Solar Panels in Des Plaines, IL: Cost, Payback & Savings
A typical 6.4 kW home solar system in Des Plaines costs about $23,040 and pays for itself in about 17.9 years, saving roughly $11,599 over 25 years at Illinois' average electricity price of 19.2¢/kWh. Power you send back to the grid earns only about 8.3¢/kWh here, which is built into these numbers.
Monthly solar production in Des Plaines
Estimated output of a 6.4 kW south-facing roof system. Jun is the strongest month (963 kWh); Dec the weakest (392 kWh).
Solar production (kWh) Typical home use, 693 kWh/month
Solar payback calculator for Des Plaines
Pre-filled with Des Plaines's sunshine and Illinois' average electricity price. Enter your own bill and an installer's price per watt to see your payback.
Leave export credit blank where the utility offers full net metering. Where exports earn less, solar used at home as it's produced is worth the full price and the rest earns the export credit.
How Des Plaines compares
- Each kW of panels here produces about 1,336 kWh a year — about the same as the Illinois median and 3% less than the US median city (1,371 kWh).
- Payback ranks #140 of 242 Illinois places we cover.
- Sunshine varies little across a state; electricity price, installed cost and how utilities credit exported power drive most of the difference between states.
Net metering, tax credits and incentives in 2026
Illinois pays less than retail for exported solar power. Under Supply-only net metering, power you send to the grid earns about 8.3¢/kWh, against 19.2¢ for power you buy. We assume 40% of a no-battery system's output is used at home as it's produced (worth the full price) and the rest is exported, so each solar kWh is worth about 12.7¢. Using more of your solar yourself, by running appliances midday or adding a battery, raises that.
Systems interconnected from 2025 are credited for exports at the electricity supply rate (ComEd's 2025 average was about 8.3¢), not the full delivered rate. Illinois Shines renewable-energy-credit payments and utility inverter rebates can shorten payback considerably and are not included here. Source.
There is no federal tax credit for buying home solar installed in 2026. The 30% Residential Clean Energy Credit (Section 25D) ended for systems placed in service after December 31, 2025, so the costs and paybacks on this page include no federal credit.
Illinois and local utilities may still offer rebates, performance payments, property-tax or sales-tax exemptions. Search the DSIRE incentives database for Illinois and ask installers which programs they apply for you.
Frequently asked questions
Is solar worth it in Des Plaines, IL?
For a typical home, a solar system pays for itself in about 17.9 years and then keeps saving money. Over 25 years the estimated net savings are $11,599. Verdict: slow payback. Your own payback depends on your roof, your bill and the quotes you get.
How many solar panels do I need in Des Plaines, IL?
A home using 693 kWh a month (the Illinois average) needs about 16 panels of 400 W — a 6.4 kW system — to cover its annual use. Divide your own yearly kWh by 1,336 to get the kW you need.
How much do solar panels cost in Des Plaines, IL?
At 3.60 dollars per watt, a 6.4 kW system costs about $23,040 before any state or utility incentives. There is no federal tax credit for systems installed in 2026.
How much sun does Des Plaines get?
Des Plaines averages 4.6 peak sun hours per day, so each kilowatt of panels produces about 1,336 kWh a year.
Does Illinois have net metering?
Not full retail net metering. Under Supply-only net metering, exported solar power earns about 8.3¢ per kWh, versus 19.2¢ for power bought from the grid. Solar you use at home as it's produced still saves the full price.
How much does electricity cost in Illinois?
Residential electricity in Illinois averages 19.2¢ per kWh, and a typical home uses 693 kWh a month (EIA).
Solar payback in nearby places
- Park Ridge18.0 yrs
- Mount Prospect17.7 yrs
- Niles18.0 yrs
- Elk Grove Village17.5 yrs
- Prospect Heights18.0 yrs
- Morton Grove18.1 yrs
- Schiller Park17.9 yrs
- Glenview18.1 yrs