Electricity rate reference
SolarCalcNow currently uses 19.89 cents/kWh for Illinois.
$0.1989/kWh
19.89 ¢/kWh
EIA Table 5.6.A, June 2026 residential column; published August 26, 2026. Divide the published cents/kWh by 100. This preliminary statewide average is a fallback, not your utility tariff. Use your bill's energy-only rate; fixed charges remain payable.
A statewide residential average is a consistent early-planning input, not a reproduction of one utility bill. SolarCalcNow uses it to value electricity consumed directly from the solar system and to establish the annual energy-charge ceiling in the savings model. The calculation does not assume solar removes fixed charges, minimum bills, demand charges, taxes, or every time-of-use period. It also values exported production separately under the selected export assumption. This separation lets you test the effect of a different rate or export value without changing the system's physical production target.
Illinois planning should account for seasonal production and the fact that export value can influence savings independently of panel count. The calculator sizes from annual usage and a state production assumption, then values direct use and exports separately. That structure is more cautious than treating every exported kWh as if it automatically offsets a retail-priced purchase.
The statewide rate is not a ComEd, Ameren, municipal, or cooperative tariff. SolarCalcNow will not attach city-level precision to it without a reviewed utility record. Use recent bills to identify the serving utility and rate plan, verify current export and settlement rules from primary documents, and keep state or local incentive claims outside net-cost math until their active status and eligibility have been checked.
These values come from the existing calculator engine. They multiply the annualized usage scenario by the source-linked state rate and do not include fixed charges, future rate increases, or a utility-specific tariff.
| Monthly usage | Annual usage | Modeled energy charge |
|---|---|---|
| 600 kWh | 7,200 kWh | $1,432 |
| 900 kWh | 10,800 kWh | $2,148 |
| 1,200 kWh | 14,400 kWh | $2,864 |
The calculator estimates bill savings from self-consumed solar at the selected residential rate. A higher rate can shorten payback, while a lower rate makes installed cost and export credit assumptions more important.
Utility plans, time-of-use pricing, net billing, fixed charges, and export credits can differ from a statewide average. Check your bill and utility tariff before treating a planning estimate as a quote.