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Illinois SREC Prices 2026-27: $70–$81 per REC, Plus a $20 Owner Adder

Ryan Cook•October 26, 2026

An Illinois solar REC (most sites call it an SREC) is worth $70.37 in Ameren territory or $80.77 in ComEd territory for home systems up to 10 kW AC in the 2026-27 program year. If you own your system, Illinois adds another $20 per REC. On a typical 8 kW system, I estimate that comes to about $12,800 to $13,700 gross, or roughly $10,300 to $11,000 reaching the homeowner. Half arrives when the system is energized and the rest over the next six years.

That's the short version. The long version matters because a lot of the pages that rank for this question are working from last year's prices or from how SRECs work in other states. Illinois is different, and the difference is worth thousands.

The key numbers

What	Figure	Source / date
REC price, systems up to 10 kW AC	$70.37 (Group A: Ameren area) / $80.77 (Group B: ComEd area)	Illinois Shines 2026-27 Program Guidebook, Apr. 17, 2026
REC price, over 10 to 25 kW AC	$60.92 (Ameren area) / $79.21 (ComEd area)	Same
Customer-owned adder	+$20 per REC, 2026-27 program year only	Same; Illinois Shines, May 8, 2026
What one REC is	1 MWh (1,000 kWh) of solar output	Same, Section 1
Contract length	15 years	Same, Section 7
Payment schedule (small systems)	50% at energization, the rest over the next 6 years	Illinois Shines, May 8, 2026
Collateral held	5% of the total contract value to start	Guidebook, Section 7
Last year's prices, for comparison	$66.34 (Ameren area) / $75.48 (ComEd area), up to 10 kW	Illinois Power Agency, 2025-26 price posting

Illinois doesn't have an SREC market. It has a price list.

People search "SREC Illinois" because SREC is the common name for solar credits. Illinois doesn't run a trading market for them. The state's program is Illinois Shines (officially the Adjustable Block Program), run by the Illinois Power Agency. Each program year the agency publishes a REC price list by utility area and system size, and an Illinois utility signs a contract to buy your RECs at that price.

I think that's the better deal for a homeowner. You know the price per REC before you sign, and it doesn't float with a market. The program also won't let a project get a higher price than the one available when it was first submitted, so you can't game it either way.

The price depends on where you live. Ameren Illinois, MidAmerican and co-ops and city utilities in the MISO grid region are Group A. ComEd and the co-ops and city utilities in the PJM region are Group B. ComEd-area systems get about $10 more per REC.

How many RECs your system earns

Here's the part most people miss. You aren't paid for each REC as you make it. When your installer applies, the program portal runs your system through PVWatts, a federal solar production model, using your location, tilt, roof direction and equipment. It estimates your output over the 15-year contract, takes off 0.5% a year for panel aging and rounds down to the whole REC. That number becomes the contract.

Using the same production assumptions as my payback analysis (1,250 kWh per kW a year downstate, 1,200 in ComEd territory, on a decent but imperfect roof), here's what typical home systems come to:

System	Utility area	Est. RECs (15 yrs)	Gross with $20 adder	Est. to owner (80%)	At energization	Then each year, ×6
5 kW	Ameren	88	about $7,950	about $6,350	about $3,200	about $530
5 kW	ComEd	85	about $8,550	about $6,850	about $3,400	about $570
8 kW	Ameren	142	about $12,800	about $10,300	about $5,100	about $860
8 kW	ComEd	136	about $13,700	about $11,000	about $5,500	about $910
10 kW	Ameren	177	about $16,000	about $12,800	about $6,400	about $1,070
10 kW	ComEd	170	about $17,100	about $13,700	about $6,850	about $1,140

Estimates. Sizes are DC panel ratings, and all fall in the up-to-10 kW AC price tier. REC counts apply the program's 0.5% yearly degradation, rounded down a little further to stay conservative. The 80% owner share is the figure I plan with after the approved vendor's fee and collateral; your contract sets the real share.

Roof direction is one of the biggest swings. In PVWatts runs for Springfield, an east- or west-facing roof made roughly 20% less than a south one, which means roughly 20% fewer RECs.

When the money shows up

Small systems on the 2026-27 schedule get 50% at energization and the remainder ratably over the following six years. Before this year, small projects were paid in one lump. A lot of pages still say that.

Two practical notes from doing this with homeowners. First, the program pays the Approved Vendor, not you. Only registered vendors can receive Illinois Shines payments, and your share comes through them under your contract. Second, energization isn't install day. Between the application, the utility's interconnection approval and program review, I tell owners to expect the first check about 12 to 14 months after the panels go up.

The program also requires the approved vendor to post collateral with the utility, starting at 5% of the contract value, which can be drawn on if your system underdelivers its estimated RECs. That's one more reason I plan on about 80% reaching the homeowner rather than the full gross.

The $20 owner adder, and who doesn't get it

This year's biggest change is the $20 per REC adder for customer-owned systems. The Illinois Power Agency added it for the 2026-27 program year specifically to help make up for the loss of the federal tax credit. On an 8 kW system that's about $2,700 to $2,800 gross, or roughly $2,200 to the owner.

The rules are strict:

The system has to be customer-owned. A lease or power purchase agreement doesn't qualify.
The project can't have claimed the federal tax credit.
Your vendor has to disclose the adder on your Illinois Shines Disclosure Form and attest to it again when the system is verified.

The adder is only promised for this program year, which ends May 31, 2027. If you're on the fence about buying, that's a real date to plan around.

Why other sites show different numbers

I checked the pages that rank for Illinois SREC questions in October 2026. The common problems:

Last year's prices. The state's 2025-26 price sheet, $66.34 and $75.48 for small systems, is still online, and pages built from it still show those numbers.
The wrong market. One national guide says an Illinois SREC is worth about $110 and you earn one a month. Illinois pays a set price on a 15-year estimate, not monthly sales.
The old payment rule. Pages describing one upfront payment are describing projects from before this program year.
No owner adder. Older pages leave out the $20, which is about $2,200 to the owner on a typical system.

If you're comparing quotes, the REC calculator uses the current price tables, and the Illinois Shines page covers how the program works end to end.

What you're actually selling

A REC is the environmental value of your solar power, not the power itself. When you sell your RECs through Illinois Shines, that value goes to the utility for 15 years. You still use every kilowatt-hour your panels make and still get the bill savings. But the claim that your home runs on renewable power belongs to the buyer, which is why honest solar companies in Illinois won't tell you otherwise.

A few other things worth asking about before you sign:

Taxes. Ask your tax preparer how the REC payments and the $300 per kW utility rebate apply to you.
Selling your house. The REC contract has a 15-year life, so it comes up in a sale. I covered how that works in selling a house with solar panels in Illinois.
The lease route. With a lease, the leasing company owns the system and keeps the REC value, usually pricing it into a lower monthly rate. The leases I offer have $0 down and a predictable rate as low as $0.10 per kWh over 25 years. Lease vs. buying in Illinois compares both.

Get your own REC number

Send me your address and twelve months of Ameren or ComEd bills. I'll run your roof through the same production model the program uses, with your utility's REC price and the owner adder if you're buying, and show you when each payment lands. Start with the savings calculator, or call me at (618) 217-2001.

Sources

Illinois Shines 2026-27 Program Guidebook — Illinois Power Agency, Apr. 17, 2026 (Section 1: Group A/B definitions; REC defined as 1 MWh; 2026-27 DG REC prices, 0–10 kW AC $70.37 / $80.77, >10–25 kW AC $60.92 / $79.21; Small DG Customer-Owned $20/REC adder eligibility; no higher REC price than at initial submission. Section 4 J: PVWatts REC quantity calculation, 0.5% degradation, rounded down to the whole REC. Section 7: 15-year REC contracts; initial collateral 5% of total REC contract value. Approved Vendors only eligible to receive direct payments)
Illinois Shines, Small DG Category Changes — Illinois Power Agency / Illinois Shines, May 8, 2026 (50% payment at energization, remainder ratably over the subsequent 6 years; $20/REC customer-owned Small DG adder for the 2026-27 program year)
IL Shines REC Prices, 2025-2026 Program Year — Illinois Power Agency, Apr. 2025 (prior-year DG prices up to 10 kW: $66.34 / $75.48)
220 ILCS 5/16-107.6 — Illinois Public Utilities Act, distributed generation rebate ($300 per kW until Dec. 31, 2029)
PVWatts Calculator v8 API — National Laboratory of the Rockies (U.S. DOE); south-facing 1 kW systems: Springfield 1,394, Chicago 1,342 kWh per kW per year; Springfield east 1,124 / west 1,114; run Oct. 25, 2026

Interactive Tool

Estimate Your Illinois Shines REC Value

See what your system could earn through Illinois Shines for the 2026–27 program year, by size and utility territory.

New 2026-2027 Price Updates

Official Illinois Shines Guidebook prices just published. Cash and finance buyers now qualify for an extra +$20/REC Small DG Customer-Owned adder (Small DG ≤25 kW, no federal tax credit claimed).

System Size (kW)

Most IL homes: 5–10 kW

Utility Territory

Peak Sun Hours/Day: 3.8

3h (Chicago)4.8h (Southern IL)

How are you planning to go solar?

Estimated REC Value (85% to customer)

$11,347

50% paid in your first year, remaining 50% quarterly over 6 years • Cash/finance buyers receive directly

How this is calculated

Illinois Shines measures value in RECs (Renewable Energy Credits). 1 REC = 1,000 kWh of solar production. More sunlight and more panels means more production — and a higher REC value.

Annual Production7.5 kW × 3.8 sun hrs × 365 days

10,403 kWh/year

Annual RECs10,403 kWh ÷ 1,000

10.4 RECs/year

Total 15-Year RECs10.4 × 14.2 (contract multiplier)

147.7 RECs

Gross REC Value147.7 RECs × $90.37/REC

$13,350

Tier: 0–10 kW • Ameren IL territory • 2026-2027 program year

+$20/REC Customer-Owned Adder applied ($70.37 base + $20.00 adder)

Estimated Customer REC Value$13,350 × 85%

$11,347

~15% goes to approved vendor admin fee + 5% collateral for underproduction

Tier note: Your 7.5 kW system falls in the 0–10 kW tier at $70.37/REC base. Systems over 10 kW drop to the 10–25 kW tier at $60.92/REC — a lower per-REC rate, though more total production may offset this.

Estimates based on 2026-2027 IL Shines Distributed Generation REC prices published by the Illinois Power Agency. Actual REC value depends on your system's measured production, which varies by roof orientation, shading, and panel efficiency. Lease customers benefit from RECs through lower payments — the installer claims the RECs and carries the 15-year production contract.

Get Your Estimated REC Value — Free Quote

We'll calculate your specific value based on your roof, shading, and optimal system size.

Frequently Asked Questions

For a home system up to 10 kW AC, Illinois Shines pays $70.37 per REC in Ameren territory and $80.77 in ComEd territory for the 2026-27 program year. If you own the system instead of leasing it, the state adds $20 per REC, so owners are looking at about $90 to $101 per REC before the approved vendor's share. One REC equals 1,000 kWh of solar output. An 8 kW system in central Illinois makes roughly 10,000 kWh a year, and the program pays on an estimated 15 years of that production, about 142 RECs. That's roughly $12,800 gross with the owner adder. I plan on about 80% of it reaching the homeowner after the vendor's fee, or about $10,300. ComEd owners land near $11,000 because their price is higher, even though their panels make a little less. Prices are set each program year, so check the current schedule before you sign anything.

You don't sell them yourself. In Illinois, solar RECs are sold through Illinois Shines, and only a registered Approved Vendor can submit your system and receive payment from the program. In practice, the solar company that installs your system is either an Approved Vendor or works with one. The vendor files the application, the program estimates your system's output with a tool called PVWatts, and an Illinois utility signs a 15-year contract to buy those RECs. The vendor then passes your share along under the terms of your own contract with them. There's no exchange to log into and no monthly sale to manage. The price is the one on the program's list when your project is first submitted, and it can't go higher later. Before you sign, ask the company three things: whether they're an Approved Vendor, what share of the REC value you'll get, and when each payment reaches you.

For small residential projects on the 2026-27 schedule, Illinois Shines pays 50% of the contract value at energization, when the system is approved as built and running, and the remaining 50% ratably over the following six years. On an 8 kW Ameren-area system that I estimate at about $10,300 to the owner, that works out to about $5,100 first, then roughly $860 a year for six years. In practice, I tell homeowners to expect that first check about 12 to 14 months after install, because the application, utility interconnection and program review all take time. The money goes to the Approved Vendor first, which then pays you under your contract. The vendor also posts collateral, 5% of the contract value to start, against underdelivery. Older pages often say the full payment comes in one lump sum. That was the rule before the 2026-27 changes for small systems, and it no longer applies to new projects.

No. With a lease or power purchase agreement, the leasing company owns the system, so the Illinois Shines value goes to it and its approved vendor, not to you. Leasing companies typically price the REC value and the utility rebate into the lease. That's part of how a lease can start at $0 down with a predictable monthly rate. The $20 per REC owner adder for 2026-27 is also off the table for leases. The program limits it to customer-owned projects and says plainly that a lease or power purchase agreement doesn't qualify. So the choice is really about how you want to collect the value. Buy the system and the REC payment, the $300 per kW utility rebate and the full bill savings are yours, but you pay up front. Lease it and you skip the up-front cost and the paperwork, and you don't own the panels. Neither answer is wrong. It depends on your cash, your roof and how long you plan to stay.

Because they're describing a different kind of SREC market, or they haven't been updated. One national incentives guide I checked in October 2026 says an Illinois SREC is worth about $110 and that you earn one a month. Illinois doesn't work that way. The Illinois Power Agency publishes a set price per REC for each program year, $70.37 or $80.77 for most homes in 2026-27, and the contract pays on an estimate of 15 years of output instead of monthly sales. Other pages still use last year's official prices, $66.34 for Ameren and $75.48 for ComEd on systems up to 10 kW, or describe the old one-time payment, and they leave out the $20 adder for owners, which started this program year to help make up for the end of the federal tax credit. When a number looks off, check which program year it comes from and whether it's per REC, per year or per contract.