Solar in Pekin, IL
With Ameren Illinois's electricity at about 19.1¢ per kWh and 1,353 kWh of sun per kW, solar is worth it for a typical Pekin home today: about a 11.7-year payback.
- Payback, typical home
- 11.7 yrsIllinois: 13.5 yrs
- 25-year net
- $36,177after paying $21,700
- Sun
- 1,353kWh per kW per year
- Electricity
- 19.1¢6% above U.S. average
A typical Pekin home, by the numbers
| Utility | Ameren Illinois |
|---|---|
| Electricity use | 882 kWh a month |
| Best-value system | 7 kW, about 16 panels, 9,470 kWh a year (89% of use) |
| Cost | $23,800, or $21,700 after state incentives |
| First-year savings | $1,735 |
| Payback | 11.7 years |
| Exported power | 10¢/kWh (Ameren Illinois) |
Cash purchase, no federal credit, 3.5% yearly rate increases. Run it with your own numbers.
Homes in Pekin
- Owner-occupied homes
- 68%
- Single-family detached
- 72%
- Median home value
- $121k
- Median year built
- 1961
- Population
- 31,781
- Roofs suitable for solar†
- 75%
Census ACS 2020–2024. †Share of 9,922 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 Pekin
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 Pekin
Is solar worth it in Pekin, IL?
For a typical home in Pekin, solar is worth it at 2026 prices: a 7 kW system costs about $21,700 after state incentives, saves about $1,735 in year one and pays back in about 11.7 years. Enter your address for an estimate based on your roof and bill.
How much solar power does a system produce in Pekin?
About 1,353 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 Pekin?
Most homes in Pekin are served by Ameren Illinois, at about 19.1¢ per kWh on average. Some areas are served by Corn Belt Energy Corporation, Menard Electric Cooperative.
How much do solar panels cost in Pekin?
A fair cash price is around $3.40 per watt before incentives, so about $23,800 for a 7 kW system. There's no federal tax credit for homeowners who buy in 2026.
Nearby
- Peoria 11.9 yrs
- Normal 11.9 yrs
- Bloomington 11.9 yrs
- Galesburg 11.7 yrs
- Springfield 16.5 yrs
- Decatur 11.8 yrs
- Champaign 12 yrs
- Moline 21.8 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.