Every incentive a Illinois homeowner can actually use, what each one is worth, and the ones that no longer exist. Sourced and dated.
Illinois runs the Adjustable Block Program, marketed as Illinois Shines, which pays for the renewable energy credits your system generates over a fifteen-year term. The payment is typically made through your installer as a reduction in system cost.
Illinois maintains net metering, and the state has successfully resisted utility-backed proposals to reduce credits — unlike several neighbouring states.
Illinois is a deregulated state, so the supply portion of your bill can be shopped. Delivery cannot, and delivery is the part solar offsets.
The bigger story in 2026 is rates: Illinois rose 28.4% year over year through May, the largest increase of any state in the country.
Sources: Illinois Commerce Commission; Illinois Shines / Adjustable Block Program; EIA Electric Power Monthly.
The 30% federal Residential Clean Energy Credit under Section 25D ended for systems purchased after December 31, 2025. If you buy with cash or a loan in 2026, you cannot claim it. Any site still advertising a 30% federal credit for a homeowner purchase is running outdated information.
What remains is Section 48E, the commercial investment credit. It applies to third-party-owned systems — leases and power purchase agreements — where the system owner claims it rather than the homeowner. That is precisely what makes $0-down possible.
EnergyPros does not provide tax advice — confirm your situation with a tax professional.
Incentives only matter against the rate you are paying now. Illinois rates rose 28.4% year over year through May 2026 — the steepest increase of any state in the nation. Illinois is a deregulated state, so the supply portion of your bill can be shopped, but delivery cannot, and delivery is the part solar offsets. Illinois also runs the Illinois Shines Adjustable Block Program, which pays for the renewable energy credits your system generates, and maintains net metering.
See the full breakdown of every Illinois utility rate on our Illinois solar page.
See what solar costs against your Illinois rate
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No, not on a purchase. The Residential Clean Energy Credit under Section 25D ended for systems purchased after December 31, 2025. Section 48E still applies to third-party-owned systems — leases and power purchase agreements — where the system owner claims it. That is what makes $0-down possible.
Yes. Any rebate paid to your installer should appear on your contract as a reduction in price, not as a savings claim. Ask for an itemised quote showing the gross price, each incentive applied, and the net. If an installer will not itemise, that is worth noticing.
It depends on the incentive. Rebates paid to the installer reduce your contract price either way. Tax credits and renewable energy certificates generally follow ownership — under a lease or PPA the system owner claims them, which is part of how the monthly payment is kept low. A few state credits are exceptions.
No. EnergyPros is a marketplace. We match you with vetted, licensed and insured contractors who work in your area, and you deal directly with them on the quote and the installation.
Illinois solar guides