Typical home: Worth it

Solar in Normal, IL

With Ameren Illinois's electricity at about 19.1¢ per kWh and 1,374 kWh of sun per kW, solar is worth it for a typical Normal home today: about a 11.9-year payback.

Payback, typical home
11.9 yrsIllinois: 13.5 yrs
25-year net
$38,133after paying $23,520
Sun
1,374kWh per kW per year
Electricity
19.1¢6% above U.S. average

A typical Normal home, by the numbers

UtilityAmeren Illinois
Electricity use882 kWh a month
Best-value system7.7 kW, about 18 panels, 10,579 kWh a year (100% of use)
Cost$25,830, or $23,520 after state incentives
First-year savings$1,876
Payback11.9 years
Exported power10¢/kWh (Ameren Illinois)

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

Solar production per kW in Normal

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

Show as a table
PeriodValue
Jan76
Feb83
Mar109
Apr126
May149
Jun152
Jul158
Aug144
Sep129
Oct107
Nov81
Dec62

Homes in Normal

Owner-occupied homes
55%
Single-family detached
47%
Median home value
$214k
Median year built
1989
Population
53,569
Roofs suitable for solar†
83%

Census ACS 2020–2024. †Share of 10,799 buildings Google Project Sunroof rated technically suitable (2019 snapshot).

Installers working in Normal

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 Normal

Is solar worth it in Normal, IL?

For a typical home in Normal, solar is worth it at 2026 prices: a 7.7 kW system costs about $23,520 after state incentives, saves about $1,876 in year one and pays back in about 11.9 years. Enter your address for an estimate based on your roof and bill.

How much solar power does a system produce in Normal?

About 1,374 kWh per year for each kW of panels on a south-facing roof, based on PVWatts and local weather. That's 3% more than the Illinois average. East- or west-facing roofs produce roughly 10–20% less.

Who is the electric utility in Normal?

Most homes in Normal are served by Ameren Illinois, at about 19.1¢ per kWh on average. Some areas are served by Corn Belt Energy Corporation.

How much do solar panels cost in Normal?

A fair cash price is around $3.40 per watt before incentives, so about $25,830 for a 7.7 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.