Illinois solar installation & market data
The Illinois solar market at a glance.
Illinois has about 136,888 solar systems totalling 2.11 GW, as reported by its utilities through July 2026. 287 MW of residential solar was added in the trailing twelve months, up 23.1% on the twelve months before. 4.0% of owner-occupied homes have gone solar. SolarDNA tracks 112,732 individual installations here, with a median residential cost of $6.56 per watt, from 614 installers.
Illinois' SolarDNA Market Score: 43 out of 100.
Illinois scores 43 out of 100 on SolarDNA's Market Score, a 0-to-100 scale benchmarked against every other state market. That is higher than 65% of U.S. states. Grade C (Good).
The score combines 5 subscores, each computed from observed market data:
- Velocity (73): trailing-12-month growth in solar added versus the prior twelve months, so accelerating markets score higher.
- Cost (0): median installed $/W relative to the national median (a cheaper market scores higher).
- Incentives (43): net-metering coverage, RECs a new system can earn, state tax credit, rebate program and tax exemptions (components listed below).
- Resource (20): annual solar irradiance, so the same system produces more where this score is high.
- Depth (83): proven demand: how many systems are already installed, with a bonus for markets that show adoption without being saturated.
Illinois Shines upfront REC payments; special property assessment.
Federal: Federal residential credit (25D) ended for systems placed in service after Dec 31, 2025. Third-party-owned systems can still use the commercial credit (48E) through 2027 under construction-start rules.
State-level averages hide wide variation. Here's how to go deeper in the app:
- 1Narrow to a zip codeZip metrics give a far more accurate picture of the exact neighborhoods you are considering.
- 2Apply filtersFilter by score, growth, $/W, adoption and permits to reach the markets that actually match your model.
- 3Benchmark the installersSee who already wins there, how fast they are growing, and what they charge per watt.
How SolarDNA defines these metrics
Solar systems
Solar systems is the market-size figure: the systems utilities report on their lines, plus an estimate (sized from reported capacity) for systems outside net metering. It is current for every state.
How SolarDNA calculates solar systems →Tracked installations
Tracked installations are the individual residential, commercial and utility-scale systems SolarDNA holds a record for. SolarDNA de-duplicates the same system across records. Pricing, installers, equipment and every zip-level figure come from these records.
How SolarDNA calculates tracked installations →Median installed cost
Median installed cost is the middle price per watt (DC) that homeowners paid for a residential system in the trailing twelve months, before incentives. Quartiles show the spread.
How SolarDNA calculates median installed cost →Adoption rate
Adoption rate is the share of owner-occupied homes with a residential solar system. It measures how saturated a market is, not how fast it is growing.
How SolarDNA calculates adoption rate →12-month growth
For a state, growth compares the residential solar capacity added in the trailing twelve months with the twelve months before, from utility-reported totals with one-off reporting corrections smoothed out. For cities and zip codes it compares tracked installations.
How SolarDNA calculates 12-month growth →Battery share
Battery share is the portion of a state's solar customers whose system includes a battery, as reported by utilities.
How SolarDNA calculates battery share →Permits
Permits count the solar building permits filed in the last twelve months. They lead installations by several months, which makes them the earliest read on demand.
How SolarDNA calculates permits →Market Score
SolarDNA's Market Score grades each market from 0 to 100 on solar sales potential, weighing velocity, cost, incentives, solar resource and installer depth. Markets are benchmarked against every other market in the country, and the letter grade is set on a curve: A is the top 10% of markets, C the middle 40%, F the bottom 10%.
How SolarDNA calculates market score →See what a specific Illinois zip code looks like
Drop in any Illinois zip code and SolarDNA opens its market card: score, installs, median $/W, growth and permits, benchmarked against the state.
Dive deeper into the Illinois market
Market size & momentum
Systems, capacity, monthly additions, battery share and solar customers by utility.
- •How many solar systems are there in Illinois?
- •Is solar still growing in Illinois?
- •Which utility territories are adding the most?
Pricing & economics
Installed $/W, quartiles, system sizes and simple payback.
Growth & adoption
Installs by year, adoption, TAM penetration and battery attach.
Installers
The league table: volume, momentum, system size and pricing per installer.
- •Who installs the most in Illinois?
- •Which installers are growing fastest?
- •What do they charge per watt?
Utilities & incentives
Retail rates by utility, net metering, SREC value and the planned utility pipeline.
- •What are electricity rates in Illinois?
- •Which utilities offer net metering?
- •How big is the utility-scale pipeline?
How big Illinois' solar market is, and where it is heading
Totals reported by Illinois' utilities through July 2026 (latest months are preliminary)
Trailing-12-month residential capacity added carried forward at half the observed growth rate (capped at ±30%), with a ±12% band. Not a forecast of permits or policy.
Solar customers by utility in Illinois
Net-metered solar customers through July 2026
| Utility | Solar customers | Capacity | Added, 12 mo | Growth | With battery |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Commonwealth Edison Co | 80,526 | 942 MW | 9,262 | ▲ 8.8% | — |
| Ameren Illinois Company | 47,420 | 810 MW | 9,563 | ▼ 26.8% | — |
| MidAmerican Energy Co | 670 | 14 MW | 30 | — | — |
What solar costs in Illinois
Residential systems, trailing twelve months
How fast Illinois is going solar
18,202 tracked installs in the trailing twelve months vs 21,842 before
Top installers in Illinois
Ranked by installations in this state
| # | Installer | Installs | 12-mo | Avg kW | $/W |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | SUNRUN | 9,133 | 4,115 | 9.66 | — |
| 2 | FREEDOM FOREVER | 2,817 | 1,916 | 9.59 | — |
| 3 | LGCY POWER | 1,471 | 1,145 | 10.04 | — |
| 4 | BRIGHT PLANET SOLAR | 1,321 | 856 | 8.22 | — |
| 5 | CR SOLAR | 960 | 695 | 10.85 | — |
| 6 | CERTASUN | 720 | 367 | 9.65 | — |
| 7 | LEGACY SOLAR | 598 | 470 | 31.94 | — |
| 8 | FRESH COAST SOLAR | 560 | 276 | 27.03 | — |
| 9 | SOLARSHIPS INSTALLATION SERVICES | 496 | 481 | 11.72 | — |
| 10 | GOODPWR | 495 | 460 | 10.1 | — |
| 11 | BRS FIELD OPS | 488 | 290 | 9.82 | — |
| 12 | SUN SOLAR | 443 | 142 | 14.32 | — |
| 13 | ICONIC ENERGY | 395 | 140 | 25.17 | — |
| 14 | ROUTE 66 SOLAR | 391 | 74 | 12.25 | — |
| 15 | TRON SOLAR | 382 | 183 | 10.57 | — |
Top zip markets in Illinois
Ranked by installations · click for the zip market
| Zip | Installs | $/W | Growth | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 60073 Round Lake | 987 | — | ▼ 33.6% | 37.5 D |
| 60446 Romeoville | 878 | — | ▼ 29.8% | 37.9 D |
| 61554 Pekin | 856 | — | ▼ 45.7% | 33.8 D |
| 60440 Bolingbrook | 826 | — | ▼ 5.8% | 43.6 C |
| 60586 Plainfield | 802 | — | ▼ 25.0% | 38.7 C |
| 61822 Champaign | 774 | — | ▼ 25.8% | 38.4 D |
| 62269 O Fallon | 752 | — | ▼ 11.8% | 41.8 C |
| 60543 Oswego | 712 | — | ▼ 20.2% | 39.5 C |
| 60124 Elgin | 696 | — | ▲ 74.2% | 56.9 A |
| 61008 Belvidere | 691 | — | ▼ 9.9% | 41.9 C |
| 61571 Washington | 680 | — | ▼ 24.6% | 38.2 D |
| 60411 Chicago Heights | 663 | — | ▼ 36.4% | 35.2 D |
| 60490 Bolingbrook | 638 | — | ▼ 27.0% | 37.4 D |
| 60629 Chicago | 608 | — | ▼ 24.8% | 37.8 D |
| 60505 Aurora | 599 | — | ▼ 40.2% | 44 C |
Counties in Illinois
Zip markets grouped by county · click for the county market
| County | Zip markets | Installs |
|---|---|---|
| Cook County | 162 | 25,015 |
| Will County | 32 | 8,986 |
| Lake County | 28 | 7,041 |
| DuPage County | 37 | 6,929 |
| Kane County | 22 | 5,480 |
| Winnebago County | 20 | 4,063 |
| McHenry County | 18 | 3,655 |
| Champaign County | 30 | 3,381 |
| Tazewell County | 15 | 3,068 |
| St. Clair County | 27 | 2,915 |
| Madison County | 28 | 2,908 |
| Peoria County | 23 | 2,797 |
Utilities and retail rates
Implied residential rate per utility
| Utility | Type | Res. customers | ¢/kWh | Net metering |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Commonwealth Edison Co | Investor Owned | 2,922,223 | 13.4 | ✓ |
| Ameren Illinois Company | Investor Owned | 540,396 | 11.8 | ✓ |
| MC Squared Energy Services, LLC | Retail Power Marketer | 244,008 | 6.8 | — |
| Constellation NewEnergy, Inc | Retail Power Marketer | 199,367 | 10.1 | — |
| Homefield Energy | Retail Power Marketer | 163,064 | 8.7 | — |
| Adjustment 2024 | 153,495 | 14.5 | ✓ | |
| Energy Harbor Corp. | Retail Power Marketer | 149,006 | 9.0 | — |
| Reliant Energy Northeast LLC | Retail Power Marketer | 129,869 | 11.3 | — |
Other solar markets in Illinois
Three ways to slice Illinois' 112.7K installations
See how the market splits by sector, by battery attach and by installer, updated with every refresh.
See all breakdownsWhen demand peaks in Illinois
Quick answers about Illinois' market
🛡 Why trust SolarDNA data?
How many solar installations are there in Illinois?
How much does solar cost in Illinois?
Is the Illinois solar market growing?
What is the solar adoption rate in Illinois?
Is Illinois a good market for solar sales?
How many solar installers work in Illinois?
How many solar permits were filed in Illinois?
How current is Illinois's solar data?
There's a lot more inside the SolarDNA app.
- ◇Zip and city market pages
- ◇Installer league tables
- ◇Territory builder
- ◇Solarizer deal estimates
- ◇Permit activity where reported
- ◇Export the data