Illinois solar incentives pay you for the clean power your panels will make, not with a tax credit. The biggest one, Illinois Shines, buys 15 years of that power up front. ComEd and Ameren add a rebate. What you get depends on which utility sends your electric bill. Pick yours below to see only what applies to you.
Recently changed: since January 1, 2025, new solar homes get smaller bill credits. Since June 1, 2026, Illinois Shines pays in parts over 6 years instead of all at once. Older guides may still show the old rules.
What are the best solar incentives in Illinois?
Five programs matter. They are sorted by how much a typical household gets.
| Incentive | What you get | Who gets the money | Who can get it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Illinois Shines payment | about $10,840 to about $12,090 for a typical system you own | Your paperwork company (Approved Vendor). It should lower your price. | Almost any new system |
| Battery rebate | $300 per kWh of battery ($4,050 for a 13.5 kWh battery) | You | ComEd and Ameren customers on a plan where the price of power changes through the day |
| Smart inverter rebate | $300 per kW ($1,866 on a typical system) | You | ComEd and Ameren customers. The system needs a smart inverter: the box that turns solar power into home power, in a type that can follow signals from your utility. |
| Property tax rule | Solar does not raise your property tax | You | Every homeowner who files Form PTAX-330 |
| Illinois Solar for All | No upfront cost | An approved company, for you | Homes with an income at or below 80% of the local average |
The federal tax credit is $0 for systems switched on after December 31, 2025. Illinois has no state solar tax credit.
Which utility sends your electric bill?
The name is at the top of your bill. Open yours to see what you can get.
ComEdChicago and northern Illinois. Serves about 69% of Illinois homes.Typical system after incentives: about $5,260
What you can get with ComEd
- State payment for your clean powerabout $12,090
For a typical 6.22 kW system that you own ($80.77 per credit). It goes to your paperwork company. Ask how much of it lowers your price.
- ComEd rebate$1,866
$300 per kW, paid to you by check after your system is switched on. Your system needs a smart inverter: an inverter that can follow signals from ComEd.
- Battery rebate$300 per kWh
Example: a 13.5 kWh battery gets $4,050. Only if you move to a ComEd plan where the price of power changes by the hour or by time of day (Rate BESH or Rate BEST) for as long as you have the battery. The battery must also join ComEd’s battery-sharing program for 5 years. In that program, ComEd may use power from your battery at set times.
A typical ComEd home: from price to what you pay
6.22 kW system you own, full state payment passed on to you
Your bill credits
When your panels make more power than you use, the extra goes to the grid. Your bill has two main parts: supply (the power itself) and delivery (the wires that bring it to you). ComEd gives you a credit for the supply part only. Delivery charges stay.
Homes that had solar switched on before 2025 keep full credits for 30 years.
Watch out: If you already have solar with full credits and add panels, taking the rebate ends your full bill credits.
Also for you: how the state payment works, property tax and help for lower-income homes.
Ameren IllinoisCentral and southern Illinois. Serves about 20% of Illinois homes.Typical system after incentives: about $6,510
What you can get with Ameren Illinois
- State payment for your clean powerabout $10,840
For a typical 6.22 kW system that you own ($70.37 per credit). It goes to your paperwork company. Ask how much of it lowers your price.
- Ameren rebate$1,866
$300 per kW, paid to you within 60 days after your system is switched on and your form is complete. Your system needs a smart inverter: an inverter that can follow signals from Ameren.
- Battery rebate$300 per kWh
Example: a 13.5 kWh battery gets $4,050. Only if you use Real-Time Pricing, Power Smart Pricing or Peak Time Rewards. These are Ameren plans and programs where the price of power changes through the day. The battery must also join Ameren’s battery-sharing program for 5 years. In that program, Ameren may use power from your battery at set times.
A typical Ameren home: from price to what you pay
6.22 kW system you own, full state payment passed on to you
Your bill credits
Your bill has a supply part (the power itself), a transmission part (the long-distance power lines) and a delivery part (the local wires). Ameren gives you a credit for the supply and transmission parts only. Delivery charges stay.
Homes that had solar switched on before 2025 keep full credits for 30 years.
Watch out: A battery plan with changing prices can raise your bill if you use a lot of power in the late afternoon. Check your usage before you switch.
Also for you: how the state payment works, property tax and help for lower-income homes.
MidAmericanThe Quad Cities area in northwest Illinois.Typical system after incentives: about $8,380
What you can get with MidAmerican
- State payment for your clean powerabout $10,840
For a typical 6.22 kW system that you own ($70.37 per credit). It goes to your paperwork company. Ask how much of it lowers your price.
- Utility rebateNone
MidAmerican does not pay the smart inverter or battery rebate.
A typical MidAmerican home: from price to what you pay
6.22 kW system you own, full state payment passed on to you
Your bill credits
Since January 1, 2025, new customers are on Rate NEM: a credit for the supply part of the bill only. Supply is the charge for the power itself, not for the wires that bring it. Older systems stay on Rate NM, which also credits delivery.
Watch out: With no utility rebate, the state payment is almost all of your help. Compare how much each installer passes on to you.
Also for you: how the state payment works, property tax and help for lower-income homes.
Co-op or city utilityLocal electric co-ops and city-owned utilities.No utility rebate. Rules vary.
What you can get with Co-op or city utility
- State payment for your clean powerYes
Your price per credit depends on your power grid: $70.37 in the MISO grid (most of central and southern Illinois) or $80.77 in the PJM grid (northern Illinois). Your paperwork company can tell you which.
- Utility rebateNone
The $300 per kW rebate is only paid by ComEd and Ameren.
Your bill credits
Your utility sets its own rules for bill credits. Ask it how it credits extra power before you decide how big your system should be.
Watch out: Do not use a ComEd or Ameren example to estimate your savings. Your credits can be very different.
Also for you: how the state payment works, property tax and help for lower-income homes.
Not sure? Everything that applies to all Illinois homes is below.
Get quotes, then check the paperwork
Your ZIP code starts a quote request with installers that serve your utility area. Compare the Disclosure Forms side by side before you sign.
- Your utility decides the rulesComEd, Ameren and MidAmerican set different rebates and export credits.
- No cost, no pressureComparing quotes is free, and you are never obliged to sign.
- Your data is protectedWe only share your details with the installers you are matched with.
How the state payment works
Your panels make clean energy credits. One credit, called a REC, stands for 1,000 kWh of solar power. Illinois Shines buys 15 years of your future credits in one contract.
Example for a ComEd home that owns its system: a typical system earns about 120 RECs in 15 years. Each one pays $80.77, plus $20 because you own the system. 120 x $100.77 is about $12,090.
The state does not pay you. It pays an Approved Vendor: a state-registered company that files your paperwork. Often this is your installer. The vendor should lower your price by the credit value.
- Before you sign, your vendor gives you a Disclosure Form. It shows how many credits and how much money.
- After the install, your vendor sends the finished project to the state.
- When your system is switched on, the state pays the vendor half.
- Over the next 6 years, the state pays the vendor the rest, in equal parts.
When the state pays your vendor
Typical 6.22 kW system you own, ComEd area
| System size | ComEd area and PJM grid | Ameren, MidAmerican and MISO grid |
|---|---|---|
| Up to 10 kW | $80.77 | $70.37 |
| 10 to 25 kW | $79.21 | $60.92 |
Watch out: Because the vendor waits years for half the money, some vendors do not pass on the full value. Ask each installer: how much of the state payment lowers my price? If you own your system, the price per credit is $20 higher. Leases and PPAs do not get this. In both, a company owns the panels on your roof.
Does Illinois offer solar tax exemptions?
Yes, for property tax. Solar should not raise your property tax bill. File Form PTAX-330 with your county assessment office, with your receipts. Your home is then valued no higher than a conventional heating and cooling system. In plain words: the assessor values your home as if it had a normal furnace and air conditioner, not solar. The state tax site does not post this form, so get it from your county.
Illinois has no sales tax exemption for home solar, and no state income tax credit.
Watch out: The property tax rule is not automatic. If you never file the form, your assessment can go up. If you stop using the system, tell the assessor by certified mail within 30 days.
Is net metering available in Illinois?
Yes, but new solar homes get less than before. Net metering means your utility gives you a bill credit for the solar power you send to the grid. Since January 1, 2025, the big utilities give that credit for the supply part of your bill only. Supply is the charge for the power itself. Delivery is the charge for the wires that bring it. Homes with solar switched on before 2025 keep full credits for 30 years.
- ComEd: credit for supply only. Delivery charges stay.
- Ameren Illinois: credit for supply and transmission. Delivery charges stay.
- MidAmerican: credit for supply only (Rate NEM).
- Co-ops and city utilities: their own rules. Ask your utility.
Watch out: With smaller credits, power you use yourself is worth more than power you send out. A system sized to your own daytime use usually pays off better than an oversized one.
Are there energy storage incentives in Illinois?
Yes, if ComEd or Ameren sends your bill. Both pay $300 per kWh for a home battery, once, after it is switched on. MidAmerican, co-ops and city utilities do not pay a battery rebate.
- ComEd: you must move to a plan where the price of power changes by the hour or by time of day (Rate BESH or Rate BEST) for as long as you have the battery, and the battery must join ComEd’s battery-sharing program for 5 years.
- Ameren Illinois: you must use Real-Time Pricing, Power Smart Pricing or Peak Time Rewards.
Watch out: A plan with changing prices can raise your bill if you use a lot of power in the late afternoon and your battery is empty. Check your usage before you switch.
Help for lower-income homes and renters
Illinois Solar for All
If your household income is at or below 80% of the local average, you can get solar with no upfront cost, and yearly payments of no more than half the value of the power your panels make. You can own it with a loan or lease it.
Example: if your panels make $1,000 of power in a year, you pay the solar company no more than $500 that year.
Approved companies send in projects during set windows. Ask an approved company when it can send in yours.
Watch out: If you qualify and a salesperson steers you to a normal contract instead, ask why.
Source: Solar for All program manual
Renters and condo owners: community solar
No roof of your own? You can join a community solar project. You get a share of a shared solar farm and a credit on your bill. Illinois Shines and Solar for All both offer this.
When you will not get the money
- Your installer cannot name its Approved Vendor. No vendor means no state payment.
- Your contract shows less than the Disclosure Form. The difference stays with the company, not you.
- You lease or sign a PPA. The leasing company owns the system and keeps the state payment. You get a lower monthly payment instead.
- Your quote still counts the federal tax credit. It is $0 for systems switched on after December 31, 2025. Ask for a new quote.
How to claim, step by step
- Get the Disclosure Form before you sign. Check that the credit value on it matches the discount in your contract.Your vendor gives it to you. You sign it.
- Adding a battery? Pick your price plan first. The battery rebate only works with the right ComEd or Ameren plan.You, with your utility.
- Your vendor files the finished project. The state starts paying the vendor when your system is switched on.Your vendor.
- Apply for your utility rebate. Send the invoice and inverter details to ComEd or Ameren.You or your installer. Check your contract for who does it.
- File Form PTAX-330 after your system is switched on. Get the form from your county assessment office. Send it back with your receipts.You.
Compare Illinois quotes that show the REC value
Enter your ZIP code to request quotes from installers in your area. Ask each one for its Approved Vendor name and the REC value on the Disclosure Form.
The form asks about your home first, then your contact details. EcoGen or its installer partners may contact you.
- Free, no-obligation quotesRequest quotes from local installers. You decide if you go ahead.
- Questions first, details lastA few questions about your home first. Name, email and phone only at the end.
- Check before you signUse the checklist on this page to compare the REC value in each quote.
More Illinois solar guides
Illinois solar incentive questions
What Solar Incentives Does Illinois Have in 2026?
Five: the Illinois Shines state payment for your clean power, a $300 per kW solar rebate and a $300 per kWh battery rebate from ComEd and Ameren, a property tax rule (Form PTAX-330), and Illinois Solar for All for lower-income homes. The federal tax credit is $0 for systems switched on after December 31, 2025.
Does Illinois Have a Solar Tax Credit?
No. Illinois has no state tax credit for home solar. Its main help is the Illinois Shines payment, which lowers your price through your contract, not your tax return.
Is the 30% Solar Tax Credit Still Available in Illinois?
No. The 30% federal credit is $0 for systems switched on after December 31, 2025, and Illinois never had a state solar tax credit. One small upside: if you own your system, the Illinois Shines price per credit is $20 higher, because owners no longer claim the federal credit.
What Is the ComEd Solar Rebate in Illinois?
ComEd pays $300 per kW for a solar system with a smart inverter, which is $1,866 on a typical 6.22 kW system. It also pays $300 per kWh for a battery if you move to its hourly price plan. The money comes by check after your system is switched on.
How Much Are Illinois SRECs Worth?
For 2026-27, a home system up to 10 kW earns $80.77 per credit in the ComEd area and $70.37 in the Ameren and MidAmerican areas, plus $20 if you own the system. A typical 6.22 kW system makes about 120 RECs over 15 years. Your Disclosure Form shows the official value.
Did Illinois Get Rid of Net Metering?
For new customers, full credits ended on January 1, 2025. New ComEd, Ameren and MidAmerican customers now get a credit for the supply part of their bill. Older systems keep full credits for 30 years.
What Is Illinois Solar for All?
A state program for homes with an income at or below 80% of the local average. It offers no upfront cost, and yearly payments of no more than half the value of the power your panels make. Projects are filed by approved companies in set rounds.
Can Renters or Condo Owners Get Illinois Solar Incentives?
Yes, through community solar. You get a share of a shared solar project and a credit on your bill. Illinois Shines and Solar for All both offer it.
Sources (13)
- Illinois Power Agency, Final REC Prices for Program Year 2026-27: illinoisshines.com
- Illinois Shines Program Guidebook 2026-27: illinoisshines.com
- Illinois Shines, Program Year 2026-27 announcement: illinoisshines.com
- Illinois Solar for All, Approved Vendor Manual 9.0: illinoissfa.com
- ComEd, Distributed Generation Rebate Terms and Conditions: comed.com
- ComEd, Net Metering FAQ: comed.com
- Ameren Illinois, Rider CGR (rebate tariff): ameren.com
- Ameren Illinois, Changes to net metering: ameren.com
- MidAmerican Energy, Customer interconnection: midamericanenergy.com
- Form PTAX-330, Application for Solar Energy Assessment (Livingston County copy): illinoisassessors.com
- Illinois Department of Revenue, letter ST 25-0047-GIL (sales tax): taxarchive.illinois.gov
- U.S. Energy Information Administration, Form EIA-861 data for 2024: eia.gov
- IRS, Residential Clean Energy Credit: irs.gov
