Commonwealth Edison (ComEd): how it credits the solar power you send to the grid
Supply-only credits for systems connected since January 1, 2025: roughly 8 to 12 cents per kWh, varying by month.
Checked November 12, 2026. Utilities change these rules; check the current tariff before you sign.
How it works
Exported power earns roughly 50% of the retail price on average.
Since 2025, new ComEd solar customers get credit for the supply part of the price, but not delivery charges.
In exchange, Illinois offers a distributed generation rebate for new systems, and Illinois Shines buys the system's renewable energy credits.
Customers connected in 2024 or earlier keep full retail net metering.
ComEd serves Chicago and northern Illinois. Because the credit leaves out delivery charges, a kWh used at home is worth more than one sent out.
What it means for a typical Illinois home
An average Illinois home uses about 8,592 kWh a year. A 6 kW system costs about $15,420 at the 2026 median price and makes about 7,848 kWh in its first year, of which we assume about 4,709 kWh goes out to the grid because no one is home to use it.
| First-year savings | Payback | 25-year savings, after the price | |
|---|---|---|---|
| With ComEd's credit | $971 | 16 years | $12,999 |
| If every exported kWh earned the full price | $1,387 | 11 years | $26,303 |
The difference, about $13,304 over 25 years, is what ComEd's rules cost a typical system compared with full net metering. Using more of the power at home, while the sun is up, closes some of that gap. Uses Illinois's average electricity price; ComEd's own prices may be higher or lower. Paid in cash, no federal credit, prices rising 2.5% a year, one inverter replacement.
Also in Illinois: Ameren Illinois (about 50% of retail).
All 55 utilities · Solar in Illinois · Lease and PPA terms by company
Sources: Illinois Shines: changes to net metering; U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), final 2025 data: Annual State Historical Spreadsheets (Form EIA-861, released October 7, 2026) and Electric Power Annual (October 21, 2026); EnergySage: median quoted price, first half of 2026.