Solar in Rock Island, IL
With MidAmerican Energy's electricity at about 11.5¢ per kWh and 1,363 kWh of sun per kW, solar is not worth it for a typical Rock Island home today: about a 21.6-year payback.
- Payback, typical home
- 21.6 yrsIllinois: 13.5 yrs
- 25-year net
- $2,938after paying $13,070
- Sun
- 1,363kWh per kW per year
- Electricity
- 11.5¢36% below U.S. average
A typical Rock Island home, by the numbers
| Utility | MidAmerican Energy |
|---|---|
| Electricity use | 744 kWh a month |
| Best-value system | 3.3 kW, about 8 panels, 4,496 kWh a year (50% of use) |
| Cost | $13,070 |
| First-year savings | $516 |
| Payback | 21.6 years |
| Exported power | Full retail net metering (MidAmerican Energy) |
Cash purchase, no federal credit, 3.5% yearly rate increases. Run it with your own numbers.
Homes in Rock Island
- Owner-occupied homes
- 65%
- Single-family detached
- 68%
- Median home value
- $126k
- Median year built
- 1954
- Population
- 36,151
- Roofs suitable for solar†
- 66%
Census ACS 2020–2024. †Share of 10,495 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 Rock Island
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 Rock Island
Is solar worth it in Rock Island, IL?
For a typical home in Rock Island, solar is not worth it at 2026 prices: a 3.3 kW system costs about $13,070 after state incentives, saves about $516 in year one and pays back in about 21.6 years. Enter your address for an estimate based on your roof and bill.
How much solar power does a system produce in Rock Island?
About 1,363 kWh per year for each kW of panels on a south-facing roof, based on PVWatts and local weather. That's 2% more than the Illinois average. East- or west-facing roofs produce roughly 10–20% less.
Who is the electric utility in Rock Island?
Most homes in Rock Island are served by MidAmerican Energy, at about 11.5¢ per kWh on average.
How much do solar panels cost in Rock Island?
A fair cash price is around $3.40 per watt before incentives, so about $13,070 for a 3.3 kW system. There's no federal tax credit for homeowners who buy in 2026.
Nearby
- Moline 21.8 yrs
- Galesburg 11.7 yrs
- Peoria 11.9 yrs
- Pekin 11.7 yrs
- Rockford 12.4 yrs
- DeKalb 12.4 yrs
- Normal 11.9 yrs
- Bloomington 11.9 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.