How To Get Free Solar Panels in Illinois 2023
Despite the fact that solar incentives can reduce the overall cost of solar panels by over 50%, many people these days still feel uncomfortable with the high upfront cost of the initial investment.
If you’re one of those people, you’ll no doubt be glad to hear that in 2023, you can actually get free solar panels in Illinois. There are currently two possibilities for getting solar panels for free:
- Illinois Solar For All
- A solar panel lease
In this article, we’ll take a look at the terms of these two options, discuss who is eligible, and give you an idea of exactly how much you can save on your utility bill. How To Get Free Solar Panels in Illinois 2023.
Free Solar Panels Illinois
How To Get Free Solar Panels in Illinois 2023
Below we’ve outlined the details of the two ways that you can get free solar panels in Illinois in 2023.
Illinois Solar For All
Illinois Solar For All (ILSFA) is a state run scheme that provides free solar panels to low income households that want to benefit from the financial savings of solar.
It was devised in 2017 by the Illinois state legislature as a way to make solar accessible to those who would otherwise not be able to afford it.
Your eligibility is based on your household income, and if you think you may be eligible, you should contact an approved vendor to discuss your options.
Green Home Makeover is an approved vendor of Illinois Solar For All, and we’re proud to have provided solar panels to many low income households, via participation in this scheme.
There are two parts to the Illinois Solar For All scheme:
- Illinois Solar For All: Residential Solar
- Illinois Solar For All: Community Solar
- Illinois Solar For All: Residential Solar
If you’re eligible for Illinois Solar For All and your home is suitable for a solar panel installation, the scheme will provide you with free solar panels that will be installed on your property.
However, the scheme does involve payments and fees further down the line – though under the terms of the program, these costs will not exceed more than 50% of the value of the electricity generated by your system.
- Illinois Solar For All: Community Solar
Illinois Solar For All Community Solar provides eligible applicants with shares in a community solar project if they do not want to, or cannot, install solar panels on their property.
- Illinois Solar For All Community Solar allows Illinois residents to subscribe to a solar array located nearby
- A solar array is installed at a site that’s served by your local electric utility provider
- Any eligible individuals with an account with that utility can subscribe to a share in the array
Solar Panel Leases
If you’re one of the many homeowners in Illinois that would like free solar panels but you don’t meet the eligibility criteria of Illinois Solar For All, there is another option available to you: a solar panel lease.
With a solar panel lease, you can benefit from the financial savings of solar panels, without bearing the burden of any of the associated installation or maintenance costs.
How To Get Free Solar Panels in Illinois 2023
How Do Solar Panel Leases Work?
With a solar panel lease, a third party owns the solar panels that are installed on your property and is responsible for the maintenance of the system.
At Green Home Makeover, the solar panel leases that we provide require no down payment for the installation, though some companies do charge an upfront fee.
You then pay a fixed monthly fee to lease the solar panels, and any electricity that is produced, and the utility credits that are generated from feeding excess power into the grid, are owned by you.
According to Forbes, the cost of leasing solar panels is between $50 and $250 per month, with the exact amount being determined by factors, such as:
- Your location
- Your credit score
- The company that owns the solar panels
- The size of your system
Green Home Makeover’s Solar Panel Lease Terms
At Green Home Makeover, we offer 20 year solar panel leases for a fixed monthly fee to customers that have a credit score of 650 or better.
The fee you pay is dependent on the size of the system that’s installed, and most of our customers save between 35 – 40%, compared to what they otherwise would have paid in utilities.
The cost of maintenance and repairs are covered by us, and if your system develops a technical fault that involves down time, it is covered by a performance guarantee, so you won’t lose money.
If you lease solar panels from us then once the 20 year period is up, you have three options:
- You can decide to have the installer come to remove the solar panels and restore your roof to its original condition
- You can have the solar panels appraised by a third party, and purchase them for a fair price
- You can sign a new lease for a discounted price and the old system will be removed, with a brand new system installed in its place
What Happens If I Lease Solar Panels And I Want To Sell My Home?
One of the biggest concerns that customers have when they’re thinking about whether or not to lease solar panels is what might happen if they want to sell their home.
Unfortunately, there are companies out there that refuse to allow their leases to be transferred to the new homeowner, and make their customers pay a punitive fee to break the contract early.
At Green Home Makeover, customer satisfaction is our number one priority, and we’re not in the business to penalize leaseholders that want to move home.
If you hold a lease with us and you sell your home, the lease will automatically be transferred to the new homeowner, with no additional fees.
How To Get Free Solar Panels in Illinois 2023
What Are Solar Power Purchase Agreements?
If you’re reading about free solar panels, you may have seen the term “Solar Power Purchase Agreement”.
A Solar Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) is similar to a solar panel lease in that you don’t pay for the solar panels that are installed, but the primary difference is that it’s the electricity that you’re paying for, rather than renting the solar panels.
Solar PPAs aren’t actually available in the state of Illinois, but they’re inferior to both Illinois Solar For All and our solar panel leases in terms of financial savings – Solar PPA customers typically only save 10 – 20% vs what they would have paid their utility.
How To Get Free Solar Panels in Illinois 2023
Do You Want Free Solar Panels Illinois?
If you’re an Illinois resident that would like to have the cash savings offered by solar panels, without the substantial upfront costs associated with purchasing them, then one of the two ways we’ve outlined for getting free solar panels might be for you.
At Green Home Makeover, we’re solar consultants with more than 8 years of industry experience, providing solar panels to homes all across Illinois. We offer solar panels via Illinois Solar For All, and we offer solar leases.
If you’d like more information on the various options for getting solar panels, contact us today for a free, no-obligation consultation and quote.
How To Get Free Solar Panels in Illinois 2023