Solar in Chicago, IL
With ComEd's electricity at about 19.3¢ per kWh and 1,333 kWh of sun per kW, solar is worth it for a typical Chicago home today: about a 12.6-year payback.
- Payback, typical home
- 12.6 yrsIllinois: 13.5 yrs
- 25-year net
- $24,049after paying $16,500
- Sun
- 1,333kWh per kW per year
- Electricity
- 19.3¢7% above U.S. average
A typical Chicago home, by the numbers
| Utility | ComEd |
|---|---|
| Electricity use | 622 kWh a month |
| Best-value system | 5 kW, about 12 panels, 6,666 kWh a year (89% of use) |
| Cost | $18,000, or $16,500 after state incentives |
| First-year savings | $1,218 |
| Payback | 12.6 years |
| Exported power | 9¢/kWh (ComEd) |
Cash purchase, no federal credit, 3.5% yearly rate increases. Run it with your own numbers.
Homes in Chicago
- Owner-occupied homes
- 46%
- Single-family detached
- 26%
- Median home value
- $334k
- Median year built
- 1953
- Population
- 2,711,226
- Roofs suitable for solar†
- 82%
Census ACS 2020–2024. †Share of 414,192 buildings Google Project Sunroof rated technically suitable (2019 snapshot).
Older housing stock. Many homes here were built before 1975. Have the roof and electrical panel checked before signing; a roof or panel upgrade can add thousands. Roof first?
Installers working in Chicago
Public installation records for Illinois don't name installers, so we can't rank local companies here. Browse installers in Illinois.
Always verify the license and get at least three quotes. Compare quotes side by side.
Questions about solar in Chicago
Is solar worth it in Chicago, IL?
For a typical home in Chicago, solar is worth it at 2026 prices: a 5 kW system costs about $16,500 after state incentives, saves about $1,218 in year one and pays back in about 12.6 years. Enter your address for an estimate based on your roof and bill.
How much solar power does a system produce in Chicago?
About 1,333 kWh per year for each kW of panels on a south-facing roof, based on PVWatts and local weather. That's 0% less than the Illinois average. East- or west-facing roofs produce roughly 10–20% less.
Who is the electric utility in Chicago?
Most homes in Chicago are served by ComEd, at about 19.3¢ per kWh on average.
How much do solar panels cost in Chicago?
A fair cash price is around $3.40 per watt before incentives, so about $18,000 for a 5 kW system. There's no federal tax credit for homeowners who buy in 2026.
Nearby
- Cicero 12.5 yrs
- Berwyn 12.6 yrs
- Oak Park 12.6 yrs
- Burbank 12.5 yrs
- Oak Lawn 12.6 yrs
- Elmhurst 12.5 yrs
- Skokie 12.7 yrs
- Evanston 12.6 yrs
- All of Illinois
Data: PVWatts (National Laboratory of the Rockies), EIA-861 2025 adjusted to 2026, U.S. Census ACS, LBNL Tracking the Sun, state policy research as of October 2026.