Solar in Oak Forest, IL
With ComEd's electricity at about 19.3¢ per kWh and 1,346 kWh of sun per kW, solar is worth it for a typical Oak Forest home today: about a 12.4-year payback.
- Payback, typical home
- 12.4 yrsIllinois: 13.5 yrs
- 25-year net
- $24,550after paying $16,500
- Sun
- 1,346kWh per kW per year
- Electricity
- 19.3¢7% above U.S. average
A typical Oak Forest home, by the numbers
| Utility | ComEd |
|---|---|
| Electricity use | 622 kWh a month |
| Best-value system | 5 kW, about 12 panels, 6,730 kWh a year (90% of use) |
| Cost | $18,000, or $16,500 after state incentives |
| First-year savings | $1,231 |
| Payback | 12.4 years |
| Exported power | 9¢/kWh (ComEd) |
Cash purchase, no federal credit, 3.5% yearly rate increases. Run it with your own numbers.
Homes in Oak Forest
- Owner-occupied homes
- 82%
- Single-family detached
- 68%
- Median home value
- $255k
- Median year built
- 1975
- Population
- 26,805
- Roofs suitable for solar†
- 85%
Census ACS 2020–2024. †Share of 7,172 buildings Google Project Sunroof rated technically suitable (2019 snapshot).
Installers working in Oak Forest
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 Oak Forest
Is solar worth it in Oak Forest, IL?
For a typical home in Oak Forest, solar is worth it at 2026 prices: a 5 kW system costs about $16,500 after state incentives, saves about $1,231 in year one and pays back in about 12.4 years. Enter your address for an estimate based on your roof and bill.
How much solar power does a system produce in Oak Forest?
About 1,346 kWh per year for each kW of panels on a south-facing roof, based on PVWatts and local weather. That's 1% more than the Illinois average. East- or west-facing roofs produce roughly 10–20% less.
Who is the electric utility in Oak Forest?
Most homes in Oak Forest are served by ComEd, at about 19.3¢ per kWh on average.
How much do solar panels cost in Oak Forest?
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
- Tinley Park 12.5 yrs
- Orland Park 12.5 yrs
- Oak Lawn 12.6 yrs
- Chicago Heights 12.6 yrs
- Burbank 12.5 yrs
- Lansing 12.6 yrs
- Calumet City 12.6 yrs
- New Lenox 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.