SPM Energy Plan Builder
Find Your Energy Opportunities
Takes 3 minutes · No commitment · 100% free
Get a $50 gift card
Complete your full Energy Plan and get a $50 gift card, after you verify your details with us and attend a free consultation.
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
Your Home
Tell us about the property we're building a plan for.
Why your bill keeps climbing
The grid wasn't built for what's coming
Demand on the grid is climbing fast, with AI data centers pulling enormous amounts of power off the same lines your home or business runs on. When supply is tight, energy goes to whoever pays the most, and that pressure shows up on your bill. The answer isn't waiting for rates to come down. It's generating and owning your own power, so your energy is on your terms instead of the grid's.
Demand is going one direction
More data centers and EVs mean more strain on the grid, and rates follow demand, not your budget.
Your own power plant
Producing your own electricity puts you in control, on your roof or your land, backed up and on your terms.
Why people come to us
A smaller, smarter system. Not the biggest one we can sell.
Most people we talk to keep watching their bill climb no matter what they try. The national companies answer that by selling the largest system they can. We do the opposite. We make your home or building as efficient as possible first, then size the solar around what is actually left. You end up with less to pay for and a property that wastes less.
- We read your actual bill, not assumptions
- We cut wasted energy first, then size the solar to match
- Owner-run, no door-to-door reps
- If solar is not right for you, we say so
Dave Sonner
Founder & Energy Advisor
Meet Dave
We Don't Quote Panels.
We Build Energy Plans.
Dave Sonner founded Solar Power Midwest to do something most solar companies don't: verify everything before recommending anything. Over two decades in solar, backed by the 30,000+ customers his companies have served since 1993, that discipline is what separates SPM from companies that simply sell a big panel count.
SPM covers the full energy stack: solar, batteries, heat pumps, windows, siding, and ComEd Energy Efficiency Programs. Your savings are real and your plan is bankable.
- We read the actual bill, not assumptions
- We verify what competitors skip
- We evaluate batteries on every project
- We coordinate with your CPA and lender
- We give you a 30-year plan, not a panel count
Real Midwest homeowners
It is not really about the bill
After 30-plus years, the thing Dave hears most is not about savings. It is relief, pride, and finally feeling in control of something that used to feel out of reach.
A widow in her 70s, on a fixed income, was so afraid of her electric bill she would let it sit on the table for a week before opening it. After we put solar on her home, she asked Dave to come open the first bill with her. It was $18. She just looked at it and said, "You are telling me it is $18 for the rest of my life?"
One family had sat through five estimates and still could not decide. Their 12-year-old finally put his hand on the table and said, "Mom, Dad, we are doing solar tonight." Years later they added two electric cars and more panels, and their son still tells the story of the day we did their install.
A week after we put solar on a local bar and grill, two of the servers walked up to thank Dave. They had made more in tips that week than ever before, because everyone coming in was talking about the solar out front.
What happens at your visit
No pressure, no obligation. Here is exactly how it goes.
A quick conversation first
Austin reaches out to learn what is going on with your home and what you are hoping to fix. About ten minutes.
Dave reviews your home
Dave, the owner, looks at your actual bill, your roof, and where your home is losing energy. Around thirty minutes, at your place or over a call.
A straight answer
You get a clear plan in plain language, or an honest no if it is not the right fit. No pressure, no obligation.
Homeowners trust SPM
Rated 4.72 and #1 in Illinois, 4 years running
SolarReviews, from real customer reviews
Illinois owned, with decades of experience
Dave has improved Illinois homes with windows and siding since the 1990s, and brought that experience to solar in 2018
Licensed and insured in Illinois
BBB Accredited with an A+ rating
NABCEP certified
the leading professional certification in solar
Certified installer for leading brands
QCells Certified Installer, Enphase Silver Installer, and REC Certified Solar Professional
Member of the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA)
Backed by a 30-year panel warranty
The N-type panels we install carry a 30-year product warranty and a 30-year performance warranty, still producing 87.4% of rated output after 30 years
10.8 MW of solar installed
across Illinois since 2018, and growing
33,205 MWh of clean energy produced
by the solar and battery systems installed
$4.73 million saved on electric bills
for solar customers, and growing
Real Customers
Midwest Homeowners Are Saving
Join 30,000+ Midwest families. No pressure, no commitment, just your numbers.
Straight answers
How is SPM different from the national solar companies?
National companies are built to sell the biggest system they can. We start the other way around. We look at your home first, windows, insulation, heating, and find where you are losing energy. Then we size the smallest solar system that actually fits. You usually end up spending less, not more.
Is this going to be a high-pressure sales pitch?
No. The visit is about understanding your home and your situation. If solar or efficiency upgrades are a good fit, we will show you how. If they are not, we will tell you that too. There is no obligation either way.
It sounds expensive. Is it?
That is exactly the right question to ask, and the honest answer is that it depends on your home, which is the whole reason for the visit. Here is how we look at it. You are already paying for energy every month, on a utility bill that tends to climb. The real question is not what this costs, it is whether moving that money toward your own home makes sense for you. For a lot of homeowners it does, and the monthly number often lands close to or below what they already pay. For some it does not, and we will tell you that plainly. There is no cost and no obligation to find out where you land.
I need to talk to my spouse first. Is that a problem?
Not at all, it should be a decision you both feel good about. In fact we would rather have everyone who helps make the call there when Dave walks through your home and the numbers, so nobody has to play messenger and you can both ask whatever you want in the moment. If it turns out it is not the right fit for your household, that is a completely fine answer too. Just let us know a time that works for both of you.
How long do solar panels take to pay off in Illinois?
Most Illinois solar systems pay for themselves in about 7 to 10 years once Illinois Shines SREC income, net metering, and $0 down financing are factored in. Your free estimate builds a payback range from your actual bill and roof rather than a generic average.
Do I qualify for ComEd net metering?
Yes, ComEd customers who install solar automatically qualify for net metering. Extra power your panels produce during the day goes back to the grid for a credit, and that credit rolls over month to month to offset your bill on nights and cloudy days.
How much do solar panels cost in Illinois?
Most Illinois home solar systems run about $15,000 to $30,000 before incentives, or roughly $2.25 to $3.00 per watt. Illinois Shines SREC income, net metering, and the Illinois property-tax exemption bring the real cost down further. Our free estimate builds your actual number from your bill and roof, not a generic average.
Is there still a 30% federal tax credit for solar in Illinois?
No. The 30% federal residential solar tax credit (Section 25D) expired December 31, 2025, so Illinois homeowners no longer claim it. You still benefit from Illinois Shines SREC income, net metering, the Illinois property-tax exemption, and ComEd rebates, which your free estimate walks through for your specific home.
What is the current Illinois Shines SREC price for a home solar system?
Illinois Shines pays you for the Renewable Energy Credits your system produces under a 15-year contract, priced through the state Adjustable Block Program. Block pricing steps down as each block fills and changes over time, so we do not quote a fixed dollar figure here. Your free estimate shows the current block price and terms available for your home right now.
How exactly does ComEd net metering credit my bill?
Since January 1, 2025, new Illinois solar systems are on supply-only net metering, so the credit for power you send back to the grid applies to the supply portion of your bill only, not delivery charges, which runs lower than the full retail credit older systems received. Only systems that completed the prior net metering process before that date keep full retail credit for the life of that system. Your free estimate walks through the current supply-rate credit for your utility and account.
What size battery backup does an Illinois home need, and what does it cost?
Battery backup size depends on which loads you want to keep running during an outage, but many Illinois homeowners land in the 10 to 13 kWh range. Recent EnergySage data on Illinois installs puts typical installed battery cost in the $15,000 to $20,000 range before incentives, though real quotes vary by brand and installer. Your free estimate prices battery backup against your actual usage and panel size instead of a statewide average.
What size solar system does a typical Illinois home need?
System size depends entirely on your usage and roof. Recent EnergySage data suggests the amount of solar needed to cover a typical Illinois home runs smaller than the average system actually installed statewide. We start from your real bill and find the smallest system that fully offsets it, rather than defaulting to a bigger number.
Sources for the incentive figures above: Illinois Shines (state SREC program), ComEd rebates & savings, DSIRE Illinois incentives, EnergySage Illinois solar cost data, EnergySage Illinois battery storage cost data
See your plan in about three minutes
Answer a few questions about your home and get your personalized energy plan. Free, and no pressure.
Start my energy plan