Vivint Solar powers Chicago

There’s a cleaner way to power your home. We’re installing rooftop solar panels in Chicago, which means you can enjoy years of clean, renewable energy. And with free installation and maintenance, you can breathe easy.

Punctuated with bold and definitive architecture, Chicago is a city with an individual history and legacy that sets it apart from any other in the world. It’s the third most populous city in the United States, and the most populous in the state of Illinois.

People who call Chicago home have never been intimidated by changing and raising standard operating procedures to make the city function better. Chicago contributed to the design and organization of many of our modern cities. With emerging construction styles such as the City Beautiful Movement and the steel skyscraper, Chicago knows how to set a pace.

Although Chicago is well known as the windy city, plenty of sunlight shines on this classic metropolis in the Midwest. From the shores of Lake Michigan to the furthest west corners of the city, homeowners in Chicago are making use of that sun and switching to solar power.

Chicago solar rebates and incentives

Aside from the culture, art, and architecture that Chicago offers citizens, it also means business when it comes to advantages for choosing solar power. Here are some of the best solar incentives and rebates in Chi-Town.

Illinois Solar Renewable Energy Credits

In order for the state of Illinois to meet its renewable energy standards, credits are offered to Chicago and other state residents who produce clean solar energy. The goal is to produce 25 percent of the state’s energy from renewable sources by the year 2025.

To incentivize homeowners to help contribute to this goal, Illinois issues solar renewable energy credits (SRECs) for generating clean energy with solar panel systems. Each megawatt hour of energy you produce is equal to one SREC, which you can sell for extra money.

Net metering in Illinois

In addition to state SRECs, Illinois utility companies offer net metering to homeowners who generate power with solar.

Net metering is a prime way to make good use of the extra power your solar panels are able to produce and reduce your energy bills.

When your solar panels generate power beyond what you can use at home, a special meter measures this as it’s sent to the grid. Then, when your utility bill arrives, you’ll see just how much you contributed and saved.

Solar homeowners property tax break

If you’ve been hesitant about installing solar because of the boost in home value, and therefore taxes, we have some great news. Illinois State has a property tax incentive called Special Assessment for Solar Energy Systems.

This incentive means that your property taxes are eligible for alternative valuations that won’t bump your property up into a higher tax bracket. So, you can improve your home’s value without paying any extra cost in property taxes.

Federal Solar Investment Tax Credit (ITC)

Lastly, homeowners who install Chicago solar can also take advantage of the federal income tax break that comes with installing solar panels. This tax credit can reduce your income taxes by 30 percent for systems in service by the end of 2019.

Make sure you act on this incentive sooner rather than later. The tax break percentage reduces to 26 percent in the year 2020, and then to 22 percent in the year 2021. After that, there’s no more federal income tax break for solar homeowners on the horizon.