Frequently Asked Questions

For many homeowners, yes. Illinois Shines pays for the renewable energy credits your system produces, ComEd and Ameren offer a one-time $300-per-kW rebate for smart-inverter systems, and Illinois law lets you keep solar from raising your property assessment. Your savings depend on your usage, roof, and utility — a free proposal shows your real numbers.

Not for a home system installed in 2026. The residential clean energy credit (Section 25D) ended for systems completed after December 31, 2025. Businesses may still qualify for the commercial Section 48E credit under new deadlines. Consult a tax professional about your situation.

Illinois Shines (the Adjustable Block Program) is the state's solar incentive. It pays for the renewable energy credits (RECs) your system is expected to generate over a 15-year contract. Payments flow through an Approved Vendor, and we handle the application.

Customers interconnecting on or after January 1, 2025 receive supply-only net metering: excess solar sent to the grid earns credits against the supply portion of the bill, and those credits roll forward. Customers interconnected by December 31, 2024 keep full retail net metering for the life of their system.

Illinois allows an alternate valuation for solar (35 ILCS 200/10-10). File form PTAX-330 with your county assessor so your home is valued as if it had a conventional energy system.

Most projects take 6 to 12 weeks from signed agreement to permission to operate. The physical installation is usually one to three days; the rest is engineering, permits, incentive approvals, and utility interconnection.

Yes. Panels produce less on heavily overcast days, but annual production is what matters. Cold temperatures improve panel efficiency, and snow usually slides off tilted panels quickly once the sun comes out.

Properly installed racking uses flashed, sealed attachments. Our installations include a roof penetration warranty. If your roof is near the end of its life, we recommend replacing it first — see our solar roofing service.

Grid-tied solar without a battery shuts off during an outage for line-worker safety. Adding a battery lets your home keep running essential circuits and recharge from solar during the day.

Cost depends on system size, equipment, roof complexity, and incentives. Illinois Shines REC payments and your utility's DG rebate reduce the net cost. We give you an itemized proposal with the incentives applied.

Financing options such as solar loans can allow $0 down. Income-eligible households may qualify for Illinois Solar for All, which provides solar with no upfront cost. See our financing page for details.

No. In Illinois, Cox offers two ways to pay. You can own the system (cash or a solar loan) and receive the incentives, or choose a Cox power plan: on a qualifying agreement you provide the roof and pay for the power the system produces. Credit and roof approval required. A power plan is not free solar — you still pay for power, at the rate written in your agreement.

Owning (cash or loan) usually produces the greatest lifetime savings and lets you receive incentives directly. A power plan, currently offered in Illinois, means no panel purchase — you pay for the power the system produces, and incentives go to the system owner. Missouri homeowners can pay cash or finance with a solar loan. We'll compare options side by side.

Yes. We serve St. Louis City, St. Louis County, St. Charles County, and Jefferson County, Missouri, along with the Illinois Metro East across the river.

Ameren Missouri nets your solar production against your usage each billing period. Excess production is credited at Ameren's avoided-fuel-cost rate (currently 3.84¢/kWh in summer and 3.39¢/kWh in winter), well below the retail rate, so systems should be sized to offset your own usage.

Not currently. Ameren Missouri's solar rebate program ended December 31, 2023, Missouri has no state solar rebate, and the federal residential credit ended for systems installed after 2025. Savings come from the power you no longer buy from Ameren.