Helio
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Chicago north suburbs, Illinois
Northbrook, Buffalo Grove, and Riverwoods homes run on ComEd wires, July air-conditioning, and real winters. That doesn't make them one job. A Buffalo Grove split-level and a wooded Riverwoods lot can need very different arrays. Start with the kWh on your statement, then read who's listed under Supply.
ComEd delivers the power across the north suburbs, handles outages, and sends the bill. The name in the Supply section can differ. Northbrook and Buffalo Grove both run municipal aggregation programs, and many enrolled homes see MC Squared Energy Services listed as supplier while ComEd stays on everything else. Northbrook's program is part of a North Shore consortium with Highland Park, Lake Forest, Deerfield, Lake Bluff, and Skokie.
That matters for solar because of how export credits work now (next section). Before you treat any estimate as final, look at the Supply section of a recent bill and note the name. Bring it to the site survey. Your installer confirms how credits post for that supplier and rate.
For the statewide picture, including ComEd north and Ameren south, see the Illinois solar hub.
If your system gets permission to operate from ComEd now, extra power you send to the grid earns credits against the Supply part of your bill only. It no longer offsets Delivery or Taxes & Fees. Credits can be kWh or dollars, and they don't expire.
Homes whose systems were running before January 1, 2025 keep full retail net metering for the life of the system, and a buyer of the house inherits it. If you're house-hunting in Glenview or Vernon Hills and the listing has panels, ask when ComEd granted permission to operate.
ComEd also offers a one-time Distributed Generation (DG) Rebate for systems with a qualifying smart inverter. ComEd lists it at $300 per kW for residential customers. Your installer handles the paperwork and confirms the current amount.
What this means for sizing: power you use while the sun is up is worth more to you than power you export. Size to your real usage, not to the biggest roof you can fill. How to read your electric bill for solar shows where Supply and Delivery sit on the statement.
North suburbs bills have two humps: July and August cooling, then winter lighting, furnace blowers, and anything electric-heated. Twelve months of kWh tells the story better than any one bill. A finished basement, a pool, or an EV in the garage will move the number more than square footage.
Winter days are short, and snow happens. When snow covers panels, they stop producing until it slides or melts. Most of the time it melts off quickly or blows away, and steeper roofs shed it faster. Cold, clear days are actually good for panel efficiency. Don't climb up with a shovel. If a heavy load ever needs clearing, the Department of Energy suggests a soft broom, not a shovel.
If you can, size from a full year of kWh so one snowy February week doesn't skew the estimate.
A lot of the north suburbs sit under mature oaks and maples. Riverwoods, Deerfield, and Lake Forest lots are beautiful for it, and shade is the honest first question on those roofs. A clear south-facing roof in a newer Buffalo Grove or Lincolnshire subdivision is a different starting point.
The roof itself matters too. After decades of freeze-thaw cycles and ice dams, an older shingle roof may need replacing before an array goes on. Installing first and re-roofing later means paying to take panels off and put them back. Ask the installer to look at roof age and shade before they quote production.
Helio is a free solar calculator. You size a rooftop system from your bill, see a production sketch and a cost range, and decide if anyone contacts you. There's no north suburbs storefront and no call center booking appointments.
Helio Verified installers are the only ones with a contact button, and only after you've built a full design with real information. We don't sell your design to a blast list.
A Helio estimate is homework: size, production, ballpark. The installer quote comes after the roof, panel, shade, and ComEd paperwork are real. Those details can raise or lower the number. For how cash, loan, and lease compare, see how much solar costs. For the bigger "should I?" question, see is solar worth it.
Yes, but it changed. Systems that got ComEd permission to operate on or after January 1, 2025 earn export credits against the Supply section of the bill only, not Delivery or Taxes & Fees. Credits can be kWh or dollars and don't expire. Homes with systems running before 2025 keep full retail net metering for the life of the system.
It can affect how export credits show up, so flag it. Northbrook, Buffalo Grove, and several neighboring towns use MC Squared Energy Services through municipal aggregation. ComEd still delivers power and sends the bill. Size from your kWh either way, then ask your installer how credits post for your supplier and rate before you sign.
Yes, with a seasonal dip. Snow-covered panels stop producing until the snow slides or melts, and short December days lower output. Most snow clears quickly, and steeper roofs shed it faster. Panels actually run more efficiently in cold weather. Sizing from a full year of usage puts winter in the picture from the start.
Usually no. The Department of Energy notes most snow melts or blows off on its own. Don't shovel panels or climb an icy roof. If a heavy buildup ever needs clearing, a soft broom from a safe spot is the gentlest option. A few lost days of winter production cost far less than a cracked panel or a fall.
Yes. ComEd's Distributed Generation (DG) Rebate is a one-time payment for systems with a qualifying smart inverter, listed at $300 per kW for residential customers. Installers often handle the application. If you already have full retail net metering from before 2025, taking the rebate for solar gives that status up, so ask first.
Ask when ComEd granted the system permission to operate. Systems running before January 1, 2025 keep full retail net metering for the life of the system, and that status passes to the next owner. Also ask for the roof's age, any warranty paperwork, and twelve months of bills so you see real production, not a sales sheet.
Got a ComEd bill handy? Paste a recent bill or enter your monthly kWh and get a system size, a production sketch, and a cost range in a couple of minutes. Free, no call center.
Outage worry? Grid-tied panels shut down when the ComEd grid does. That's a battery decision, not a bigger array.
Questions? Email the team at support@heliosolarcalculator.com