Frequently Asked Questions

Most solar companies size the biggest system they can sell. We do the opposite. We look at your whole home first, windows, siding, and heating and cooling, to cut wasted energy, then we put a right-sized solar system on top of an efficient home. You end up with a smaller, smarter system that costs less and performs better.

Solar Power Midwest has been in solar since 2001, and founder Dave Sonner has served 30,000+ customers across his family of companies since 1993. Dave stays personally involved with customers long after the job is done.

We serve homeowners and businesses across the Midwest. Some incentives, like Illinois Shines SREC payments, ComEd rebates, and the Illinois 20-year property tax exemption, are specific to Illinois.

No. Because solar and energy upgrades stay with the property and their incentives go to the owner, we work with property owners only.

Yes, for most homes. Illinois Shines SREC payments, net metering, the 20-year property tax exemption, and $0 down financing combine to bring most SPM systems to payback in 7 to 10 years, with the panels then producing free electricity for years after that. Your actual payback depends on your roof, usage, and current bill, which is why we build the real number from your bill instead of a generic average.

Yes. Chicago-area homeowners get the same Illinois Shines SREC payments and net metering as the rest of the state, and solar panels run on daylight rather than heat, so Chicago's cloudy winters do not stop a system from paying off. Most Chicago-area SPM customers see payback in 7 to 10 years once incentives and $0 down financing are factored in.

Yes. Solar panels run on daylight, not heat, and they often produce more efficiently in cool, clear weather than in extreme summer heat. Modern systems are sized around your full year of usage, so strong spring and summer production offsets shorter, cloudier winter days, and Illinois Shines SREC payments and net metering apply the same way regardless of how sunny any single week is.

Plug-in (portable, balcony-style) solar panels can offset a small amount of usage, but they are not a substitute for a permitted rooftop system. They are not eligible for Illinois Shines SREC payments or ComEd rebates, which require a certified, permitted installation, and connecting any solar panel to your home wiring without a licensed, permitted install raises real safety and code concerns. For real bill savings and incentive eligibility, a properly sized and permitted rooftop or ground-mount system is the only option we recommend.

Savings depend on your current bill, roof, and usage, so any number before a real assessment is only an estimate. Many homeowners save meaningfully each month once the home is made efficient and the system is right-sized. We show you the actual numbers before you commit.

A battery adds backup power during outages and more control over when you use stored energy. It is not right for every home. We evaluate whether it makes financial sense for you rather than adding it by default. Standalone battery storage is also available on a lease or PPA.

A single battery (10-13 kWh) typically runs essential loads, such as the refrigerator, select lighting circuits, internet, and device charging, for 10 to 24 hours depending on usage. Multiple batteries extend that further. SPM sizes the battery around the specific circuits you want backed up during your free estimate.

Home battery systems typically run $10,000 to $20,000 installed, depending on capacity and brand. ComEd customers may qualify for a Distributed Generation rebate of $300 per kWh of installed battery capacity (a 10 kWh battery earns about $3,000), provided the account enrolls in a qualifying ComEd rate plan such as real-time pricing. SPM offers $0 down financing to spread the remaining cost out.

Most Illinois homes need a system in the 5 kW to 12 kW range, with a typical home landing around 8 kW. Exact panel count depends on the wattage of the panel model used on your project and your roof's available space, so your free estimate sizes this exactly from your actual electric bill and roof, not a generic average.

Permitting typically adds about 4 to 8 weeks before your system goes live, on top of the 1-2 day installation itself. Naperville permits go through the City's TED Business Group, and because Naperville runs its own municipal utility, Naperville Electric handles interconnection instead of ComEd. Joliet permits go through the City's Building Inspectional Services Division, with ComEd handling interconnection. SPM manages both the city permit and the utility interconnection paperwork for you either way.

Crest Hill permits go through the City of Crest Hill's building department and typically add a few weeks on top of the 1-2 day installation itself. Crest Hill is in ComEd territory, so SPM manages both the city permit and the ComEd interconnection paperwork for you.

SPM services and troubleshoots the solar systems it installs, including diagnosing inverter issues, throughout Chicagoland and northern Illinois. Your inverter carries a manufacturer warranty, and SPM reviews your specific coverage and service options with you as part of your installation. Contact SPM directly for a service call on a system it installed.

Yes. If you already own or plan to buy an electric vehicle, that charging load should be factored into your solar sizing, not added on top of a system built for today’s usage. Let your estimate team know about a planned charger so it gets included in the numbers.

Illinois does not have a free home battery program, but SPM's $0 down financing means you can add battery backup without a large upfront payment. ComEd's Distributed Generation rebate also pays $300 per kWh of installed capacity, provided the account enrolls in a qualifying rate plan such as real-time pricing, and you own the system outright rather than leasing it.

SPM installs and services home battery systems throughout Chicagoland and northern Illinois, sizing each battery around the specific circuits you want backed up during an outage. Request a free estimate and we will confirm battery options and install timing for your address.

Solar panels convert sunlight into DC electricity, and an inverter converts that into the AC power your home runs on. Any extra your system produces flows back to the grid through net metering, and Illinois Shines pays you separately for every 1,000 kWh it produces.

Most solar panels carry a 25-year performance warranty and keep producing meaningful power well past that, typically losing only a small fraction of output each year. The inverter usually has a shorter warranty and is the component most likely to need replacement first.

Illinois rain and snow keep panels reasonably clean on their own, so most homeowners never need to clean them by hand. We recommend an occasional visual check and keeping an eye on your production through your system's monitoring app to catch any real issue early.

Yes. Panels from major manufacturers are certified to IEC standards covering hail, wind, and snow loads, and their tempered glass surface holds up better than a typical roof shingle. Snow generally slides off the smooth surface once the sun comes out, and panels resume full production as soon as they clear.

Technically yes, but almost none of our customers actually do this, since staying connected to the grid and using net metering is far more cost-effective than sizing a system and battery bank to cover every possible day with no sun. We size battery backup for outage protection instead, which gets you real resilience without the added cost of full off-grid independence.

Net metering credits you for any excess electricity your solar system sends back to the grid, and your utility applies those credits against the electricity you use when your panels are not producing enough, like at night. Under the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act, systems interconnected after December 31, 2024 earn credits on the supply portion of the rate rather than the full retail rate; SPM confirms your exact interconnection status before you sign.

Yes, and in Illinois that added value is protected by the state's 20-year property tax exemption, so your property assessment does not go up because of the system. An owned system generally adds the most resale value, since the buyer inherits the savings and incentives outright.

Yes. Once your system is installed, it earns an Illinois Shines SREC for every 1,000 kWh it produces, and the Illinois Power Agency's Adjustable Block Program currently pays about $60 to $75 per REC. That income arrives separately from the bill savings you already see from net metering, so it is real money on top of a lower electric bill.

The 30% residential federal credit (Section 25D) expired December 31, 2025. The commercial credit (Section 48E) is still active: new commercial, farm, and nonprofit projects generally need to be placed in service by December 31, 2027 to claim it. Projects that began construction on or before July 4, 2026 have until December 31, 2030. Confirm your specifics with your CPA.

Illinois homeowners can still benefit from Illinois Shines SREC payments (paid per kWh your system produces), the Illinois 20-year property tax exemption on the added home value, and ComEd rebates on qualifying equipment like heat pumps and appliances.

Residential RECs currently run about $60 to $75 each through the Illinois Power Agency Adjustable Block Program, and one REC represents 1,000 kWh your system produces. That income goes straight to you once you own the system, on top of the electric bill savings from net metering.

ComEd offers a rebate of up to $1,500 or more for a qualifying air-source heat pump, up to $75 for an ENERGY STAR smart thermostat, a Distributed Generation rebate of $300 per kW of installed solar and $300 per kWh of installed battery storage, ENERGY STAR appliance rebates, and, for businesses, custom and standard efficiency incentives for lighting, HVAC, motors, and more. We review every project for ComEd eligibility before finalizing your plan.

As a ComEd Trade Ally partner, SPM identifies which of your upgrades qualify for the Distributed Generation (DG) rebate, submits the rebate application on your behalf, and applies the rebate as an instant discount on your invoice or a follow-up check. You never fill out a ComEd rebate form yourself.

In 2026, ComEd's HVAC-related rebates are up to $1,500 or more for a qualifying air-source heat pump and up to $75 for an ENERGY STAR smart thermostat installed with a qualifying AC, heat pump, or furnace, per the ComEd Energy Efficiency Program. ComEd does not pay a hardware rebate for a standalone central AC or gas furnace, since it is an electric-only utility. See our full ComEd rebate breakdown at solarpowermidwest.com/comed-rebates for heat pump, solar, and battery storage rebate amounts.

Yes. ComEd pays a Distributed Generation rebate of $300 per kWh of installed battery storage capacity, so a typical 10 kWh home battery earns about $3,000. To qualify, the account must enroll in a qualifying ComEd rate plan, most commonly real-time (hourly) pricing, and stay on it for the life of the battery. A paired solar-plus-battery system can claim this battery rebate and the separate $300 per kW solar Distributed Generation rebate at the same time. SPM confirms eligibility and files the paperwork for you.

ComEd's Distributed Generation (DG) rebate pays $300 per kW of installed solar capacity and $300 per kWh of installed battery storage capacity, and a paired solar-plus-battery system can claim both rebates on the same project. SPM confirms your exact DG rebate amount and files the ComEd paperwork on your behalf. See our full ComEd rebate breakdown at solarpowermidwest.com/comed-rebates for every rebate type.

ComEd does not have a rebate program called the Renewable Portfolio Incentive. People searching that phrase usually mean one of two real things: the Illinois Renewable Portfolio Standard, a state law requiring ComEd to source a growing share of its electricity from renewables (40% by 2030, 50% by 2040), which is not a payment a homeowner can claim, or ComEd's actual Distributed Generation rebate, which pays $300 per kW of installed solar and $300 per kWh of installed battery storage. SPM confirms which real ComEd and Illinois incentives your project qualifies for and files the paperwork for you.

Most SPM customers in the Chicago and Naperville area see payback in 7 to 10 years once Illinois Shines SREC income, net metering, and $0 down financing are factored in. Naperville is served by Naperville Electric rather than ComEd, so ComEd-specific rebates do not apply there, but Illinois Shines SREC payments still do.

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. Your free estimate builds the actual number from your bill and roof, not a generic average.

This is an illustrative example only. Your free estimate builds the real numbers from your bill and roof. Most Naperville homes need roughly an 8 kW system, typically running $18,000 to $24,000 installed before incentives. Every 1,000 kWh that system produces earns one Illinois Shines SREC, currently worth about $60 to $75 through the Illinois Power Agency Adjustable Block Program, on top of net-metering bill savings. Your free estimate calculates the exact REC count for your actual production. Add $0 down financing and the Illinois 20-year property tax exemption, and most Naperville homeowners land in the same 7-to-10-year payback range we see statewide. Naperville is served by Naperville Electric rather than ComEd, so ComEd-specific rebates do not apply here, but Illinois Shines SREC payments still do.

Yes. We offer $0 down financing options so you can start saving without a large upfront payment. We separate guaranteed utility savings from estimated incentives so you and your lender see honest numbers.

Yes. Owning your system, with cash or a loan, is what unlocks the tax credits and the Illinois 20-year property tax exemption, since those benefits go to the owner. We walk you through cash, loan, lease, and PPA options.

Energy-efficient windows, insulated siding, and heat pumps. These reduce how much energy your home wastes, which is why we look at them before sizing solar.

An owned system typically transfers to the new owner as part of the sale and keeps producing savings for them. A financed system’s loan balance is usually settled at closing like any other lien, and a leased or PPA system requires the new owner to assume the agreement or buy it out, so tell us before you list so we can walk you through the right option.

Yes. Modern cold-climate heat pumps stay efficient well below freezing and handle a typical Illinois winter without a backup furnace in most homes. We size the system, and any backup heat needed, around your specific home during your free estimate.

A furnace burns fuel to generate heat, while a heat pump moves existing heat from the outside air into your home, and reverses that process to cool it in summer, so one system replaces both your furnace and air conditioner. Heat pumps also qualify for a ComEd rebate of up to $1,500 or more, which a standard furnace does not.

Replacing old, drafty windows with energy-efficient ones cuts the heating and cooling loss that drives up your bill, and it is one of the upgrades we evaluate before sizing solar, since a more efficient home needs a smaller, cheaper system. Your exact savings depend on your current windows and home, which we assess as part of your free whole-home energy plan.

Yes. Our $0 down financing options extend to windows, siding, and heat pumps, not just solar, since we look at your whole home rather than selling one upgrade in isolation.

Before we size any solar system, we look at your windows, siding, and heating and cooling to find and fix the energy your home is wasting. That means a smaller, cheaper solar system that still covers your usage, rather than an oversized system layered on top of an inefficient home.

We review your bills, verify the real numbers, identify every incentive you qualify for, and build a whole-home energy plan. There is no pressure and no obligation. If solar is not right for your home, we will tell you.

Use our free "Take Control of Your Energy" assessment to get a personalized plan and a free estimate. It takes just a few minutes and there is no obligation.