With utility rates rising in Illinois, more and more homeowners are looking to solar to lower their energy costs. Illinois Shines is an incentive program that can lower the cost of installing solar panels by tens of thousands of dollars and increase the cost savings of powering your home with solar.
In this article, we’ll explore how the Illinois Shines program works, how much this incentive is worth, and some keys to maximizing your incentive amount.
Jump to a section:
- How Does the Illinois Shines Program Work?
- How Much is the Illinois Shines Incentive Worth in 2025?
- Keys To Maximizing Your Illinois Shines Incentive
Let’s begin with a look at how Illinois Shines works for residential solar installations.
How Does the Illinois Shines Program Work?
Illinois Shines is a state-run solar incentive program designed to make solar energy more affordable for homeowners. It’s part of Illinois’s commitment to renewable energy under the Future Energy Jobs Act (FEJA) and is managed by the Illinois Power Agency.
The program is available to commercial, community, and residential solar installations, but our focus is on how it works for homeowners.
- Work with an Approved Vendor: To participate in the program, you must design and install your solar system with an approved vendor. These companies are vetted by the state to ensure compliance with program requirements.
- Apply & Estimate Your Solar Production: Before installing your system, your Approved Vendor will apply for Illinois Shines and estimate how much electricity your solar panels will produce. Your installer must disclose the expected production during the application process. Every 1,000 kilowatt-hours of solar electricity is worth one Renewable Energy Credit (REC), which can be sold back to your utility.
- Upfront Payments: Your solar installer collects payment based on the number of RECs your system is expected to produce in its first 15 years. This incentive is passed to you through a reduced purchase price or other methods disclosed in your contract.
It’s worth noting that RECs are funded by utility customers through a line item on their electricity bills. So, you can either pay for RECs through your monthly electric bill or get paid by RECs through the Illinois Shines program.
How Much is the Illinois Shines Incentive Worth in 2025?
The value of the Illinois Shines incentive depends on several factors, including the size of your solar system, current market rates for SRECs, and the contract between you and your installer. However, in 2025, the incentive for an average-sized solar system (7 kW) in Illinois is between $9,900 and $11,300.
Pro tip: You can also claim a federal tax credit worth 30% of your solar and/or battery costs to further lower your solar costs!
Here are a few things that could impact your incentive amount.
Solar System Size
The Illinois Shines incentive is based, in part, on how much clean electricity your solar panels are expected to produce over 15 years. More panels means more production and more RECs. For instance, a 7 kW solar system is expected to produce just over 9,000 kWh per year in Illinois. That’s 9 RECs per year, and 135 RECs over 15 years.
As we’ll see below, your system determines how many RECs you’ll earn and how much those RECs are worth.
Illinois RECs Values
Similar to shares on a stock market, RECs fluctuate in value based on market conditions. In 2025, Illinois Shines RECs for “distributed generation” (aka rooftop solar) are worth up to $83.87. That’s over $13,00 for a typical 7 kW rooftop solar system.
The value of each REC depends on your system size and which group your utility provider is in.
- Group A: Ameren Illinois Company, MidAmerican Energy Company, Mt. Carmel Public Utility, and rural co-ops and municipal utilities in the MISO service area
- Group B: Commonwealth Edison Company (ComEd), and rural co-ops and municipal utilities located in the PJM service area
The table below shows the Illinois Shines REC values for residential solar installations in 2025:
| System Size (AC) | Group A | Group B |
| 0-10 kW | $73.71 | $83.87 |
| >10- 25 kW | $63.53 | $77.53 |
| >25-100 kW | $55.89 | $70.23 |
It’s important to note the break in REC pricing for solar systems larger than 10 kW. A 10 kW solar system in Group A can be expected to generate $14,373 in REC incentives, but if your system is slightly over 10 kW then the incentive drops to $12,388 based on the lower REC value!
The Contract with Your Installer
The Illinois Shines program does not make direct payments to the homeowner. Your solar installer receives the incentive payment for selling the RECs your system is expected to produce and then passes some or all of that value to you. This often comes as a reduced purchase price or an incentive payment several months after your project is installed.
The method and value of your Illinois Shines incentive should be clearly stated in the contract between you and your approved installer. Having an experienced set of eyes, such as a Solar.com Energy Advisor, can make a substantial difference in your incentive amount.
Keys to Maximizing Your Illinois Shines Incentive
The Illinois Shines program offers one of the highest-value solar incentives in the U.S. and there are a handful of ways to ensure you are getting the maximum incentive.
Sooner is Better: Like most solar incentives, REC values tend to decrease over time and will not be around forever. They are currently quite generous through the Illinois Shines program, but will likely decline over time as more and more homeowners go solar and claim this incentive.
Get Multiple Quotes: Compare quotes from multiple approved vendors and ask them how much of the Illinois Shines incentive they will pass on to you, and how they will pass it on. Getting multiple quotes allows you to select or negotiate for the highest incentive value.
Read Your Contract Before Signing: The value of your Illinois Shines incentive and how it will be paid should be clearly stated in the contract between you and your installer. Read your contract carefully before signing to ensure you are getting the incentive amount you agreed upon.
Work with an Energy Advisor: On Solar.com, your Energy Advisor is there to offer unbiased guidance and advocate for your best interests. We’ll use our 10+ years of experience in the solar industry to ensure you get the maximum Illinois Shines incentive from your installer.
Ready to see how much you can lower your energy costs with solar? Get custom solar proposals from Illinois Shines-approved vendors on solar.com.
