Why Mount Prospect & Palatine Homeowners Choose Solar
More homeowners across Mount Prospect, Palatine, and Prospect Heights are looking into solar every year, not because it’s free (it isn’t), but because it’s a way to reduce what you owe ComEd every month and build equity instead of renting your power indefinitely. Here’s why solar panel installation in this area makes sense right now.
Lower Your Monthly Bill
Generate your own power and reduce what you owe ComEd every month, with $0-down financing options available through our lease/PPA partner.
Built for Chicagoland Weather
Northwest Cook County sees hot, humid summers and real winter cold, with heavy snow common some years. Panels are mounted and angled to shed snow and hold up to seasonal swings, not just perform on a mild-climate spec sheet.
Real Local Installs, Not a Sales Pitch
3 completed installs across Mount Prospect, Palatine, and Prospect Heights. See real streets below, not stock photos.
You’re Already Paying for Power. Why Not Own It?
Every month, a payment leaves your account for electricity, and that money buys you nothing you keep. Here’s the real difference between renting your power and owning it.
What Makes SolQ Different in This Area
Mount Prospect, Palatine, and Prospect Heights homeowners have national call-center installers and door-to-door sales teams pitching Illinois Shines like a coupon. Here’s what sets SolQ apart.
A Real Track Record, Not a Startup Pitch
More than 2,000 completed installations to date, including real installs in Mount Prospect, Palatine, and Prospect Heights. A verifiable operating history, not a new logo and a sales script.
Verified Credentials, Not Just Claims
NABCEP-certified installation, an A+ BBB rating, and EnergySage’s 2026 Local Installer of the Year award. All independently verifiable, not self-reported.
We Explain Illinois Shines Instead of Overselling It
RECs, program capacity, and ComEd’s rebate eligibility explained honestly and specific to your address, not a generic “go solar for free” pitch.
A Financing Fit, Not a Sales Quota
$0-down Lease or PPA options through LightReach, or ownership through a Salal Credit Union loan or cash purchase. We walk through both so you choose what actually fits your goals.
How Home Solar Actually Works
Understanding how a residential solar system works helps you ask the right questions before you sign anything. Here’s the short version.
Solar Panels
Mounted on your roof, panels convert sunlight into DC electricity. We size the array to your household’s actual usage, not a generic package.
Inverter
Converts DC power from the panels into the AC electricity your home actually runs on, the same current ComEd delivers.
Utility Meter
Tracks power flowing to and from the grid under ComEd’s tariff, so your system’s production is measured and credited accurately.
Monitoring
Track production from your phone, so you always know exactly what your system is generating.
What to Expect: Your Solar Installation Timeline
Illinois timelines run a little longer than some states because Illinois Shines application processing and ComEd interconnection review add steps beyond the physical installation. Many projects are installed within 30 to 60 days of signing; we’ll give you a project-specific timeline before you sign anything.
Free Consultation & Usage Review
We review your last 12 months of ComEd usage and use Aurora Solar’s industry-leading design software to precisely model your roof’s sun exposure and shading.
Custom System Design & Financing
We size your system to your actual usage, and you choose the financing route (Lease/PPA or cash/loan purchase) that fits your goals.
Illinois Shines Application & Interconnection
We handle the Illinois Shines project application through our Approved Vendor and file the interconnection application with ComEd on your behalf. This step is often the biggest factor in overall timeline.
Installation Day
Our NABCEP-certified crew installs your system. Most residential jobs are completed in a day or two, depending on system size.
Inspection & Permission to Operate
Local inspection and ComEd’s permission-to-operate sign-off happen before your system is switched on.
Monitoring & Ongoing Support
You get app access to track production in real time, and SolQ stays available if you ever have questions about your system.
Real Local Proof: Solar Installs in Mount Prospect, Palatine & Prospect Heights
3 completed installs across this cluster of northwest Cook County suburbs to date. Real streets from our project records, no invented count:
Street names shown, no addresses. From our completed project records, current as of August 2026. The Mount Prospect system on West Bunting Lane is a confirmed ComEd account at 7.9 kW. The Prospect Heights system on North Stratford Road measures 2.2 kW. The Palatine system on West Wood Street is a completed install on record; we’re not stating a specific size for it here, since the recorded figure is unusually small and appears to reflect a partial or monitoring-only data entry rather than the full system. These three installs also sit within SolQ’s broader ComEd-territory cluster across northern Illinois, including Rockford, Elgin, Poplar Grove, and Belvidere.
Real Customers, Real Stories
Hear directly from homeowners who made the switch with SolQ.
Serving Mount Prospect, Palatine & Prospect Heights
Mount Prospect is a Cook County village of roughly 54,300 residents today, down from a 2020 Census peak of 56,693, an honest trend we won’t paper over. It sits about 4 miles north of O’Hare International Airport and 20 miles northwest of downtown Chicago, with a walkable historic downtown centered on the Metra Union Pacific Northwest Line station. The village is home to companies including Cummins Allison and Rauland-Borg, plus a former United Airlines campus annexed from neighboring Elk Grove Township. Palatine, also in northwestern Cook County, has roughly 68,000 residents (the Village’s own count runs closer to 69,350; Census Bureau estimates show nearer 66,300) and is home to Harper College, a major community college, and the world headquarters of Weber-Stephen Products, maker of Weber grills. Palatine’s own historic downtown grew up around a 19th-century rail depot on the same Metra Union Pacific Northwest Line that serves Mount Prospect. Prospect Heights, the smallest of the three at roughly 16,000 residents, is home to Chicago Executive Airport, shared with neighboring Wheeling, and is served by two Metra lines. SolQ has completed a residential solar installation in each of these three communities. We install throughout ComEd’s service territory across Cook County. For the statewide picture, visit our Illinois solar hub.
Check Coverage for My AddressIs Your Home a Good Fit for Solar?
Most homes across Mount Prospect, Palatine, and Prospect Heights are strong solar candidates. Here’s what we actually check before we design your system.
Roof Direction
South- and west-facing sections get the most consistent sun. East-facing roofs still perform well; production just shifts to a morning peak.
Shading
Mature trees in established neighborhoods near downtown Mount Prospect and downtown Palatine may need trimming. We use Aurora Solar’s precision modeling plus an on-site check during your free consultation, not a guess from a satellite photo.
System Sizing
Sized to your last 12 months of ComEd usage, not your roof size. Bigger homes, EVs, and heat pumps often need a larger array than a starter system.
Your Home’s Roof Type
The mix of established mid-century neighborhoods and newer subdivisions across Mount Prospect, Palatine, and Prospect Heights both work well for solar; roof type matters less than available sun-facing space and your usage.
Financing Options
Lease or PPA $0 DOWN
A multi-year lease or power-purchase agreement with no upfront cost, through our financing partner LightReach. You pay either a fixed monthly lease payment or a per-kWh rate for the power your system produces, not ownership of the equipment.
Cash or Loan Purchase
Own your system outright with no ongoing lease or PPA payment. Loan options available through Salal Credit Union, with specific term and rate disclosed as part of your written proposal.
ComEd: What to Know in Mount Prospect & Palatine
Mount Prospect, Palatine, and Prospect Heights all sit within ComEd’s northern Illinois service territory, the same utility serving Chicago, Naperville, and Aurora. Here’s the real breakdown, not a one-size-fits-all pitch. For the full territory-wide picture, see our ComEd solar hub.
ComEd
Northern IllinoisComEd, an Exelon company, serves more than 3.8 million customers across a 25-county footprint in northern Illinois, including all of Cook County. Since January 1, 2025, new ComEd solar customers are placed on net billing: exported solar energy is credited only against the supply/generation portion of your bill, not delivery charges or fixed fees. Systems interconnected and granted permission to operate on or before December 31, 2024 keep full-retail net metering for that system’s life under current rules.
New ComEd systems interconnected after August 11, 2022 are also eligible for a one-time Solar Generation Rebate of $300 per kilowatt of installed nameplate capacity (a smart inverter is required, and the system must be under 5,000 kW), typically paid within about 90 days of your application. A separate Battery Storage Rebate of $300 per kilowatt-hour is available for battery systems, but requires enrolling in and maintaining ComEd’s hourly Rate BESH pricing plan, and isn’t compatible with simultaneous Community Solar enrollment. One important trade-off: accepting the Solar Generation Rebate permanently moves even an otherwise-grandfathered legacy system to supply-only net billing, while accepting only the storage rebate does not forfeit legacy net-metering status. We confirm exactly which terms apply before you sign anything.
Illinois Shines: How the Incentive Actually Works
Illinois Shines is the state’s Adjustable Block Program, administered on behalf of the Illinois Power Agency to help the state meet its renewable energy goals. Here’s how it actually works for a system in this area: when your solar array generates electricity, it creates Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs), the tradable proof that clean energy was produced. Through Illinois Shines, an Approved Vendor can sell those RECs into the program in exchange for payment, which is typically used to help offset your system cost. SolQ is a registered Designee under multiple Approved Vendors participating in Illinois Shines. We are not the State of Illinois, the Illinois Power Agency, the Illinois Commerce Commission, or ComEd, and we don’t control REC pricing or program capacity.
A few things worth knowing upfront: REC value depends on current program pricing and block capacity, set by the program administrator, not by SolQ, and is typically factored into your financing rather than paid to you directly. If your system’s RECs are sold into Illinois Shines, you’re compensated for that environmental attribute; you aren’t separately claiming the system was “free.” We’ll show you the current program mechanics that apply to your specific proposal for this area, not a number pulled from an old rate card.
Net Metering in Illinois: What Changed
If you’ve heard Illinois solar rules “changed” and weren’t sure what that meant, here’s the straight version for homeowners in this area.
Net Billing, Since January 2025
Since January 1, 2025, new ComEd solar customers are automatically placed on net billing rather than legacy full-retail net metering. This applies to systems installed from that date forward.
Existing Solar Is Grandfathered
If your system was installed and interconnected before December 31, 2024, you keep full legacy net metering benefits for the life of that system.
A One-Time Solar Generation Rebate Is Available
ComEd offers a one-time Solar Generation Rebate of $300 per kilowatt of installed nameplate capacity, plus a separate $300 per kilowatt-hour rebate for battery storage. Not a recurring credit.
Adding a Battery Can Affect Grandfathered Status
Accepting ComEd’s Solar Generation Rebate moves even a grandfathered legacy system to supply-only net billing. Accepting only the Battery Storage Rebate does not. We walk through exactly what applies to your account before you decide.
Illinois Solar Incentives, Straight Talk
No State Income Tax Credit
Residential solar economics in this area run through Illinois Shines’ REC value and ComEd’s Solar Generation Rebate, not a state income tax credit, which Illinois doesn’t offer. Be wary of anyone pitching one.
Property Tax: Capped, Not Exempt
Illinois uses an alternate valuation that assesses your home as if it had a conventional system instead of solar, applying whichever value is lower. It caps the tax impact rather than exempting it, and isn’t automatic; you (or SolQ) file with the Cook County Assessor’s Office.
Federal Credit: Financing-Dependent Now
The 30% federal residential credit (Section 25D) ended for cash and loan purchases not completed by December 31, 2025. Lease and PPA agreements can still pass through a federal credit through 2027 under a separate provision. See our FAQ for the honest breakdown.
Built Around Illinois’s Rules, Not a National Template
From ComEd’s net billing and legacy net-metering rules to Illinois Shines REC mechanics, every Mount Prospect and Palatine proposal starts with your actual utility and program terms, not a copy-pasted savings estimate from a national call center.
Get Your Free EstimatePremium Equipment We Install
NABCEP-certified installation using trusted equipment, sourced through distributor CED Greentech. Below are the panel, inverter, and battery brands we install across our Illinois projects.
See what solar could mean for your home
Free, no-obligation estimate. No “free solar” pitch, no pressure.
Get My Free Solar DesignFrequently Asked Questions
Is solar really “free” in Mount Prospect, Palatine, or Prospect Heights?
No, and we’ll never tell you it is. Illinois Shines pays for the environmental attributes (RECs) your system produces, which can meaningfully offset your cost, but it isn’t free equipment or installation. A $0-down Lease or PPA means no upfront cash from you, not that the system has no cost; you’re paying for the power it produces over the contract term instead.
Is SolQ affiliated with the State of Illinois, the Illinois Power Agency, or ComEd?
No. SolQ is an independent solar installer and a registered Designee under multiple Approved Vendors participating in Illinois Shines. We are not the State of Illinois, the Illinois Power Agency, the Illinois Commerce Commission, or ComEd, and we don’t set program rules, REC pricing, or utility rebate terms.
Is the federal solar tax credit still available in Mount Prospect and Palatine?
For cash and loan purchases, no. The 30% federal residential credit (Section 25D) ended for systems not completed by December 31, 2025. Lease/PPA customers still benefit indirectly, since our financing partner owns the system and claims a separate federal credit for commercial-owned solar (Section 48E, active through 2027), part of how they offer $0-down payments below what you’re currently paying ComEd.
Do I keep the RECs from my solar system, or does SolQ?
It depends on how you finance. If you own your system (cash or loan), you own the RECs and can choose to sell them into Illinois Shines. If you finance through a Lease or PPA, the financing company typically owns the system and its RECs unless your contract states otherwise.
How does ComEd credit my solar production?
Since January 1, 2025, new ComEd solar customers are placed on net billing: exported solar energy is credited only against the supply/generation portion of your bill, not delivery charges or fixed fees. If your system was interconnected and granted permission to operate on or before December 31, 2024, you keep full-retail net metering for that system’s life under current rules. For the full territory-wide picture, see our ComEd solar hub.
How many solar systems has SolQ actually installed in Mount Prospect, Palatine, and Prospect Heights?
Three, as of this writing: real completed installs on West Bunting Lane in Mount Prospect (7.9 kW), West Wood Street in Palatine, and North Stratford Road in Prospect Heights (2.2 kW). We’d rather give an exact, honest number than round it up. These three sit within SolQ’s broader ComEd-territory cluster across northern Illinois, including Rockford, Elgin, Poplar Grove, and Belvidere.
How much does a solar system cost for an average home in this area?
Cost depends on system size, roof condition, and financing choice (Lease/PPA vs. cash/loan purchase). SolQ provides a written estimate, not a guaranteed savings figure, after a site-specific review of your ComEd usage. Size varies house to house based on actual usage, not a standard package.
Who are SolQ’s financing partners?
For Illinois homeowners, SolQ offers $0-down Lease and PPA options through LightReach, and loan financing through Salal Credit Union for those who want to own their system outright.
Does adding a battery affect my ComEd net metering status?
It can. Accepting ComEd’s one-time Solar Generation Rebate permanently moves even an otherwise-grandfathered legacy system to supply-only net billing. Accepting only the Battery Storage Rebate does not forfeit legacy net-metering status. We walk through exactly what applies to your account before you decide.
Do Mount Prospect, Palatine, or Prospect Heights have city-specific permitting requirements?
Permitting requirements vary by municipality within Cook County. SolQ confirms the specific requirements for your address as part of the proposal process, alongside the ComEd interconnection filing.
What happens if my roof needs repair after solar is installed?
Panels can be removed and reinstalled for roof work when needed. SolQ assesses your roof’s condition during the consultation so this is planned for upfront rather than a surprise later.
What kind of warranty comes with my system?
Most solar panels carry a 25–30 year manufacturer warranty, most batteries carry a 10 year warranty, and inverters typically carry 10–25 years depending on brand. Lease/PPA agreements through LightReach typically include a bumper-to-bumper warranty with a production guarantee for the full term.
What areas around Mount Prospect and Palatine does SolQ serve?
SolQ installs throughout ComEd’s Cook County service territory, including Mount Prospect, Palatine, Prospect Heights, and nearby communities. For the broader northern Illinois picture, including Chicago, Naperville, and Rockford, visit our Illinois solar hub.
Ready to Get Started?
Schedule a Free ConsultationSolQ is an independent solar provider and is a registered Designee under multiple Approved Vendors participating in Illinois Shines. SolQ is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or acting on behalf of the State of Illinois, the Illinois Power Agency, the Illinois Commerce Commission, ComEd, Exelon, or any government agency. “Illinois Shines” and the Adjustable Block Program are administered by the Illinois Power Agency and its program administrator, not by SolQ. Renewable Energy Certificate (REC) pricing and Illinois Shines block capacity are set by the program administrator and change over time; figures on this page are general program information, not a quote or guarantee for your system. Solar RECs are a form of compensation for your system’s environmental attributes, not a rebate on the equipment itself, and selling them does not make a system “free.” Savings, rebate, and incentive figures shown are general information and estimates, not guarantees. Actual results vary by system, usage, and current program terms. The federal residential solar tax credit (Section 25D) ended for cash/loan purchases completed after December 31, 2025; a separate credit may apply to third-party-owned Lease/PPA systems through 2027. Financing offered through third-party partners (LightReach for Lease/PPA, Salal Credit Union for loans); terms, including contract length and payment structure, are disclosed in your specific agreement and subject to partner approval. Illinois’s property tax treatment of solar is an alternate assessment method, not a full exemption, and requires an application to your county assessor; confirm current eligibility with your tax advisor. ComEd’s Solar Generation Rebate and Battery Storage Rebate figures shown are general program terms current as of this writing and subject to change; accepting the Solar Generation Rebate affects legacy net-metering status as described above. Install counts and street names shown are drawn from SolQ’s completed project records and reflect systems on file as of this writing; no house numbers or customer names are used. Population figures for Mount Prospect, Palatine, and Prospect Heights are drawn from U.S. Census Bureau data and estimates. Content verified as of August 2026.