Benefits

No purchase. No solar required. No supplier change.

Guaranteed Annual Hosting Payments

Approximately $4,000 to $10,000 per year depending on approved system size, for up to 10 years.

No Upfront Investment

Systems can carry values from roughly $140,000 to more than half a million dollars - and the property owner does not purchase the equipment.

Completely Turnkey

Capital funding, equipment, installation, permitting, ongoing monitoring, and maintenance are all provided.

No Solar Required

The battery operates independently. Existing solar is not a prerequisite for participation.

Keep Your Current Electricity Supplier

No requirement to change suppliers or renegotiate your existing energy agreement. The battery works behind the meter alongside your service.

Free Evaluation, No Obligation

There is no cost to have your property evaluated for the program.

Qualification Requirements

Does your facility qualify?

Your Facility Should Have

  • Peak electric demand of more than 80 kilowatts
  • Annual electricity usage of at least 200,000 kilowatt-hours
  • Suitable space for the equipment (roughly one to two parking spaces)
  • Strong business credit
  • A commercial electric account in Illinois

What To Send Us

  • A recent commercial electric bill for each meter on your property
  • ComEd customers: a recent ComEd bill
  • Ameren Illinois customers: a recent Ameren Illinois bill
  • Multiple Illinois locations: a recent bill from each site you want evaluated
  • Peak demand and annual usage are printed on the bill itself
Common Questions

Answers to what property owners ask first.

These systems can carry estimated values ranging from approximately $140,000 to more than half a million dollars - but the property owner does not purchase the equipment. The program provides the capital funding, equipment, installation, permitting, ongoing monitoring, and maintenance. You host the system on your property and receive guaranteed annual payments in return.
The opportunity is available to qualifying commercial properties throughout Illinois, including facilities served by ComEd and Ameren Illinois. If you have multiple Illinois locations, facilities served by either utility may be reviewed - send a recent bill from each location you would like evaluated.
Neither. No solar power is required. There is also no requirement to change your current retail electricity supplier or renegotiate your existing energy agreement. The battery operates behind the meter and is designed to work alongside your existing electric service.
In most cases no more than the footprint of one or two ordinary parking spaces. The system is installed behind your electric meter, typically near your large utility transformer. Our team confirms placement during the evaluation.
The Savings Configuration maximizes your annual hosting revenue. The Resilience Configuration exchanges a portion of that payment for dedicated backup power - during a qualifying grid outage or local distribution emergency, the system can transition to backup operation in under 60 seconds to keep essential building functions running.
SimpleActions helps property owners understand the opportunity, collect the required utility bills, submit facilities for evaluation, and move through the qualification process. Our Engineering Partners provide access to the battery-hosting program, its funding and supply network, and support for technical evaluation, project development, and implementation. Together we coordinate everything from initial review through installation and ongoing operation.
There is no cost or obligation to have your property evaluated. However, battery availability and program allocations are limited, and qualified properties are considered as applications are received. Getting evaluated early gives your facility the best opportunity to secure an available battery allocation.
Battery availability and program allocations are limited

Find out what your property could earn.

Gather your most recent commercial electric bills and submit the form above. Qualified properties are considered as applications are received.

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