For many Illinois homeowners, solar power is a boon for their wallets and the planet

CHICAGO (CBS) – CBS 2 recently reported about how some Illinois residents put solar panels on their property but did not receive the promised rebates from a rogue contractor.

Several people reached out to CBS 2 after that report to talk about their positive experiences with solar power. So CBS 2’s Lauren Victory set out to explore a new tool to help consumers figure out if harnessing the sun will work at their home.

There is serenity in Suraiya Mansuri’s Skokie backyard and a lot of plants. It was the Mansuris’ love of the outdoors that inspired them to invest in solar panels. The installation came after other environmentally-friendly decisions like reusing rainwater to hydrate their garden.

Thomas O’Donnell is also committed to sustainability and tries to keep green in the kitchen. Solar energy made sense for his Portage Park home.

“Completely about taking care of the Earth and making sure that we have something to pass on,” O’Donnell, a chef, said.

The panels are already paying off. The Mansuris paid about $100 less on their bill in July 2023 than they did in July of 2022.

“I thought it was great,” said Ibrahim Mansuri. “I was excited. I said, ‘Whatever I’m planning, or whatever I was planning, it is working.’”

But solar power doesn’t work for every home. Factors to consider include the age of a roof and shade from surrounding trees.

A new-and-improved ComEd solar calculator is one way to evaluate all of those factors. The online tool prompts users with questions about their current energy usage and future power needs for items like an electric vehicle. Then it spits out a base-level estimate of what to expect if they make the renewable energy plunge. CBS 2 plugged in the address of a station producer’s house and shared the results with Justin Hollister, ComEd’s solar interconnection manager.

Victory: “The first thing is looking at that big number for the upfront cost. What happens if people at home can’t stomach that?”

Hollister: “Yeah, so they’ll work with a developer to determine how they are gonna pay for it.”

O’Donnell took out a loan to finance his 18 solar panels, which cost about $18,000.

Within about a year, at least 60% of that upfront cost gets paid back through a federal tax credit and other rebates.

Mansuri expects to recoup at least $10,000.

“I’m out of pocket at the end of the day, after next year, I’ll be like $4,500,” he said.

For the property CBS 2 used in the online tool, it gave an estimated seven to eight years to recoup the money from an investment in solar power.

Hollister said that’s a “pretty typical” estimated timeframe.

“It really depends a lot on different usage rates, different size of systems that you’re having installed,” he said.

It also depends on how much energy the panels produce. Basically, ComEd gives customers a credit for any surplus energy. That’s how bills get zapped.

“It was really hot last year,” O’Donnell said. “We were probably running about 200 bucks a month and now I’m running $13, which is, you know, insane.”

As far as maintenance costs, both families expect to spend a few hundred dollars every few years. For them, to save money and the environment, that’s a wash.

Leasing solar panels or subscribing to a community solar farm are other ways to get in on renewable energy.

To learn more about if solar energy is right for your home or business, ComEd.com. You can also view the company’s solar calculator here.