15 Best Solar Companies in Rockford, IL (Jun 2022 Review)

The Cost and Benefits of Solar in Rockford

The cost of installing solar panels has dropped immensely in the past few years, but it's still a significant investment for most homeowners. The overall price and potential savings vary depending on some key factors such as:

• Incentives: Along with the federal Solar Investment Tax Credit (ITC), which gives you a tax credit currently worth 26% of your total installation cost, your local government may offer additional tax exemptions, credits or rebates that can help you save even more. Not including incentives, you can save an average of $14,000 over the first 20 years with your system, too.
• Choice of solar panels: The kind of solar panels you need will affect your total cost. High-efficiency monocrystalline panels are more expensive 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.
• Electricity consumption: The average household in Rockford uses a decent amount of, and as a result may save on their energy bills.
• The amount of sunlight your roof gets: If your rooftop doesn't see much direct sunlight, your solar system won't be able to produce as much energy, which will leave you with lower savings on electricity bills than a roof that gets plenty of sunlight.

There are several great benefits of solar despite the initial cost of installation. It can help the planet and your wallet. Plus, it can boost the value of your home, leading to even more benefits if you choose to sell your home later.

Solar Incentives in Rockford

Because solar power is better for the environment than fossil fuels, there are several government incentives in place to encourage its adoption. In addition to the federal solar investment tax credit, there are also some state- and city-level benefits, which in the majority of cases, can be claimed in addition to the federal incentive, so you get to save even more. For comprehensive information about incentives for homeowners in Rockford, see the table below.

Environmental Impact of Switching to Solar in Rockford

Going solar can have a beneficial effect on the environment. But you may be wondering — how much exactly can you help the environment by making the switch to solar? According to the EPA, electricity production is the second biggest source of greenhouse gas emissions and about 62% of our electricity is generated by burning fossil fuels. Switching to a clean energy source like solar power can help put a dent in that statistic in a city like Rockford that is responsible for a sizable amount of carbon dioxide emissions each year. In fact, if you adopt solar power, you could look forward to lowering your carbon dioxide emissions by about 90 pounds each year. For people who want to help the environment, the upfront cost of solar is a small price to pay for the offset carbon emissions.