Home solar · Northern Illinois
Home solar pricing in Illinois, 2026.
The federal credit ended for homeowners on 31 December 2025. Illinois Shines and the ComEd rebate did not. You pay for the system in full, then the incentives come back to you on a schedule. Below are our current prices and what comes back at each size.
Tell us what you need
We'll tell you if your roof isn't a fit. That happens, and you should hear it before anyone designs you a system.
What it costs
You buy the system. It pays you back on a schedule.
Some solar companies will tell you a system "only costs $8,000." That is not how it works in Illinois, and you should hear the real version before you sign anything.
You buy the array outright and you pay the full price for it. Then the incentives come back to you on a schedule, from two places. Illinois Shines pays the Approved Vendor, not the installer. On a Braven project that is Carbon Solutions SREC LLC (CSG), which holds the REC contract and pays you: half within months of switch-on, the rest quarterly over six years, less the program fee shown on your Disclosure Form. ComEd pays its distributed generation rebate to you by cheque after it grants Permission to Operate. Neither payment runs through Braven, so neither depends on us. Your electric bill should be lower from the first day, separately from all of it.
Two numbers matter: what you write the cheque for, and when the money comes back.
A real 10 kW system at our current pricing:
| You pay | $26,300 |
| Back within months of switch-on | $9,637 |
| Then every quarter, about six years | $395 |
| Collateral released at year 15 | $1,422 |
| Returned to you in total | $20,542 |
That is roughly 78% of what you paid, returned as cash, and it sits on top of a lower electric bill, which we expect for the life of the system. You own the array outright the whole time.
Prices by system size
Braven installs at $2.63 to $2.75 per watt, against an Illinois average of $2.97. That includes modules, inverters, racking, revenue-grade metering, permitting, interconnection and engineering. Those are the line items a cheaper quote leaves out and bills for later.
| Size | You pay | Back soon after switch-on | Then each quarter | Returned in total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 kW | $15,800 – $16,500 | $5,782 | $237 | $12,325 |
| 8 kW | $21,000 – $22,000 | $7,710 | $316 | $16,434 |
| 10 kW | $26,300 – $27,500 | $9,637 | $395 | $20,542 |
| 12 kW | $31,600 – $33,000 | $11,565 | $474 | $24,651 |
| 15 kW | $39,500 – $41,300 | $14,456 | $593 | $30,813 |
| 20 kW | $52,600 – $55,000 | $19,275 | $790 | $41,084 |
Every incentive figure above is an estimate until Illinois Shines approves your application, and the program pays over time rather than as a cheque at signing. The ComEd distributed generation rebate is separate: ComEd pays it to you, $300 per kW of installed capacity, after it grants Permission to Operate and you file the rebate application. SREC value depends on your system's estimated production, the program block your project lands in, and the contract you sign. We walk you through how yours is treated before you commit. Roof work, electrical service upgrades and meter changes are quoted separately and are not included above. Prices are current as of the date on this page; see below.
Braven Solar LLC is a registered Illinois Shines Designee (ID D5008) and markets and installs Illinois Shines projects on behalf of Approved Vendor Carbon Solutions SREC LLC. Illinois Shines is a state program that provides an incentive for solar projects. Braven Solar is not affiliated with ComEd or any utility, and nothing on this site is part of a utility program. You remain a utility customer and continue to receive a utility bill. Incentive figures are estimates until the program approves your application, and the Disclosure Form you sign before any contract shows how the REC payment is treated.
Last reviewed September 2026. General guidance only. Eligibility and value vary by project. Verify tax and incentive details with a qualified professional before relying on them.
Module prices
Panel prices have moved since the summer, and that is not finished.
New tariffs are moving solar module prices. A Section 232 tariff proclamation signed on 6 August sets a minimum import price on solar modules from December 2026, and wholesale prices started moving as soon as it was signed. Every system priced after that carries some of the increase, ours included.
This is worth knowing for two reasons.
First, if you are comparing quotes, check when each one was priced. A range published a year ago was built on a module cost that no longer exists, and it will be revised. Ours reflects what panels cost this month.
Second, we will hold a quoted price for the period stated on your proposal. After that we have to re-price, because we are buying at the same market everyone else is. We would rather tell you that now than surprise you later.
What drives your number
Your price depends on the roof, the bill and the service.
Your roof.
Orientation, pitch, shading, age and condition. A south-facing asphalt roof with clear sky is the cheapest solar there is. A steep slate roof with three dormers is not.
Your bill.
We size to what you use. A system that overproduces doesn't pay you for the surplus, and it costs more to build.
Your service.
Some homes need a panel upgrade or a meter change before an array can be connected. We find that out during the roof check, not on install day.
The 2026 incentive picture
What you can and cannot claim this year.
Gone
The 30% federal residential tax credit. Section 25D was terminated by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act signed 4 July 2025 and applies only to systems installed and finished by 31 December 2025. If a company is still advertising it for a home system, ask them to put it in writing.
Still here
Illinois Shines, the state's REC program, which is the largest single incentive available to an Illinois homeowner. The ComEd distributed generation rebate at $300 per kW, which ComEd pays you after Permission to Operate. The Illinois property tax exemption, which should not raise your assessment once you file the claim form. And net metering, which credits what you send back to the grid.
If you bought in 2025
Unused federal credit can generally be carried forward. Worth raising with your tax preparer if you have not.
What you get
Equipment.
Tier 1 modules from Qcells, Axitec or Phono Solar. Fronius, Enphase or SMA inverters depending on the design. We are certified across the manufacturers and we pick for the roof, not for the rebate.
Warranty.
25 years on the panels. 25 years on the installation. 12 years on the inverter. And a 25-year leak-free guarantee on every penetration we make in your roof. Ask any other installer for that one in writing.
Timeline.
Roughly 90 days from signed contract to a working system, once design, permits and ComEd interconnection are through. Those three are controlled by other people, and we will tell you where yours is sitting at any point.
Payment.
Half at signing, half when the work is substantially complete. Most of our customers pay cash; a HELOC is the usual route for those who finance. We do not lease, and we do not sell power purchase agreements.
Process
How a project runs.
Send the basics.
Address, bill, and what you're trying to solve.
Roof and usage check.
We look at orientation, shading, roof condition and your actual consumption. If it's not a fit, this is where you find out.
Proposal.
System design, production estimate, the full price, and every incentive shown as an estimate with its assumptions attached.
Permits and interconnection.
We file with your municipality and with ComEd. This is the slow part and it is mostly out of our hands.
Install and inspection.
Typically one to three days on site.
Energization and handover.
Monitoring set up, documents handed over, and a number to call that still works in five years.
Questions we get asked
Is there still a federal tax credit?
Does Illinois Shines mean free solar?
Do I need a new roof first?
What if I already have solar and it's not working?
How long have you been doing this?
Send us the bill and the address.
We'll tell you whether your roof and your bill make it worth doing, and what it would cost at today's prices. If it isn't a fit, you'll hear that first.
Tell us what you need
We'll tell you if your roof isn't a fit. That happens, and you should hear it before anyone designs you a system.