Solar Panels in Illinois: 2026 Cost, Incentives & Savings

• Cash

  $3.00/W

  $23,100

  Subset classified as cash

• Middle published case

  $3.60/W

  $27,720

  All host-owned systems

• Loan

  $4.50/W

  $34,650

  Financed subset, before interest

Before incentives. A loan price here excludes interest. The federal residential credit under section 25D ended for systems placed in service after December 31, 2025. Berkeley Lab, U.S. Distributed Solar and Storage, August 2026 data update.

How to read Illinois

Illinois's 2025 EIA residential average was 17.67 cents per kWh. ComEd serves northern Illinois, including Chicago. Ameren Illinois serves much of central and southern Illinois. MidAmerican serves a western slice, including the Iowa border. Winters are cloudy. The resource is about 4.2 peak sun hours statewide in our table.

Utilities

Commonwealth Edison is the delivery utility for Chicago and the collar counties. Ameren Illinois delivers to Springfield, Peoria, and much of downstate. MidAmerican Energy serves the Quad Cities area of Illinois. Alternative retail suppliers can sell the energy. Delivery is still the wires company on the bill.

Export credits and tariffs

Illinois Shines, the Adjustable Block Program run by the Illinois Power Agency, pays for renewable energy credits from participating systems. The vendor must show the incentive on a disclosure form. The customer generally transfers the credits to the vendor. That payment is not automatic, and passing it through as a lower price is a contract term, not a promise from this website. For new residential net metering customers of ComEd, Ameren, and MidAmerican after January 1, 2025, Illinois Shines describes the credit as supply-only: supply can be netted, and delivery charges are still billed on electricity pulled from the grid. Customers already on full retail net metering may keep it unless the system is changed in ways the utility's tariff treats as new. Source: Illinois Shines consumer FAQ, illinoisshines.com/faqs/.

Climate and roofs

Lake-effect clouds and snow affect Chicago more than Springfield. Snow on a low-tilt roof sits longer than on a steep one. Summer humidity still creates cooling load. A production model that uses only July will overstate the year.

Cities

• Chicago

  ComEd, flat roofs and bungalows, and a cloudy winter resource.

• Naperville

  A municipal electric utility in much of Naperville, which is not the same as ComEd.

• Aurora

  ComEd in the western suburbs, with a mix of older Fox River houses and newer roofs.

• Joliet

  ComEd in Will County, south of the core Chicago shade canopy.

• Rockford

  ComEd in northern Illinois, colder and snowier than Springfield.

• Springfield

  A municipal utility in the capital, not ComEd.

• Peoria

  Ameren Illinois in central Illinois, not ComEd.