18 Best Solar Companies in Chicago, IL (Jan 2023 Review)

The Cost and Benefits of Solar in Chicago

Solar panels run off a free energy source — the sun — but before you can take advantage of this you will first need to pay to install your system. Some key factors that dictate the cost of installing a solar panel system on your home and how much money you could save over time are:

• Choice of solar panels: The type of solar panels you need will affect your total cost. High-efficiency monocrystalline panels will cost more upfront but can also save you more money over the lifetime of your system. If you don't need to maximize efficiency, you can go with a higher number of more affordable panels.
• The amount of sunlight your roof gets: If your rooftop gets limited direct sunlight, your solar panel system won't be able to make as much energy, which will leave you with lower savings on electric bills than a house with a roof that gets a lot of sunlight.
• How much you spend on energy: The typical family in Chicago shells out around $900 a year on energy use alone, so you could end up with that much in savings.
• Incentives: The federal solar investment tax credit, which everyone qualifies for, allows you to deduct 30% of the cost of installing your solar panel system from your taxes. In addition, not including incentives, you can save about $13,000 over 20 years on your energy bills.

Solar is a valuable investment for most homeowners. You can generate your own energy instead of paying for it from a utility company and take advantage of solar tax credits and rebates, all while helping the planet.

Solar Incentives in Chicago

Switching to solar power has lots of considerable benefits. Not only can it help protect the environment, but you can also save a decent amount of money on your installation with various government incentives. These incentives usually take the form of cash rebates, tax breaks and/or performance-based incentives. They can reduce how much you end up spending on installing solar panels by 30%, upwards of 50% depending on where you live. Our article on solar incentives goes over more detailed information on the incentives you can benefit from in Chicago.

Environmental Impact of Switching to Solar in Chicago

If you're considering adding solar panels to your home, one of the principal reasons why may be to lower your carbon footprint. But you may be wondering — how much exactly can you help by using solar power? If your family consumes a lot of energy, you can help the environment even more by switching to solar energy. If you go solar, your carbon footprint can be cut by about 90 pounds every year. The great things about solar power are infinite — just like solar power is! That's why so many Chicago residents have been happy with using solar energy.