Solar Panel Installation in Illinois
Thinking about panels on your Illinois roof? Here's how installation usually goes, from roof review to utility approval, and a free way to talk to a local provider.
Call to see if your home qualifies(877) 565-3409Home Solar Line connects you with an independent solar provider. We don't sell or install anything ourselves. Calls may be recorded.
- Free call
- No forms to fill out
- Independent local providers
- No obligation
Who this is for
Check all five before you call:
- You own the home (not renting)
- It's a single-family house or townhouse
- The roof gets full sun or only light shade
- Your power bill is over $100 a month
- The home doesn't already have solar panels
Renting, in a condo, apartment or mobile home, under heavy shade, or already have panels? This line can't help with those, so please don't call.
What happens when you call
- Answer a few quick questionsDo you own the home, how much is your power bill, how sunny is the roof.
- Get connectedIf your home fits, you're put through to an independent solar provider who serves your area.
- Talk it through, then decideThey look at your roof and usage and explain options. No obligation to buy.
Installing solar in Illinois
In Illinois, the conversation often starts with whether you are a ComEd or Ameren customer, since the details differ.
Hot summers and cold, cloudier winters, with good production from spring through early fall.
Interconnection goes through your utility. In Illinois that could be ComEd in the north, Ameren Illinois in central and southern Illinois, and municipal utilities and co-ops.
Illinois has retail electric choice, so your bill may list an alternative supplier. Net metering is still handled by ComEd, Ameren Illinois or your municipal utility or co-op.
The installation steps in Illinois, in brief
- Roof and usage review
- Design and proposal
- Site visit
- Permits and paperworkLocal permits, HOA approval if you have an HOA, and an interconnection application to your utility.
- Installation
- Inspection and permission to operateThe town or county inspects, then the utility approves the connection before the system is switched on.
Weather and site issues in Illinois
Short winter days
Production drops a lot in the darker months. Judge a system by its yearly production estimate, not by one winter bill.
Snow
Snow slides off tilted panels, but weeks of snow cover still cut winter output, and the racking has to be designed for the snow load where you live. Ask how the design accounts for it.
Permits, HOAs and inspections in Illinois
Your town or county issues the building and electrical permits and inspects the finished system. Then your utility reviews the interconnection application and gives permission to operate.
Illinois' Homeowners' Energy Policy Statement Act requires homeowners associations to adopt a written policy on solar energy systems, so ask your association for its policy before you sign.
Ask for the provider's contractor license number (where your state or town requires one) and proof of insurance, then check them with the agency that issued them.
Is your roof a good fit?
South-facing roof planes with full sun from mid-morning to mid-afternoon are ideal. West and east can work. An old roof should be replaced first, since panels stay up for decades.
Ready to find out if your home is a fit?
One free call. Tell a provider about your roof and your bills, and decide from there.
Who this is for
Check all five before you call:
- You own the home (not renting)
- It's a single-family house or townhouse
- The roof gets full sun or only light shade
- Your power bill is over $100 a month
- The home doesn't already have solar panels
Renting, in a condo, apartment or mobile home, under heavy shade, or already have panels? This line can't help with those, so please don't call.
Questions
Can an HOA stop me from adding solar in Illinois?
Illinois' Homeowners' Energy Policy Statement Act requires homeowners associations to adopt a written policy on solar energy systems, so ask your association for its policy before you sign. The details and exceptions matter, so read your covenants too.
How do I check a solar provider in Illinois?
Ask for the provider's contractor license number (where your state or town requires one) and proof of insurance, then check them with the agency that issued them. Also ask for proof of insurance before signing anything.
Are you a solar company?
No. Home Solar Line is a free phone line that connects homeowners with independent solar providers. We don't sell, design or install systems, and we don't set prices.
Does the call cost anything?
No. The call is free, and there's no obligation to buy anything from the provider you talk to.
Who qualifies?
Homeowners in a single-family house or townhouse with a roof that gets full or mostly full sun, a power bill over $100 a month, and no solar panels already. If that's not you, the provider won't be able to help.