See how much it will cost to install solar panels for your home in Illinois
Solar power in Illinois
Last fact-checked on January 19, 2023, by Catherine Lane
Illinois has made great strides in recent years to make solar installations more accessible to all residents of different economic backgrounds. With state-mandated net metering, the federal tax credit, and the state’s Adjustable Block Program, solar is an excellent investment for Illinois homeowners.
Not only will you reduce your carbon emissions when you switch to solar, but you also greatly reduce how much you spend on power. As a bonus, installing a system in Illinois can pay for itself in as little as 10 years! That means 15 years of free electricity for you!
Compare solar quotes from the top solar companies in Illinois
Illinois solar power facts
$2.78 watt
Average cost: 5kW solar power system
?3 Years 6 Months
Average payback time
$70,408
Average lifetime savings
?2¢ kWh
Levelized cost of solar energy
28¢ kWh
If you don't get solar
?11,538 kWh
Annual power production
Cash flow graph based on cash purchase of a 9.27kW system
This 9.27kW system would offset 100% of your energy usage if your typical monthly bill in Illinois is $150, however, your situation may vary so try our solar calculator to get a result tailored to you.
3
Solar companies in Illinois that provide pricing through the Solar-Estimate marketplace.
How much can solar panels save you in Illinois
Average total cost of solar panel installation in Illinois
| System Size | Cash purchase After 30% solar tax credit |
Financed purchase After 30% solar tax credit |
|---|---|---|
| 3kw | $6,069 | $6,555 |
| 4kw | $7,924 | $8,558 |
| 5kw | $9,730 | $10,508 |
| 6kw | $11,424 | $12,338 |
| 7kw | $13,083 | $14,130 |
| 8kw | $14,616 | $15,785 |
| 9kw | $16,128 | $17,418 |
| 10kw | $17,500 | $18,900 |
How much do solar panels cost in Illinois?
$2.78 per watt
Cash purchased solar system
Before 26% solar tax credit
$3.08 per watt
Financed solar system
Before 26% solar tax credit
$0.0¢ /kWh
Lease/PPA
Ave 15 year term, 2.5% price escalator
What are the pros and cons of installing solar panels in Illinois?
The biggest advantages of installing solar panels in Illinois are the net metering law, the 30% federal tax credit, and the ability to sell your renewable energy credits through the Adjustable Block Program. Also, going solar is accessible for low-income households and other facilities through the ILSFA program.
The disadvantage of installing solar panels in Illinois is that there are no current statewide solar rebate programs or investor-owned utility residential rebate programs. This doesn’t particularly mean that no rebates exist at all; you just have to find an installer that offers them, which can be difficult. Illinois isn’t a very sunny state compared to Arizona and Florida, so energy production levels are lower.
However, there is still potential for great savings in Illinois. Enter your details to calculate the potential cost and savings you can get from installing solar panels for your home.
Best solar companies in Illinois
Compare solar quotes from the top solar companies in Illinois
How much electricity will solar panels produce in Illinois
Solar panels produce different amounts of energy in different locations.
Around the Chicago area solar panels installed on a south-facing 30-degree pitch roof will typically produce:
1,150kWh
per year per 1kW of peak DC
(direct current) capacity
For more information about how your location, roof direction, and roof tilt affects solar power production use the solar panels calculator and enter your zip code.
I want to buy a solar panel kit and install it myself
What rebates, solar tax credits and other solar incentives are available in Illinois?
Adjustable Block Program
In 2021, Illinois passed the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act, mandating utilities to derive 100% of their energy from clean sources by the year 2050. In order for utilities to meet this goal, they must obtain renewable energy credits (REC). Each REC represents the positive environmental attributes of producing 1 megawatt-hour (MWh) of electricity from a renewable source.
Through the Adjustable Block Program, also called “Illinois Shines,” utility companies can obtain RECs from their customers who have renewable energy systems.
To get started with this program, solar system owners must enter a 15-year contract with an approved vendor. Under this contract, the program offers up-front payment to the customer for all the RECs they are expected to generate over 15 years.
You may wonder: how much will they pay me? The answer lies in the block system created under this program. When you apply and where you are located are two main factors in determining what block you fall into. The next determining factor is how big your system is. It’s just important to note that you must keep your system operational for the full 15-year period, or you may be responsible for paying back a portion of the REC payment.
You may find yourself making more money by signing up sooner rather than later. No matter what block you fall into, if you live in Illinois, it’s worth looking into. Current information can be found on the program website, but it can be hard to understand. You can calculate an estimate of your current Illinois REC payment using our solar calculator.
Net metering in Illinois
In Illinois, net metering is available for all home and business owners. The state’s net metering policy required the investor-owned utilities to offer credits to customers in exchange for excess energy their solar system produces and exports to the grid. Systems of 40 kW or less receive a 1-to-1 retail rate credit. The credits earned are then carried over to offset the costs of future bills.
However, the credits you earn do expire at the end of your annual billing period. Any excess credits at the end of the annual cycle do not carry over to the next year, and you do not receive any compensation for those credits.
Special assessment for solar energy systems
If you install a residential solar system, you can apply for a special assessment of your property. You can register your property with the chief county assessment officer, who will then assess your property in two ways:
- Assess the value of the property if it had a conventional energy system
- Assess the value of the property with the solar system
Those who wish to have their property valued in this manner must file the State of Illinois PTAX-330 property tax form with their local county assessor’s office. You will then pay your taxes based on whichever property assessment is lower.
Illinois Solar for All (ILSFA) Program
As a part of the Future Energy Jobs Act that was passed in 2016, the Illinois Solar for All (ILSFA) program was created. This program was started in hopes of making solar panels more accessible to low-income households, nonprofit organizations, and public facilities.
In order to participate in this program, you must find out if you are eligible based on your income. To qualify for ILFSA, your household income must be 80% or less than the Area Median Income. Nonprofits and public facilities follow a different set of eligibility criteria. Once you figure out if you can participate, there are several options you can choose from:
- Residential solar: Geared towards single-family homeowners or multi-family residential buildings, a solar installer will work with you to save on energy bills.
- Community solar: For single-family homeowners, renters, non-profit organizations, and public facilities. In this option, rather than installing panels at your property, you subscribe to a solar array within your utility area and earn solar credits toward your bills.
- Nonprofit and public facilities: if you are a nonprofit organization or a public facility, on-site solar installations will help save on energy bills.
This program requires no upfront costs, and the amount of money you receive varies based on the amount of power your system produces. You can visit the ILSFA official website to determine your eligibility and find an approved vendor to get you started today!
Illinois Solar Calculator
Regardless of what you want to know about the economics of installing solar panels for your home or business in Illinois, we have a solar calculator that can show you exactly the information you require.
What you can find out about installing solar panels in Illinois using our full monthly solar calculator
This solar calculator requires you to input your address, utility company, your average monthly power spend - It tells you:
- What size solar system do you need?
- Answers the question of how many solar panels do I need?
- How many square feet of roof space you need for solar panels
- Solar electricity production in annual kWh (kilowatt-hours) you can expect from your solar system in Illinois
- The value of solar tax credits and other incentives you are entitled to based on the estimated size of system you need, your location and your utility provider.
- Likely cost based on an average of prices charged for solar systems of that size in the last year in Illinois or Chicago ;
- The likely payback period on your solar panels and your investment return.
- Your total lifetime solar savings based on each of the major solar finance options, a cash purchase, a cash purchase funded with a HELOC sol (home equity line of credit) and a zero-down PPA or third party lease product.
If you want to see all of the above but also see live pricing, the three best solar deals available in your city and get binding quotes from each of these solar companies then use this Illinois solar panels calculator. This calculator requires you to also input your name and contact details because most of our 200+ installer partners will only authorize the sharing of their live solar pricing where we have validated that you are a real homeowner with a home in their service area. We respect the privacy of your data and only share your contact details with the solar companies you ask us to get binding quotes from.
Going solar in Illinois
Check out all of the ways energy providers of Illinois can help you be more energy-efficient and save money.
The following programs are available:
| Incentive Name | Eligibility | Type |
|---|---|---|
| Residential Clean Energy Tax Credit | Federal | Personal Tax Credit |
| Special Assessment for Solar Energy Systems | State | Property Tax Incentive |
| Net Metering | State | Net Metering |
| Adjustable Block Program (Illinois Shines) - Group A | Utility | Rebate Program |
| Adjustable Block Program (Illinois Shines) - Group B | Utility | Rebate Program |
Find your local rebates and incentives
Your city may have further incentives to offer. Please keep in mind that the best source of up-to-date information on incentives is the solar installers who specialize in your area.