Rooftop solar has become increasingly prevalent over the last decade, with systems cropping up across Illinois for households, businesses, and organizations. Lowering electricity costs is a main factor in adopting solar.

Solar panels are a popular way to reduce electricity costs because they represent a form of self-generation - the production of energy by an individual or entity for their own use, rather than relying on other sources. Exploring the components of an electricity price can help better explain how self-generation can impact your bill:

• Energy: The electricity you use, usually represented by the costs per hour (cent/kWh or dollar/MWh)
• Capacity: Paying for enough power plants and other resources to be available when they are needed - also considered "reliability" cost (dollar/MW-day)
• Transmission: Moving power long distances across the high-voltage grid (cent/kWh for small customers, dollar/MW or demand charge for large customers)
• Distribution: Delivering power locally to homes and businesses (cent/kWh)
• Other Components: Programs, secondary market charges, or support costs (varies by utility, market, and customer)

Following this breakdown, on-site solar enables savings on the energy portion of your bill. On-site solar operates as a behind-the-meter energy system, meaning it's located on the customer side of the utility meter and the energy produced is consumed directly on-site. By offsetting consumption before it reaches the meter, behind-the-meter systems reduce how much electricity a customer draws from the grid.

In addition to on-site consumption, behind-the-meter solar can provide another financial benefit in the form of net metering. Net metering allows you to receive supply and transmission credits on your electricity bill for any excess electricity your solar project generates that you don't consume.

Illinois residents, businesses, and organizations can pursue solar with the support of state solar incentive programs. Administered by the Illinois Power Agency, Illinois Shines and Illinois Solar for All (ILSFA) connect customers with Approved Vendors, provide consumer protection support, and help make going solar more affordable. As of May 2026, the two programs have helped facilitate over 118,000 behind-the-meter solar projects across the state. These projects represent 1,800 MW between both energized and under development projects.

For residents who are interested in going solar, Illinois Shines provides multiple resources to help customers explore rooftop solar. At IllinoisShines.com, residents can learn how to find a vendor you're comfortable with, what to look for in a bid, what financing options are available etc. Additionally, since the inception of the Illinois Shines and ILSFA programs, the IPA has required that standard Disclosure Forms be provided to consumers for their signature. Disclosure Forms provide consumers with clear, consistent, and transparent information about their solar project and transaction. By presenting key details in a standardized format, the forms help consumers understand the full value proposition of their investment and make more informed decisions before signing a contract.

As part of the IPA's commitment to consumer education, the Homeowner Handout Series (also available in Spanish) provides practical guidance on researching companies, comparing estimates, evaluating contract terms, identifying red flags or green flags for misleading or pressurized sales tactics, and filing complaints when necessary. The handouts also explain how to use program disclosure forms to compare offers and select a trustworthy company.

To see how solar can save on your electricity bill, learn how one Chicago resident saved an estimated $82 a month in the first year of her contract. Lytese Dubois became one of Illinois Solar for All's first residential participants after her family's rooftop solar project was installed in June 2020.

"Being a senior, I was interested in the savings, and there was a big savings component [from the program]," Dubois said. "That's what motivated me."

The solar project is estimated to save them over $17,000 over the course of their 15 and a half-year contract with their Approved Vendor. Dubois' story and others can be found on the ILSFA website.