About

Important information

• Advertising Review:

  BBB promotes truth in advertising by contacting advertisers whose claims conflict with the BBB Code of Advertising. These claims may come to our attention from our internal review of advertising, consumer complaints and competitor challenges. BBB asks advertisers to prove their claims, change ads to make offers more clear to consumers, and remove misleading or deceptive statements.
  

   

  On 10/13/2023, BBB contacted the business regarding their advertised products on their website. The business advertised multiple claims in regards to financial savings, tax incentives and reduction and/or elimination of energy bills.  The business also made  environmental claims which needs to be substantiated  as required by BBB’s Code of Advertising.

  The business advertised the following product on their website:

  https://www.windycitysolargroup.com/pages/why-solar

  Why Solar?

  Solar panels create an asset to your home that can increase its value. We're all familiar of the concept of owning versus renting. Without the use of solar energy each month you pay bills that go towards renting energy for your home. When panels are installed, you now transition into owning that energy. This is just one of many benefits that solar energy provides. Let's learn about more...

   

  Tax Credits & Incentives

  To start, you will get 30 percent of total system costs back from equipment and installation as a federal income tax credit when you file your taxes. This means you would save $7,500 on a solar system worth $25,000.

   

  Reduce / Eliminate Energy Bills

  On average Illinois receives 198 sunny days, which means you're guaranteed to save money by switching to solar.

   

  Help The Environment

  Solar power systems create clean, pure energy from the sun. Going solar helps combat greenhouse gas emissions and reduces our collective dependence on fossil fuel. Traditional electricity is sourced from fossil fuels such as coal and natural gas.

  • Please substantiate all claims made on the website.

  The BBB Code of Advertising States:

  34. Claimed Results

  Claims relating to performance, energy savings, safety, efficacy or results for a product or service should be based on recent and competent testing or other objective data.

   

  36. Environmental Benefit Claims

  36.1 General Principles

  36.1.1 Advertisers should not make broad, unqualified general environmental benefit claims like “green” or “eco-friendly.”

  36.1.2 Advertisers must qualify general claims with specific environmental benefits.

  36.1.3 Advertisers must possess competent and reliable evidence (often scientific evidence) to support all environmental benefit claims. Qualifications for any claim must be clear, conspicuous and understandable.

  36.1.4 When an advertiser qualifies a general claim with a specific benefit, the benefit should be significant. Advertisers must not highlight small or unimportant benefits.

  36.1.5 Unless clear from the context, any environmental claim must specify clearly and conspicuously whether the claim applies to the product, the product’s packaging, a service or just to a portion of the product, package or service.

  As of 11/1/2023, business has not responded to BBB emails or substantiated claims.