2026 Illinois Solar Market Report
Solar Panel
Costs in Illinois.
Comprehensive solar ROI analysis for homeowners in Illinois. Discover local incentives and 2026 performance data.
Analyze Your City
Illinois Solar Market Analysis
Illinois homeowners face electricity rates of $0.17 per kilowatt-hour, making solar financially attractive in a state with 4.5 average peak sun hours daily. At the current installed cost of $2.95 per watt, a typical residential system generates meaningful long-term returns. After applying the 30 percent federal Investment Tax Credit, most Illinois installations achieve payback within 8 to 10 years, with decades of production remaining to offset utility costs and boost home value.
The state reinforces solar economics through multiple programs. The Illinois Shines SREC incentive program compensates homeowners for renewable energy generation, while Illinois Solar for All extends financing and incentive access to low-income households. Net metering allows excess solar production to flow back to the grid for bill credits, and a sales tax exemption removes one significant upfront expense. Together, these programs materially improve project economics and expand solar accessibility across Illinois's diverse communities.
Common Questions
How much do solar panels cost in Illinois in 2026?
Solar costs in Illinois vary by city, but the average residential system currently ranges from $2.80 to $3.55 per watt before federal tax credits and local rebates.
Is solar power worth it in Illinois?
Yes. With regional energy yields and the 30% Federal Investment Tax Credit (ITC), most homeowners in Illinois achieve a full return on investment within 7 to 9.5 years.
What are the distinct solar incentives in Illinois?
Beyond the 30% federal credit, Illinois homeowners can often benefit from localized net-metering structures, property tax exemptions, and municipal rebates.
Top Cities in Illinois
855 Municipalities IndexedView all other cities in Illinois
AvistonAvondaleBannockburnBarringtonBarrington HillsBarryBartlettBartonvilleBataviaBeach ParkBeardstownBeckemeyerBeecherBellevilleBellevueBellwoodBelmont CraginBelvidereBementBenldBensenvilleBentonBerkeleyBerwynBethaltoBethanyBig RockBloomingdaleBloomingtonBlue IslandBlue MoundBolingbrookBond CountyBoone CountyBoulder HillBourbonnaisBradleyBraidwoodBreeseBridgeportBridgeviewBrightonBrighton ParkBroadviewBrookfieldBrown CountyBuffalo GroveBull ValleyBunker HillBurbankBureau CountyBurnhamBurr RidgeBushnellByronCahokiaCairoCalhoun CountyCalumet CityCalumet ParkCambriaCambridgeCamp PointCantonCapronCarbon CliffCarbondaleCarlinvilleCarlyleCarmiCarol StreamCarpentersvilleCarrier MillsCarroll CountyCarrolltonCartervilleCarthageCaryCaseyCaseyvilleCass CountyCatlinCentral CityCentraliaCentrevilleCerro GordoChampaignChampaign CountyChannahonChannel LakeCharlestonChathamChatsworthChebanseChenoaCherry ValleyChesterChicagoChicago HeightsChicago LawnChicago LoopChicago RidgeChillicotheChrismanChristian CountyChristopherCiceroClarendon HillsClark CountyClay CountyCliftonClintonClinton CountyCoal CityCoal ValleyCobdenColchesterColes CountyColfaxCollinsvilleColonaColumbiaCook CountyCortlandCountry Club HillsCountrysideCrainvilleCrawford CountyCrest HillCrestwoodCreteCreve CoeurCrystal LakeCrystal LawnsCubaCumberland CountyDanversDanvilleDarienDavis JunctionDe SotoDe Witt CountyDecaturDeer ParkDeerfieldDeKalbDeKalb CountyDelavanDepueDes PlainesDiamondDivernonDixmoorDixonDoltonDouglasDouglas CountyDowners GroveDu QuoinDunlapDuPage CountyDupoDurandDwightEarlvilleEast AltonEast DubuqueEast DundeeEast Garfield ParkEast Hazel CrestEast MolineEast PeoriaEast Saint LouisEdgar CountyEdgewaterEdinburgEdwards CountyEdwardsvilleEffinghamEffingham CountyEl PasoElburnEldoradoElginElizabethtownElk Grove VillageElmhurstElmwoodElmwood ParkElwoodEnergyEnglewoodErieEurekaEvanstonEvergreen ParkFairburyFairfieldFairmontFairmont CityFairview HeightsFarmer CityFarmingtonFayette CountyFisherFlanaganFloraFlossmoorFord CountyFord HeightsForest LakeForest ParkForrestForrestonForsythFox LakeFox Lake HillsFox River GroveFrankfortFrankfort SquareFranklin CountyFranklin ParkFreeburgFreeportFultonFulton CountyGage ParkGages LakeGalenaGalesburgGallatin CountyGalvaGardnerGeneseoGenevaGenoaGeorgetownGermantownGermantown HillsGibson CityGiffordGilbertsGillespieGilmanGirardGlasfordGlen CarbonGlen EllynGlencoeGlendale HeightsGlenviewGlenwoodGodfreyGolcondaGoodings GroveGorevilleGrand BoulevardGrandviewGrandwood ParkGranite CityGrant ParkGranvilleGrayslakeGrayvilleGreater Grand CrossingGreen OaksGreen RockGreene CountyGreenfieldGreenupGreenvilleGridleyGriggsvilleGrundy CountyGurneeHainesvilleHamiltonHamilton CountyHampshireHamptonHancock CountyHanna CityHanover ParkHardinHardin CountyHarrisburgHarristownHartfordHarvardHarveyHarwood HeightsHavanaHawthorn WoodsHazel CrestHebronHenderson CountyHennepinHenryHenry CountyHeritage LakeHerrinHerscherHeyworthHickory HillsHighlandHighland ParkHighwoodHillcrestHillsboroHillsideHinckleyHinsdaleHodgkinsHoffman EstatesHoliday ShoresHomerHomer GlenHometownHomewoodHoopestonHudsonHuntleyHyde ParkInaIndian Head ParkIngalls ParkInvernessIroquois CountyIrving ParkIsland LakeItascaJackson CountyJacksonvilleJasper CountyJefferson CountyJeromeJersey CountyJerseyvilleJo Daviess CountyJohnsburgJohnson CountyJohnston CityJolietJonesboroJusticeKane CountyKankakeeKankakee CountyKendall CountyKenilworthKenwoodKewaneeKildeerKincaidKingstonKirklandKnollwoodKnox CountyKnoxvilleLa GrangeLa Grange ParkLa HarpeLa SalleLaconLaddLake BarringtonLake BluffLake CamelotLake CatherineLake CountyLake ForestLake HolidayLake in the HillsLake of the WoodsLake SummersetLake VillaLake ZurichLakemoorLakewoodLakewood ShoresLanarkLansingLaSalle CountyLawrence CountyLawrencevilleLe RoyLebanonLee CountyLeland GroveLemontLenaLewistownLexingtonLibertyvilleLily LakeLimestoneLincolnLincoln ParkLincoln SquareLincolnshireLincolnwoodLindenhurstLisleLitchfieldLivingston CountyLockportLogan CountyLogan SquareLombardLong CreekLong GroveLong LakeLouisvilleLoves ParkLovingtonLower West SideLynwoodLyonsMachesney ParkMackinawMacombMaconMacon CountyMacoupin CountyMadisonMadison CountyMahometMaltaManhattanManitoMantenoMaple ParkMarengoMarionMarion CountyMarissaMarkhamMaroaMarquette HeightsMarseillesMarshallMarshall CountyMartinsvilleMaryvilleMascoutahMason CityMason CountyMassac CountyMattesonMattoonMaywoodMcCullom LakeMcDonough CountyMcHenryMcHenry CountyMcKinley ParkMcLean CountyMcLeansboroMelrose ParkMenard CountyMendotaMercer CountyMeredosiaMerrionette ParkMetamoraMetropolisMidlothianMilanMilfordMillstadtMinierMinonkMinookaMitchellMokenaMolineMomenceMoneeMonmouthMonroe CountyMontgomeryMontgomery CountyMonticelloMorgan CountyMorgan ParkMorrisMorrisonMorrisonvilleMortonMorton GroveMoultrie CountyMound CityMount CarmelMount CarrollMount GreenwoodMount MorrisMount OliveMount ProspectMount PulaskiMount SterlingMount VernonMount ZionMoweaquaMundeleinMurphysboroNapervilleNashvilleNauvooNear North SideNear South SideNeogaNew AthensNew BadenNew BerlinNew CityNew LenoxNewarkNewtonNilesNokomisNormalNorridgeNorris CityNorth AuroraNorth BarringtonNorth CenterNorth ChicagoNorth LawndaleNorth PekinNorth PeoriaNorth RiversideNorthbrookNorthfieldNorthlakeO'FallonOak BrookOak ForestOak LawnOak ParkOakbrook TerraceOakwoodOakwood HillsOblongOdinOgle CountyOglesbyOkawvilleOlneyOlympia FieldsOnargaOquawkaOregonOrionOrland HillsOrland ParkOswegoOttawaPalatinePalestinePalos HeightsPalos HillsPalos ParkPanaParisPark CityPark ForestPark RidgePawneePaxtonPaysonPecatonicaPekinPeoriaPeoria CountyPeoria HeightsPeotonePerry CountyPeruPetersburgPhiloPhoenixPiatt CountyPike CountyPinckneyvillePingree GrovePistakee HighlandsPittsfieldPlainfieldPlanoPoloPontiacPontoon BeachPope CountyPoplar GrovePort BarringtonPort ByronPortage ParkPosenPrairie GrovePrestburyPreston HeightsPrincetonPrincevilleProphetstownProspect HeightsPulaski CountyPutnam CountyQuincyRamseyRandolph CountyRantoulRed BudRichland CountyRichmondRichton ParkRiver ForestRiver GroveRiverdaleRiversideRivertonRiverwoodsRoanokeRobbinsRobinsonRochelleRochesterRock FallsRock IslandRock Island CountyRockdaleRockfordRocktonRogers ParkRolling MeadowsRomeRomeovilleRoodhouseRoscoeRoselleRosemontRosewood HeightsRosiclareRossvilleRound LakeRound Lake BeachRound Lake HeightsRound Lake ParkRoxanaRoyaltonRushvilleSaint AnneSaint CharlesSaint Clair CountySaint ElmoSaint JacobSaint JosephSalemSaline CountySandovalSandwichSangamon CountySauk VillageSavannaSavoySchaumburgSchiller ParkSchuyler CountyScott Air Force BaseScott CountySenecaSesserShawneetownShelby CountyShelbyvilleSheldonSheridanShermanShilohShorewoodSidneySilvisSkokieSleepy HollowSmithtonSomonaukSouth BarringtonSouth BeloitSouth ChicagoSouth Chicago HeightsSouth ElginSouth HollandSouth JacksonvilleSouth LawndaleSouth PekinSouth RoxanaSouth ShoreSouthern ViewSpartaSpring GroveSpring ValleySpringfieldStark CountyStauntonSteelevilleStegerStephenson CountySterlingStickneyStillman ValleyStocktonStone ParkStreamwoodStreatorSugar GroveSullivanSummitSumnerSwanseaSycamoreTaylorvilleTazewell CountyTeutopolisThe Galena TerritoryThird LakeThomasboroThorntonTiltonTinley ParkToledoTolonoTolucaToulonTower LakeTremontTrentonTroyTuscolaTwin GroveUnion CountyUniversity ParkUpper AltonUptownUrbanaValmeyerVandaliaVenetian VillageVeniceVermilion CountyVernon HillsViennaVilla GroveVilla ParkVillage of Campton HillsVirdenVirginiaVoloWabash CountyWadsworthWalnutWamacWarrenWarren CountyWarrensburgWarrenvilleWarsawWascoWashburnWashingtonWashington CountyWashington ParkWaterlooWatermanWatsekaWaucondaWaukeganWaverlyWayneWayne CityWayne CountyWest ChicagoWest DundeeWest ElsdonWest EnglewoodWest FrankfortWest Garfield ParkWest LawnWest PeoriaWest RidgeWest TownWestchesterWestern SpringsWestmontWestvilleWheatonWheelingWhite CountyWhite HallWhiteside CountyWill CountyWilliamson CountyWilliamsvilleWillow SpringsWillowbrookWilmetteWilmingtonWinchesterWindsorWinfieldWinnebagoWinnebago CountyWinnetkaWinthrop HarborWonder LakeWood DaleWood RiverWoodford CountyWoodlawnWoodridgeWoodstockWordenWorthWyomingYorkvilleZeiglerZion