Illinois Solar Incentive Programs

Illinois Shines (the Adjustable Block Program, or ABP) is Illinois's flagship residential solar incentive. For every megawatt-hour your system produces, a Renewable Energy Credit (REC) is generated. The IPA purchases these RECs at a fixed price for 15 years. The REC price depends on the program year and block, your installer should quote the current rate at application. For contracts approved on or after June 1, 2026, IPA changed the payment schedule: 50% of the total REC value is paid upfront at interconnection, and the remaining 50% is paid in equal installments over the following 6 years. Projects Part I Verified before May 14, 2026 keep the prior schedule of 100% payment at energization.

• Illinois property served by ComEd or Ameren Illinois
• Residential system (typically ≤25 kW)
• System must be installed by an IPA-approved vendor
• System interconnected and registered in the IPA ABP portal

The customer-owned adder adds $20 per REC to the base Illinois Shines REC price for homeowners who own their solar system outright. If the base program-year rate is, for example, $75/REC, a customer-owned system earns $95/REC for the same contract. This adder is built into the Illinois Shines application, simply confirm with your installer that the system will be customer-owned (not a third-party lease or PPA) to qualify.

• Customer-owned system, not a solar lease or power purchase agreement (PPA)
• System enrolled in the Illinois Shines (ABP) program
• 2026 to 27 program year capacity available

ComEd and Ameren Illinois pay a one-time distributed generation rebate of $300 per kW ($250 per kW for competitive supply customers) for systems with a qualifying smart inverter. There is no income requirement. Taking the rebate ends legacy net metering status.

• ComEd or Ameren Illinois customer
• Smart inverter meeting IEEE 1547-2018
• System must be customer-owned (not a lease or PPA)
• Budget available, confirm with utility program office

Illinois Solar for All is the state's most generous solar program for income-qualified residents. Eligible homeowners can receive rooftop solar with no upfront cost; any monthly payments must be outweighed by bill savings. Income-qualified renters can subscribe to a community solar project and receive a bill credit. The program is funded through a combination of Illinois Climate and Equitable Jobs Act (CEJA) funding and federal Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund grants. Apply through an IPA-approved Solar for All contractor.

• Illinois resident with household income ≤80% of Area Median Income (homeowner)
• Renters may access community solar subscriptions at up to 80% AMI
• Served by ComEd or Ameren Illinois
• Must apply through an IPA-approved Solar for All contractor

The Illinois Commerce Commission's January 2025 Order restructured net metering so that exported solar earns a credit only on the supply (generation) portion of the electricity bill, not the full retail rate. The supply charge is approximately $0.05 to $0.07/kWh, compared to a full retail rate of ~$0.12 to $0.18/kWh for many ComEd and Ameren customers. This means less economic value from grid exports, battery storage and maximizing self-consumption are increasingly important for Illinois solar economics. Customers interconnected before January 2025 keep full retail net metering for the life of their system (30 years), per ComEd.

Under 35 ILCS 200/10-184, Illinois homeowners who install solar can apply to freeze the assessed value of their solar energy system so it does not increase their property tax bill. The freeze must be applied for by filing PTAX-330 with your county assessor within 30 days of placing the system in service. This is not automatic, the application deadline is strict. The freeze remains in effect for the life of the system.

• Illinois homeowner with a solar energy system installed on the property
• PTAX-330 filed with county assessor within 30 days of system completion
• Owner-occupied residential property