Solar by City / Illinois / Palatine
Data last verified: 2026-08Is Solar Worth It in Palatine, Illinois? (2026)
The honest answer depends on four numbers unique to Palatine: your electricity rate, your solar production, your net metering policy, and your state incentives. Here are the real figures, with sources and dates. City production is a modeled estimate derived from Illinois's real NREL PVWatts v8 value adjusted for local latitude.
Solar Snapshot for Palatine, Illinois (2026)
| Residential electricity rate | 19.1¢/kWh (EIA, 2026 YTD May) |
| Solar production (modeled) | ~1280 kWh per kW per year (derived from NREL PVWatts v8 1290 kWh/kW, latitude-adjusted) |
| Net metering | full-retail net metering |
| State tax credit | None in 2026 |
| Rebates / performance | Adjustable Block REC $65–85/MWh |
| SREC market | Active — ~$75/MWh (2026 market) |
| Property tax exemption | Yes |
| Sales tax exemption | No |
Estimate Your Own Payback in Palatine
The table above is a 6 kW benchmark using Illinois's real inputs. Your home is different — use the Solar ROI Calculator with Illinois pre-loaded to get your exact payback, or the 30-second worth-it quiz for a go/no-go verdict.
Palatine FAQ
How much solar production can I expect in Palatine?
PVFig models Palatine at ~1280 kWh per kW installed per year, derived from Illinois's NREL PVWatts v8 state value (1290 kWh/kW) adjusted for the city's latitude. This is a modeled estimate — a site-specific PVWatts run with your exact roof azimuth, tilt and shading will differ. Actual output also depends on panel quality and local weather.
What is the estimated solar payback in Palatine?
At a typical 2.85/W installed cost and 19.1¢/kWh electricity, a 6 kW system in Palatine has an estimated payback of about 8 years. That is one of the faster paybacks in the country.
Does Illinois have net metering and a solar tax credit in 2026?
Illinois uses full-retail net metering. There is no state income tax credit for residential solar in 2026. The federal residential credit (Section 25D) expired Dec 31, 2025 and does not apply to 2026 installations.
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Read →Compare Illinois with nearby states
- Massachusetts — 30.1¢/kWh, ~1302 kWh/kW
- Connecticut — 29.8¢/kWh, ~1252 kWh/kW
- Maine — 29.7¢/kWh, ~1319 kWh/kW
- New Hampshire — 26.8¢/kWh, ~1259 kWh/kW
- Rhode Island — 29.5¢/kWh, ~1294 kWh/kW
- Vermont — 23.9¢/kWh, ~1222 kWh/kW