The 4 Best Solar Companies in Illinois

Going solar is a big investment, so it’s important to find a company that balances quality and price. We at the This Old House Reviews Team have extensively researched the top solar companies in the United States, comparing solar panel costs, services, and customer service reviews. We narrowed down our choices and compiled this guide to the best Illinois solar providers, from Chicago to Springfield.

• SunPower: Best High-Efficiency System
• ADT Solar: Best Solar Warranty
• Blue Raven Solar: Most Reputable
• Palmetto: Best Customer Support
• Sunrun: Best Solar Panel Leasing

Learn more: SunPower review

Learn more: ADT Solar review

Learn more: Blue Raven Solar review

Learn more: Palmetto Solar review

Learn more: Sunrun review

All solar owners are eligible for the federal tax credit (also known as the investment tax credit or ITC). This credit provides a tax reduction equal to 30% of your solar energy costs. The rate will drop to 26% in 2033 and 22% in 2034 before ending.

You may also qualify for state incentives and rebates. Here are some of the key programs Illinois offers:

• Adjustable Block Program: The Adjustable Block Program, also known as Illinois Shines, provides one solar renewable energy certificate (SREC) for each megawatt-hour (MWh) your system produces over a 15-year period. These certificates can amount to thousands in savings. 
• Illinois net-metering: Utility companies will buy back excess energy your system produces under the statewide net-metering program.
• Property tax breaks: Thanks to the special assessment for solar energy systems, Illinois homeowners’ property taxes won’t go up even though installing a solar system increases home value.

One of the most important decisions in your solar project is choosing the right provider. Start by looking at these factors.

Solar Services

Make sure the company you’re considering doesn’t just sell solar panels but also installs them. We recommend in-house installation rather than a third party because you’ll likely experience better communication and quality assurance. You’ll also get a more comprehensive labor warranty on workmanship. 

Check if the provider only installs solar panels or if it installs solar batteries, inverters, chargers, and other equipment as well. 

Warranties

Most solar providers offer one or more of the following coverage types:

• Manufacturer’s warranty (or product warranty): This protects the individual solar panel system components in case of defects.
• Workmanship warranty: This covers installation in case of poor workmanship or faulty installation materials.
• Performance (or power production) guarantee: This guarantees the solar system’s output performs as outlined in your contract.

The best companies offer 25-year warranties in each of these cases, though some limit their workmanship warranty to 10 years. We recommend finding a company that provides at least 20 years of coverage for each warranty type.

Payment Options

Most solar companies offer at least two of these solar financing options:

• Full purchase: Purchasing your system in full gives you immediate ownership and qualifies you for solar incentives. This is the most cost-effective option, as you won’t have to pay extra for interest fees. However, it involves a large amount of cash up-front.
• Solar loan: A solar loan allows you to pay for your system in monthly installments rather than all at once. You’ll pay more over time due to interest rates, but you’ll still own your system and be able to use solar incentives to save money.
• Solar lease: Similar to a loan, a solar lease allows you to make set monthly payments to use solar energy. However, you won’t own your system, which disqualifies you from most solar incentives.
• Power purchase agreement (PPA): A PPA allows you to pay for only the energy you use with no money down, similar to an electricity bill. As with a lease, you won’t own the system or qualify for solar incentives.  

We recommend buying your system outright or financing through a loan if it’s in your budget. Be wary of companies that push solar leases or PPAs without being transparent about the fact that these options disqualify you from incentives.

Customer Support

So much of whether you have a positive experience going solar comes down to customer support. Look on providers’ websites to see how many contact options they provide. Is it just a single phone number, or are there email, chat, and online portals as well? We suggest reaching out to customer support through all these channels to see how responsive, knowledgeable, and friendly the staff is. 

One of the most important things you can do is read customer reviews. This can tell you a lot about a company’s reputation and the common pain points customers experience.

You can get a solar quote online by following these steps:

1. Locate the Get a Quote button or page on the provider’s website. 
2. Fill out the required information. When we went through the quote process with top providers, most asked for basic contact information, location, property type, and roof size and slope. 
3. Get your free quote by email or on the website within minutes. 

You can also call the company for this information and to get a quick estimate. When we went through the process online, it took less than 15 minutes to get a quote. By phone, it took an average of 20 minutes.

We recommend SunPower as our top provider pick for Illinois residents. The company is well-rounded, offering some of the industry’s most efficient solar panels, dependable customer service, and solid warranty coverage. 

Behind SunPower we suggest looking into ADT Solar and Blue Raven Solar. ADT Solar’s panel and labor warranty coverage and 25-year power production guarantee offers customers security. Blue Raven is a great choice for those looking to avoid installation costs while getting 18 months of free solar energy. 

We suggest looking at customer reviews before deciding on a provider, as well as getting a quote from at least three companies to compare pricing.

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The This Old House Reviews Team is committed to providing comprehensive and unbiased reviews to our readers. After over a thousand hours of research on solar companies, interviews with experts, and common customer needs, we’ve created a detailed rating system for solar providers based on six factors:

• Solar equipment, installation, and services (25%)
• Warranty and performance guarantees (25%)
• Brand reputation and certifications (15%)
• Financing options (15%)
• Experience (10%)
• Availability (10%)

Total scores are divided by 20 for a final 5-point rating scale.

To share feedback or ask a question about this article, send a note to our Reviews team at reviews@thisoldhousereviews.com.