Solar Calc

Solar Panel Cost in Chicago, IL (2026 Estimate)

ByIndependent solar research and calculators

Data last updated

Chicago averages about 4.2 peak sun hours a day (below the national average, matching the Illinois statewide average), and pairs with Illinois's approximate residential rate near 16ยข/kWh. In the model used here, an 8 kW system produces roughly 9,810 kWh a year and trims about $1,600 off annual electricity costs, paying back its net cost in about 10.7 years . Local shading, roof, and your utility's export terms move the real figure.

Estimated system cost and payback in Chicago

Costs assume roughly $3.00/watt installed; the net column applies a 30% federal credit for comparison with quotes that include it. Savings use Chicago's sun hours and Illinois's rate.

Modeled solar cost, production, savings and payback in Chicago by system size
System size Gross cost Net after 30% credit Yearly production Yearly savings Payback
6 kW $18,000 $12,600 7,360 kWh $1,200 10.7 yrs
8 kW $24,000 $16,800 9,810 kWh $1,600 10.7 yrs
10 kW $30,000 $21,000 12,260 kWh $2,000 10.7 yrs

The 30% federal Residential Clean Energy Credit ended for systems paid for after December 31, 2025 under the 2025 federal budget law. Net-after-credit figures apply only if you still qualify (for example a 2025 expenditure, or a leased system where the installer passes a credit through). Confirm with a tax professional.

Net metering and utilities around Chicago

For years Illinois homeowners with ComEd or Ameren Illinois received full retail net metering, with excess generation credited kilowatt-hour for kilowatt-hour and rolled forward through an annual period. That arrangement changed on January 1, 2025 under the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act (CEJA): customers who interconnect after that date are credited only for the supply portion of the rate on exported energy, not the delivery charges, which cuts the value of each exported kilowatt-hour roughly in half. Anyone already interconnected before the change keeps the legacy full retail treatment.

Commonwealth Edison (ComEd) delivers power to Chicago and northern Illinois, Ameren Illinois covers most of central and southern Illinois, and MidAmerican serves the Quad Cities area, with a scattering of municipal utilities and cooperatives elsewhere. Illinois is a retail choice state, so your supply may come from the utility's default rate or an alternative supplier, and the supply price is now the part of the bill that determines export credit value for new solar customers. Both ComEd and Ameren offer hourly pricing plans that can raise savings for households with batteries or flexible loads but complicate the math for a solar-only home. Fixed monthly charges are moderate, and there are no residential demand charges at either utility as of 2026.

For the full state picture, including incentives, property and sales tax treatment and the complete net metering notes, see the Illinois solar cost page.

Sources and methodology

Every figure on this page is computed from two published inputs (average peak sun hours and the state's average residential electricity rate) plus the documented assumptions on the methodology page. It is a transparent model, not a survey of installer quotes. Inputs last reviewed .