Typical home: Worth it

Solar in Highland Park, IL

With ComEd's electricity at about 19.3¢ per kWh and 1,334 kWh of sun per kW, solar is worth it for a typical Highland Park home today: about a 12.6-year payback.

Payback, typical home
12.6 yrsIllinois: 13.5 yrs
25-year net
$24,160after paying $16,500
Sun
1,334kWh per kW per year
Electricity
19.3¢7% above U.S. average

A typical Highland Park home, by the numbers

UtilityComEd
Electricity use622 kWh a month
Best-value system5 kW, about 12 panels, 6,669 kWh a year (89% of use)
Cost$18,000, or $16,500 after state incentives
First-year savings$1,219
Payback12.6 years
Exported power9¢/kWh (ComEd)

Cash purchase, no federal credit, 3.5% yearly rate increases. Run it with your own numbers.

Solar production per kW in Highland Park

kWh per kW each month, south-facing at 20° tilt. PVWatts v8 with local typical-year weather.

Show as a table
PeriodValue
Jan69
Feb87
Mar113
Apr127
May141
Jun150
Jul154
Aug147
Sep123
Oct93
Nov71
Dec60

Homes in Highland Park

Owner-occupied homes
84%
Single-family detached
74%
Median home value
$607k
Median year built
1963
Population
30,398
Roofs suitable for solar†
72%

Census ACS 2020–2024. †Share of 7,708 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 Highland Park

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 Highland Park

Is solar worth it in Highland Park, IL?

For a typical home in Highland Park, solar is worth it at 2026 prices: a 5 kW system costs about $16,500 after state incentives, saves about $1,219 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 Highland Park?

About 1,334 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 Highland Park?

Most homes in Highland Park are served by ComEd, at about 19.3¢ per kWh on average.

How much do solar panels cost in Highland Park?

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

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.