2023-2024
ALL DISCLOSURE FORMS (DG AND CS)
CSV BULK UPLOAD WALKTHROUGH
A PORTAL HELP GUIDE
LAST UPDATED: MAY 30, 2023
Illinois Shines Program Administrator
(877) 783-1820 •[email protected]
www.illinoisshines.com
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Table of Contents
Table of Contents................................................................................................................... 2
Overview ............................................................................................................................... 3
Program context ............................................................................................................................3
Bulk CSV Upload .............................................................................................................................3
Getting started: Log in and download the templates .............................................................. 4
Log in .............................................................................................................................................4
How to use the DF DETAILS template ..................................................................................... 6
Where to enter your data ...............................................................................................................6
Important cells ...............................................................................................................................6
Data entry tips ...............................................................................................................................8
How to upload the DF DETAILS template to the portal .......................................................... 10
“Save As” your template as a CSV file ........................................................................................... 10
Upload your CSV file to the portal ................................................................................................. 13
Understand your results ............................................................................................................... 15
Checklist before you upload ................................................................................................. 16
Frequently Asked Questions ................................................................................................. 17
Additional Questions? .......................................................................................................... 20
Document History ................................................................................................................ 20
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Overview
Program context
The Illinois Shines Program uses disclosure forms (DFs) to capture key information that a customer
needs to know about a proposed solar project or subscription before they sign a contract. These DFs
must have a standardized format and are usually generated using the Illinois Shines portal at
https://portal.illinoisabp.com/
Approved Vendors (AVs) and their Designees can generate DFs one at a time using a webpage
interface. They can also upload and generate multiple forms in bulk via a CSV upload within the
portal, or by connecting to the DF Application Programming Interface (API).
Bulk CSV Upload
AVs and Designees can download a different CSV template for each type of DF from the portal. The
headers (columns) of each template map directly to the questions that appear on the webpage
interface.
One row of template data creates one DF. By adding more rows to the template, an AV or Designee
can generate multiple DFs in one upload. For example, a DG Lease template can be downloaded,
filled with multiple rows, and then uploaded in the portal to create multiple DG Lease forms at once.
The CS, DG PPA, and DG Purchase templates can be similarly and separately used to create multiple
CS, DG PPA, or DG Purchase DFs.
The portal provides success/error feedback immediately after upload so that the program participant
can access their new DF(s) or, if they receive an error notice, fix their input and try again.
This document guides AVs/Designees on how to use the CSV bulk upload templates for DF creation
on the Illinois Shines portal.
2023-2024 Program Year DFs
New streamlined and simplified DFs were released on June 1, 2023 for the 2023–2024 Illinois
Shines Program Year. New CSV upload templates were released on the same day to match the new
DFs, and must be used going forward.
Previous versions
The CSV upload templates that were on the portal prior to June 1, 2023 were used to create DFs for
the 2022-2023 program year. These older templates are not compatible with the new forms
released on June 1, 2023. Please download and use the new templates from the program portal.
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Getting started: Log in and download the templates
Log in
This guide assumes that you are already registered as an AV or Designee.
• AVs: To learn about the requirements and process for registering as an AV, please visit
https://illinoisabp.com/become-an-approved-vendor/.
• Designees: To become a Designee under an AV, please see the guidelines at
https://illinoisabp.com/become-a-designee/.
Step 1: In your browser, navigate to https://portal.illinoisabp.com/
Step 2: Under “Sign in”, enter your registered username and password.
• Usernames are case-sensitive.
• If you don’t remember your password, select the “Forgot
Password” link, and follow the prompts.
• Contact Support for further help at
Step 3: Select the “Sign in” button to be taken to your
Dashboard.
Step 4: In the left menu, select your active role (Vendor or
Designee) to expand its sub-menu. Select the “Disclosure
Forms” functionality and then select the “Upload from
template” task.
If you’re an AV but sometimes work as a Designee for other AVs (e.g., you’re an AV and a Designee),
you may have access to both sub-menus. Make sure you choose “Upload from template” from the
correct sub-menu for your current intended role/task.
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Step 5: A page titled “Upload Disclosure Forms with CSV” will appear. Look for your form type and
select the “Download Template” button. Your browser should automatically download an .XLSX
template file to your local computer.
Step 6: Open the .XLSX file on your computer using any spreadsheet editing program (e.g., Microsoft
Excel, Sheets, Google Sheets, LibreOffice Calc). You’ll see one workbook with two tabs (sheets):
• DF DETAILS – Template sheet. The blue-shaded row (row 4 or 5 depending on the template)
contains the questions for that DF type. The white-shaded row above that contains guidance
for each question. You’ll enter your DF data starting in the first blank row – see the next
section for more details.
• INSTRUCTIONS – Provides general instructions on how to use, export, and upload the
template.
For a visual walkthrough of questions for all disclosure forms, please refer to the Step-by-Step
Disclosure Form Walkthroughs on the Portal Help Guides website:
https://illinoisabp.com/portal-help/
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How to use the DF DETAILS template
Where to enter your data
On the DF Details sheet, each row starting from the first blank row (row 6 for the DG forms, and row
5 for CS) corresponds to one DF. Leave all cells in the first column (Column A) blank. In general,
you’ll enter values in most of the columns that have a question. The text of the question is formatted
as bold and shown in the blue-shaded row.
Important cells
Column A: For portal success/error messages
The first cell of each row (in other words, the first column of the sheet) is reserved for portal
success/error messages.
After you upload a filled template to the portal, the portal will return a “Response File” that looks very
similar to the template file. The first column of the “Response File” will reference the DF data rows
you entered and their upload results.
• If you were successful: the result will contain your new DF ID.
Example: Row: 7| Form ID: 488808 | Created successfully.
• If you were unsuccessful: the result will be an error message that you can use to
troubleshoot and resubmit your form.
Example: Row: 6|Col 2: Project name is required. | Col 3: Customer type is required.
Row 5 (DG) or Row 4 (CS): Lists the DF questions
This row holds the questions that will appear on the DF. You’ll enter your answer directly below each
question for each DF row. When printed or sent out for e-signature, the DF PDF will show these
questions and your answers to the customer.
Scroll to the right to see all the questions. You’ll need to provide answers for most (but not all) of the
questions on the template.
Rows 1–4 (DG or Rows 1-3 (CS): For input guidance
• Row 1 counts the questions on the form. If there’s an issue with your form, the portal will give
you an error message that references the numbers in this row.
• Row 2 describes the type of data you must enter for that question. The number in
parenthesis gives the maximum length (e.g., number of characters) your answer can contain.
o “integer”: must be a whole number, usually equal to or greater than zero.
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o “decimal”: often used for dollar amounts and percentages. You should omit non-
numeric symbols like $, %, and commas.
o “dropdown”: must be selected from a “dropdown” list. (See “Using dropdowns”
below.)
o “text”: free entry (numbers, letters, and symbols OK)
o “date”: use the format indicated in row 4 (typically yyyy-mm-dd)
• Rows 3 and 4 (DG) or just Row 3 (CS) indicates:
o Whether an answer is required (“Yes”), not required (“No”), or conditionally required
(“Only if…”).
o Allowed answers in the case where a question only allows certain answers. If the cell
in this row says, “Must be one of…” you should use the dropdown arrow on your DF
row to choose one of the answers. (See “Using dropdowns” below.)
If you don’t see the guidance rows (you only see a single row of questions) and there’s only one
sheet in the workbook, you may be looking at a portal response file (see the section titled
“Understand your results”.
If your goal is to enter data for DFs, make sure that you’re working with the template file. Download
another copy using the instructions under “Getting Started”.
Always download a new CSV upload template right before you fill it out – this helps you make sure
that you have the latest input guidance.
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Data entry tips
Using dropdowns
Certain questions only allow certain answers. These questions are specially marked in several ways:
1. The “Type” in Row 2 is “dropdown.”
2. The “Validation” guidance in Row 3 or 4 says “Must be one of…” and lists two or more
options.
3. When you click on the cell under a dropdown question in the DF row, you see a down arrow
on the right edge of the cell.
The easiest and most accurate way to enter data for dropdown questions is to use the down arrow to
choose from the dropdown list.
1. Using your mouse or the keyboard, highlight the cell you want to fill in. The down arrow
should appear on the right edge of the box.
2. Open the dropdown list: use your mouse to select the down arrow, or type “ALT” + “Down
Arrow” on your keyboard. (“Option” + “Down arrow” on Mac)
3. Use the arrow keys on your keyboard or move the mouse until the option you want is
highlighted, then click your mouse or press “Enter”/”Return” to fill the cell.
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How many rows of data can I enter?
The templates are set up with dropdowns so that you can enter DFs up to row 200.
If you need to enter more DFs, you have two options:
1. Copy row 200 to additional rows. This will set up the dropdown selections in additional rows.
2. Download or make a copy of the template file and enter your data there.
Deleting empty rows (optional)
If you’re using Excel, when you “Save as” your template to a CSV file, the CSV file will keep data for
all rows between 1 to 200 (or more, if you copied row 200 to additional rows as described in “How
many rows of data can I enter?”)
If you didn’t enter data in all of the rows up to row 200, you might see that the CSV (correctly) shows
these lower rows as blank. You won’t notice this if you try to open the CSV file in Excel, but you may
notice it if you open the CSV file in a text editing program (like Notepad or Wordpad). The blank rows
will look like a series of commas (“, , , , , , , “). This is caused by an issue with Excel.
The blank rows will not affect your upload! However, if they bother you, you can delete them:
1. Select all of the empty rows. For example, you can click on the left sidebar on the first empty
row, hold “Shift” on your keyboard, and then click on row 200 or below.
2. In the Excel menu, go to File > Edit > Delete. Or using your mouse, right-click to open a menu
and select “Delete”.
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How to upload the DF DETAILS template to the portal
Use the instructions in this section when you’re done filling out the template.
“Save As” your template as a CSV file
Using Microsoft Excel
Step 1: While you’re on the DF DETAILS sheet, go to the top menu and select File > Save As.
Windows Mac
Step 2: In the “Save As” pop-up window:
Windows:
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• Save destination: Check where your file will be saved. If needed, change it to somewhere
easy to find, like the Desktop.
• File name: If needed, edit the filename to something that will help you identify the file later.
We recommend that you include the date of upload.
• Save as type: (IMPORTANT) Change to “CSV (Comma delimited) (*.csv)”. (You may have to
scroll down the list to find it.)
When you’re ready, select the “Save” button.
Mac:
• Save As: If needed, edit the filename to something that will help you identify and track the file
later. We recommend that you include the date of upload.
• Where: Check the file save destination. If needed, change it to somewhere easy to find, like
the Desktop.
• File format: (IMPORTANT) Change to “Comma Separated Values (.csv)”. (You may have to
scroll down the list to find it.)
When you’re ready, select the “Save” button.
Step 3: A pop-up window or two will ask you to confirm that it’s OK to save only the current sheet.
Ensure that you’re on the “DF Details” sheet, then select “OK” and “Yes”.
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Windows:
Mac:
Step 4: The CSV file should now be saved to your computer. You can go to the “Save As” destination
you chose in the Step 2 pop-up to find your upload file and confirm that the save was successful.
(Optional) You can open the upload file to confirm that the file has only one sheet and that it
contains all your DF data. When you’re done, close the file without saving.
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Upload your CSV file to the portal
Step 1: Log in to the portal at https://portal.illinoisabp.com/ and navigate back to the Disclosure
Forms > “Upload from template” menu item. (Jump to instructions)
Step 2: Find the DF type that matches your template file (Community Solar, DG PPA, DG Lease, or DG
Purchase). In that section, select the “Browse” button to open a File Search pop-up window. Find and
select your template file so that it’s highlighted, and then select the “Open” button.
Make sure that the file you choose ends in “.csv”.
The File Search pop-up should close, and the name of your file should appear in the “File” box (next
to the “Browse” button.
Step 3: Select the green “Import” button to start the upload. A transparent white progress bar will
appear on the screen while your data is being uploaded to the portal. This may take a few minutes,
especially if many users are online and your file has many rows.
Step 4: When your data upload is done, your browser will show an “Information” pop-up window with
the results. It will also automatically download a “Response File” CSV with more details. You can click
on the “Response File” in your browser’s download bar to read more.
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If you can’t find your file, check your computer’s “Downloads” folder. The file name will include the
type of template you used and the date.
(Example: “Disclosure Form Purchase Upload – 05-18-23, 15_04.csv”)
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Understand your results
When you open the CSV “Response File”, you’ll see a sheet very similar to your template file. Here,
the first cell of each row (Column A) contains a portal success/error message for that row’s DF:
Success message example
What to do
Row: 7| Form ID: 492556 | Created
successfully.
Your DF uploaded successfully. You can review your
form data by going to the DF dashboard for the Vendor
ID shown in Column B.
Error message examples
What to do
Row: 8|Col 1 - Current account is not
authorized on behalf of this vendor.
Check which vendors you are authorized for by (for
example) going to Disclosure Forms > “View”. Review
the vendors listed in the pop-up window. The Vendor ID
in Col B MUST match one of your listed vendors.
Row: 6|Col 2: Project already exists with
this name.
Resubmit this DF row with a different “Project Name”
(one that you’ve never used before)
Row: 6|Col 2: Project name is required.
| Col 3: Customer type is required.
Enter answers for the required questions/referenced
columns.
Row: 6|Col 8: State must be 'IL'.
Make sure that your answer in the referenced column
meets the requirements (matches a valid option)
What if I got an error message?
Step 1: Open your original template file (the one with three sheets).
Step 2: Delete the rows that uploaded successfully. Make sure that you delete rather than just
clearing or hiding the rows.
Step 3: Fix each row that has an error message (check the “What to do” column in the “Error
message example” table above for tips). Note that if one row references multiple columns, there are
multiple errors, and you must fix them all.
Step 4: “Save As” your edited file as a CSV and upload it again.
Step 5: Repeat steps 1–4 as necessary if you receive additional error messages.
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Checklist before you upload
Did you…
Getting started
Download a CSV template for the exact type of DF you want to create?
Open the template and go to the “DF DETAILS” sheet?
Entering your data
Leave Column A blank?
Enter your DFs row by row in the empty rows (under the questions header)?
Enter only the ID of an AV you’re associated with in Column B?
Use the dropdown arrow to enter data for any questions marked “dropdown?
Make sure that you provided answers to all the required and conditionally requested questions?
“Save As” the “DF DETAILS” sheet to a CSV file (not an Excel file)?
Uploading your template file
Make sure that you’re the template file you selected matches the form type you’re uploading to
(DG Purchase, Lease, or PPA, or CS)?
Check that the file you’re uploading ends in “.csv”?
Correcting and re-uploading your template file
Delete (not clear or hide) any rows that gave you a “Form ID <Number>” success message?
Use the error messages to help you find and make corrections to the right cells?
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Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Once I download the CSV template from the Program portal, can I just use that template for all
future projects?
A: No. The Program Administrator will continue updating the CSV template on the portal. You
should always download the most current version from the portal before you fill in any data
on a CSV template. If you use an outdated template, you will receive an error message when
you try to upload your forms.
Q: How will I know that my DFs uploaded correctly? If there are errors, how will I know what needs to
be corrected?
A: After you upload your CSV and immediately after the portal is done processing your data, a
pop-up will appear in your browser window. The pop-up will state the number of DFs that
were created successfully, and the number of DFs that failed to create. Your browser will also
automatically download a response file spreadsheet from the portal. The first column in the
response file will list the errors that need to be corrected, along with the column number so
you can find the error.
Q: I entered data in a field on the CSV, but that data was not reflected on the generated DF. Why
not?
A: Several of the fields (questions) in the CSV are conditional on answering a previous field.
That is, an answer to that question is only required, and the data is only reflected on the
generated DF, if you provided a certain answer to a previous field.
Example:
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In the DG Purchase template, column 118 is conditional on column 117 (required and used
“[o]nly if 117 is ‘Yes’”). If you enter “No” to column 117 but then provide details of insurance
coverage in column 118, the subsequently generated DF will not include the insurance
details you entered in column 118 of the CSV, based on the “No” you entered in column 117.
Note that you would not receive an error code when uploading the CSV to the portal because
your answer to 117 (“No”) is an acceptable answer.
To prevent this from happening, please carefully review all fields in the CSV before uploading
to the portal. Further, please review all fields in the generated DFs to ensure that you entered
the data correctly, and that the DFs populated with the correct conditional fields for your
projects.
Q: When I try to upload my CSV (which has 50 rows completed), I receive an error message stating
that I have errors in some of the 50 rows I completed as well as over 150 additional rows (where I
did not fill in any fields). Why is this happening? Will this prevent me from generating Disclosure
Forms for the projects I included on the CSV?
A: We are aware of this issue and will address it with future updates. For now, please disregard
the error messages for the rows where you did not enter projects. If you received a success
message for a row, that DF was successfully generated. Once you correct any errors in the
rows where you did enter data, you will be able to re-upload the CSV template and generate
the appropriate Disclosure Forms for those projects as well.
If you prefer, you can delete empty rows before you upload or re-upload the CSV template.
See “Deleting empty rows (optional)” under “Data Entry Tips.”
Q: When I try to upload the file to the portal, I receive an error message stating that the file cannot be
uploaded, or “An error occurred, please contact your system administrator.” How can I upload the file
into the portal?
A: Make sure that the file you tried to upload is a .CSV file. After you browse and select your file,
check to make sure that the file you selected ends in “.csv” or “.CSV.”
Note that the templates that you download from the portal to your computer are Excel (.XLSX)
files. When you’re done filling out this Excel file template with your DF data, you need to re-
save the file in CSV format before importing it to the portal.
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Q: Why are the templates provided in Excel format when the uploads need to be in CSV format?
A: The Excel format allows the Program Administrator to set up dropdowns and provide guiding
information in the templates (like cell shading and the “Instructions” sheet) that would not
be possible in CSV format.
Q: After my first upload, some rows uploaded successfully and some rows failed. When I edit my
template file to fix the errors, what happens if I forget to delete the rows that uploaded successfully?
A: The second upload should not create a second DF. That’s because the first and second
uploads have the same “Project name”. Since the portal will only accept unique project
names, the first upload will block the second.
Q: What if the form uploaded successfully, but I realized the data is wrong?
A: Since you can’t edit a completed form, you’ll need to upload a new form. You can edit that
row in your template and upload it again. When you do this, you should get a second Form ID.
Make sure that you give your customer the form that corresponds to this second (corrected)
Form ID.
Q: I uploaded a template and got a response file. Can I just use the response file for further
corrections? (E.g., delete the successful rows from the response file, and then edit, save, and upload
it back to the portal?)
A: No. The portal expects the original template, so it skips the first 3 or 4 guidance rows. The
response file doesn’t have any guidance rows, so if you try to upload the response file, the
portal will miss your first 3 or 4 DF rows.
The safest course of action is to always return to and edit the official upload template.
Q: I’m editing my template for a second upload. Can I just “hide” the rows that already created
successfully?
A: No. Hiding only works in Excel (.XLSX); it doesn’t work in CSV. When you export the template
to CSV, the rows will appear right back. This means you’ll inadvertently upload them again.
It’s better to delete those rows so you won’t be confused by the eventual errors (from
attempting to upload duplicates).
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Additional Questions?
If you have any questions about disclosure forms (DFs), the DF bulk CSV upload function, the CSV
upload templates, or this guide, please contact Program Administration Support:
877.783.1820
Document History
Date
Version
Author(s)
Notes
5/30/23
1.0
Energy Solutions, Inc.
Created for June 1, 2023 Disclosure Form
rollout.
