Solar in St. Charles, IL
With ComEd's electricity at about 19.3¢ per kWh and 1,340 kWh of sun per kW, solar is worth it for a typical St. Charles home today: about a 12.5-year payback.
- Payback, typical home
- 12.5 yrsIllinois: 13.5 yrs
- 25-year net
- $24,565after paying $16,500
- Sun
- 1,340kWh per kW per year
- Electricity
- 19.3¢7% above U.S. average
A typical St. Charles home, by the numbers
| Utility | ComEd |
|---|---|
| Electricity use | 622 kWh a month |
| Best-value system | 5 kW, about 12 panels, 6,701 kWh a year (90% of use) |
| Cost | $18,000, or $16,500 after state incentives |
| First-year savings | $1,229 |
| Payback | 12.5 years |
| Exported power | 9¢/kWh (ComEd) |
Cash purchase, no federal credit, 3.5% yearly rate increases. Run it with your own numbers.
Homes in St. Charles
- Owner-occupied homes
- 70%
- Single-family detached
- 59%
- Median home value
- $377k
- Median year built
- 1984
- Population
- 32,854
- Roofs suitable for solar†
- 85%
Census ACS 2020–2024. †Share of 8,542 buildings Google Project Sunroof rated technically suitable (2019 snapshot).
Installers working in St. Charles
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 St. Charles
Is solar worth it in St. Charles, IL?
For a typical home in St. Charles, solar is worth it at 2026 prices: a 5 kW system costs about $16,500 after state incentives, saves about $1,229 in year one and pays back in about 12.5 years. Enter your address for an estimate based on your roof and bill.
How much solar power does a system produce in St. Charles?
About 1,340 kWh per year for each kW of panels on a south-facing roof, based on PVWatts and local weather. That's 0% more than the Illinois average. East- or west-facing roofs produce roughly 10–20% less.
Who is the electric utility in St. Charles?
Most homes in St. Charles are served by ComEd, at about 19.3¢ per kWh on average. Some areas are served by City of St Charles, City of Geneva, City of Batavia.
How much do solar panels cost in St. Charles?
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
- Batavia 12.5 yrs
- West Chicago 12.5 yrs
- Bartlett 12.5 yrs
- Elgin 12.5 yrs
- Carol Stream 12.6 yrs
- Hanover Park 12.6 yrs
- Streamwood 12.6 yrs
- Aurora 12.4 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.