Joliet, IL

Illinois offers a property tax exemption for homeowners who install solar energy systems on their property. This incentive allows you to claim an alternate valuation for your home that prevents your property taxes from increasing due to the added value of your solar installation. When you file for this exemption, your county assessor will compare your home’s value with solar panels to what it would be worth with a conventional heating or cooling system, then apply whichever valuation is lower.

To qualify for this exemption, your solar energy system must be primarily used to offset your home’s electricity consumption (producing no more than 110% of your annual usage) and must conform to state standards. You’ll need to file a claim with your chief county assessment officer to request the alternate valuation. The exemption remains in effect as long as your solar system continues to operate for heating, cooling, or electricity generation. If you stop using the system, you must notify the county assessment officer within 30 days by certified mail, or your property may be subject to back taxes and penalties.

The Smart Inverter Rebate is a state program offered by Illinois utilities ComEd and Ameren to encourage homeowners to install solar panels with smart inverter technology. A smart inverter is a special device that allows the utility company to better manage the flow of electricity from your solar system to the power grid, helping maintain grid stability and reliability.

While the provided information confirms that both ComEd and Ameren offer rebates for installing solar panels with smart inverters, the specific dollar amounts and rebate percentages are not detailed in the source material. The program is only available to customers of ComEd and Ameren Illinois – homeowners served by municipal utilities or rural electric cooperatives are not eligible for this particular rebate. To learn the exact financial benefit and application requirements, you’ll need to contact your utility company directly, as rebate amounts and terms can vary between the two utilities and may change over time.

Illinois Shines is a state-run solar incentive program that helps homeowners and businesses reduce the cost of installing solar panels through Renewable Energy Certificate (REC) payments. The program works by having approved solar vendors receive incentive payments from utilities for the clean energy your solar system produces, and these vendors can pass those savings on to you through reduced equipment costs, lower installation prices, or discounted lease payments.

The program offers multiple ways to go solar, including purchasing your system outright (with cash or loans), leasing panels with monthly payments, or entering power purchase agreements where you pay for the electricity your panels produce. All participating solar installers must be approved by the program and provide standardized disclosure forms that make it easy to compare bids and understand exactly what you’re getting. The program includes strong consumer protections, complaint tracking, and requires vendors to meet specific standards for sales practices and project quality.

To participate, you’ll need to work with an Illinois Shines approved vendor who will handle the application process and ensure your system meets program requirements. The program operates on a block system with limited capacity, so timing can be important. Homeowners should get multiple bids, check vendor references, and carefully review all contract terms before signing. The program also emphasizes equity by supporting contractors from underserved communities and ensuring fair access to solar benefits across Illinois.

Illinois Solar for All (ILSFA) is a state program that makes solar energy accessible to income-eligible households, nonprofits, and public facilities throughout Illinois. The program was created under the Future Energy Jobs Act and is designed to bring solar benefits to communities that have historically been underserved by clean energy programs.

The financial benefits are significant: participants pay no upfront costs for solar installations and are guaranteed savings on their electric bills. For rooftop solar systems, homeowners only pay for half the value of the bill credits they receive from their solar panels. For community solar participants, ongoing costs and fees cannot exceed 50% of the value of energy produced by their share of the solar project. These consumer protections ensure real economic benefits for participants over the 15-year program period.

To be eligible, homeowners and renters must meet income requirements and work with solar contractors registered with the Illinois Power Agency’s ILSFA program. Nonprofit organizations and public entities must be located in environmental justice or low-income communities to participate. The program offers two main participation options: installing solar panels directly on your property (for homeowners) or subscribing to a community solar project (for both homeowners and renters).

While the source material doesn’t specify application deadlines, participants should note that solar developers handle the application process on behalf of customers. The program provides payments to contractors in exchange for 15 years of renewable energy credits, which helps offset system costs and enables the guaranteed savings for participants.

Illinois’ Net Billing program allows homeowners with solar panels to receive credits for excess electricity they send back to the power grid. The value of these credits and how they can be used depends on when your solar system receives Permission to Operate (PTO) and which utility company serves your area.

For systems that receive PTO by December 31, 2024, you’ll receive full retail rate credits (typically 10-15 cents per kWh) that can offset your entire electric bill. However, starting January 1, 2025, new solar systems will only receive credits at the Price to Compare (PTC) rate, which is significantly lower – around 6.8 cents/kWh for ComEd customers, 8.3 cents/kWh for Ameren customers, and varying seasonally for MidAmerican Energy (6.7 cents summer, 3.7 cents winter). These reduced-rate credits can only offset supply and transmission charges, not delivery fees or other bill components.

The program is available to all residential solar customers, but the timing of your system installation is crucial. Systems installed before 2025 also have annual credit expiration dates (typically in April or October), meaning unused credits are forfeited with no compensation. After 2025, credits will roll over indefinitely but at the lower PTC rates. Homeowners should carefully size their systems to avoid generating excess credits that expire unused, as oversized systems may actually reduce overall savings potential.