ComEd Solar and Net Metering Rules in 2026

If you are thinking about rooftop solar with ComEd in 2026, here is the key thing to know about ComEd net metering:

Systems that were already getting qualifying net metering before January 1, 2025 keep their legacy (older) treatment for the life of the system.

Customers who start net metering on or after January 1, 2025 generally get credits that lower the supply portion of the bill. Those credits do not cover every part of the bill, such as delivery, taxes and fees.

That does not mean solar stopped working in Illinois.

It means the math changed.

What Changed With ComEd Net Metering?

Net metering is credit for extra solar power you send to the grid. Before 2025, qualifying ComEd solar customers could get what is often called full retail net metering.

Extra solar credits could offset several parts of the electric bill.

Illinois law moved new customers away from that setup on purpose, starting January 1, 2025.

New systems generally get net-metering value tied to power supply, not full retail delivery charges.

In exchange, Illinois expanded access to:

• Distributed Generation rebates
• Smart-inverter rebates
• Battery rebates
• Illinois Shines incentives

The state describes this as a shift from full retail net metering toward distributed-generation (DG) rebates.

Are Existing ComEd Solar Customers Grandfathered?

Yes.

Under Illinois law, eligible systems that got the older net-metering treatment before January 1, 2025 can keep it for the life of the system.

This grandfathering stays in place if you change power suppliers or if the home is sold.

ComEd's current guidance also separates customers with legacy status from systems connected starting January 1, 2025.

That creates two very different sets of ComEd solar economics.

How Does New ComEd Net Metering Work?

Solar power serves the house first.

If your home needs more power than the panels are making, ComEd delivers the difference.

If your panels make more than the home needs, the extra goes to the grid. That creates a net-metering credit.

ComEd says systems connected January 1, 2025 or later can get credits that lower the supply part of the bill.

The value depends partly on how you buy your power supply.

What If I Use ComEd Fixed-Price Supply?

Say you are on ComEd's Basic Electric Service and connected starting January 1, 2025, as a new solar customer. ComEd says you can choose to get net-metering credits in kWh or as a dollar credit.

Those post-2025 credits do not expire.

That is a useful upgrade over some older setups where credits reset each year.

What If I Use ComEd Hourly Pricing?

Hourly Pricing changes the value of the power you send to the grid.

ComEd says net-metering credits under Hourly Pricing are valued at the market price during the hour the extra power is made.

So solar sent to the grid at noon, 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. may not be worth the same amount.

This adds a timing factor that did not matter as much under traditional full-retail net metering.

What If I Have a Competitive Electricity Supplier?

Illinois lets you choose your power supplier.

If you buy power from an alternative retail electric supplier, ComEd still manages the grid hookup and net-metering account.

But ComEd advises customers to check with their supplier about how supply-side net-metering credits are given.

Current Illinois law also requires large utilities such as ComEd to manage net-metering billing when customers switch between utility supply and other suppliers.

So switching suppliers does not by itself end net-metering eligibility.

But the supply contract still deserves a careful look.

ComEd Has a $300/kW Residential Solar Rebate

This is one of the most important current incentives.

ComEd's Distributed Generation rebate gives qualifying home and small business customers $300 per kW of solar nameplate (rated) capacity. The system must use qualifying smart-inverter technology.

For example:

• An 8-kW qualifying system: 8 × $300 = $2,400
• A 10-kW qualifying system: $3,000

That is separate from Illinois Shines.

Batteries Can Also Receive a Rebate

ComEd's rebate also gives qualifying home and small business storage $300 per kWh of rated battery capacity.

A qualifying 13.5-kWh battery could in theory equal $4,050 at $300/kWh. All program eligibility rules still apply.

That can make a real difference in what storage costs.

There Is an Important Tradeoff for Legacy Solar Customers

A legacy full-retail net-metering customer should be careful before claiming a DG rebate on the solar system.

ComEd says customers with legacy full-retail net metering lose legacy status if they choose the DG rebate for generation.

However, taking a rebate for qualifying storage alone does not by itself end legacy solar status.

That is a huge decision.

A legacy homeowner should compare the one-time rebate against the long-term value of keeping full-retail net metering.

What Is a Smart Inverter?

A smart inverter does more than convert solar power from DC to AC.

Illinois defines smart-inverter features around functions such as:

• Voltage support
• Frequency support
• Ride-through
• Reactive-power control
• Communication with the utility

These features let home solar and batteries work more smoothly with the grid.

For a new project, the installer should confirm the equipment qualifies before adding the ComEd rebate to the proposal.

Does ComEd Require Interconnection Approval?

Yes.

ComEd requires an interconnection (grid hookup) application.

Net-metering sign-up is usually part of the interconnection process. It is not a totally separate application.

The general order is:

1. Design the system.
2. Submit interconnection documents.
3. Receive approval.
4. Install the system.
5. Complete municipal inspections where required.
6. Submit Certificate of Completion.
7. Receive written authorization, or Permission to Operate.
8. Begin net metering.

Do not turn on the system before ComEd authorization.

How Large Should My Solar System Be?

ComEd recommends sizing rooftop solar to cover some or all of the home's current or future power needs.

That is different from simply putting as many panels on the roof as possible.

New ComEd systems no longer get the old full-retail credit for power sent to the grid. So sending out a lot of extra power may be worth less than using it in the home.

Self-Consumption Matters More After the Net-Metering Change

Self-consumption means using your own solar power in your home. Here is a simple example.

Your solar system makes 40 kWh. Your home uses 30 kWh right away. You send 10 kWh to the grid.

The 30 kWh used on site can cut the power you buy across the applicable retail charges.

The 10 kWh sent to the grid get net-metering credit under the post-2025 rules.

So using solar directly can be worth more than designing a system that sends out large amounts.

HVAC Should Be Evaluated Before Solar

Illinois homes can use a lot of power for central AC, heat pumps, electric backup heat and dehumidifiers.

Suppose your home now uses 16,000 kWh annually.

An old AC system and poor insulation account for 3,000 avoidable kWh.

After HVAC and efficiency work, 13,000 kWh might become the real future load.

Solar designed after that upgrade may need fewer panels. It may also cost less and send less low-value power to the grid.

That is a better home-energy plan.

Illinois Shines Is Still a Major Solar Incentive

Illinois Shines is the state's Adjustable Block Program.

It supports rooftop solar by buying Renewable Energy Credits, or RECs.

For the 2026–27 Program Year, Illinois published new REC prices effective June 1, 2026.

ComEd territory is Group B.

For a distributed-generation project from 0–10 kW AC, the 2026–27 base REC price for Group B is $80.77 per REC.

Illinois Added a New Customer-Owned Solar Adder in 2026

For Program Year 2026–27, Illinois Shines created a $20 per REC adder for qualifying customer-owned Small DG projects.

Illinois says the new adder was created to help make up for the loss of the federal residential Investment Tax Credit.

How Are Illinois Shines Payments Made?

The REC payment structure also changed in June 2026.

For qualifying Small DG projects approved under the 2026 contract, 50% of the REC incentive is paid at energization (when the system is turned on).

The rest is spread evenly over the next six years.

The REC contract is between the participating Approved Vendor and the utility.

Read your installation agreement carefully. It should show how much of the REC value is being passed through to you.

Do not assume the full advertised Illinois Shines amount arrives as a check to you.

What About the Federal 30% Solar Tax Credit?

It is no longer available for new home solar spending in 2026 under current federal law.

The previous Residential Clean Energy Credit ended for new qualifying property after December 31, 2025.

That is exactly why Illinois Shines added its new $20/REC customer-owned Small DG adder for 2026–27.

Any 2026 solar proposal should follow current federal law, not an outdated “30% federal tax credit” assumption.

Does Solar Still Make Sense in ComEd Territory?

Potentially.

Northern Illinois homeowners have several things working in their favor:

• High current supply pricing
• Illinois Shines incentives
• ComEd DG rebate
• Good seasonal solar production
• Long summer daylight hours

But the math is more complex than it was under legacy full-retail net metering.

A good analysis should include:

• Yearly power use and how much solar you use on site
• How much power you send to the grid
• Your supply rate
• Illinois Shines treatment and the DG rebate
• Roof production and financing
• How long you expect to own the home

What About Battery Storage?

Illinois is making storage more and more relevant.

A battery can help you use more of your own solar power and shift when you use energy. It can also provide backup power during outages and may work with flexible rate or grid programs.

And the current ComEd home rebate of $300/kWh can greatly cut the upfront cost of qualifying storage.

Illinois' new Clean and Reliable Grid Affordability Act also pushes the state toward more battery purchases and virtual power plants. It also supports distributed-energy integration (linking home solar and batteries to the grid).

That makes storage a space worth watching closely.

The Ashborn Approach

Ashborn Partners helps ComEd homeowners look at the full picture before choosing a product. That includes legacy versus post-2025 net-metering status and your supply provider. It also includes household power use, HVAC, Illinois Shines incentives, solar and battery storage.