Is Plug-In Solar Legal in Illinois?
Gray area Avg rate ~17¢/kWh
Last verified: August 23, 2026 · source data
A grid-tie kit feeds power into your home while the sun is up, which lowers what you draw from the utility. It shuts down in a blackout by design, so that line workers are not exposed to your power.
A power station does the opposite. It will run your fridge in an outage and it lowers nothing on an ordinary day.
Most people who arrive on this page want the first one. If you want backup as well, that is a second purchase, not a bigger version of the first.
→ For daily bill offset: balcony solar kits
→ For outages: power stations
Two systems, one job. For plug-in solar that feeds your home and lowers the bill, the head-to-head worth reading is EcoFlow Stream vs Anker SOLIX — two balcony systems doing that same job.
A different job: a portable power station is backup power for an outage. It is not a substitute for a grid-tie kit and it does not lower your bill. If that is what you are after: Anker C1000 vs EcoFlow DELTA 3 · C1000 vs C2000 · Anker vs EcoFlow at brand level
No specific plug-in framework yet; standard interconnection rules apply. Check with ComEd or Ameren before relying on export.
The bill: SB 3104 and the 391-watt line
Illinois has the most developed plug-in solar bill of any state that has not passed one. SB 3104, filed by Sen. Rachel Ventura and carrying 17 Senate sponsors, got further than most and then ran out of calendar.
- 29 January 2026 — filed and read a first time.
- 12 March 2026 — reported Do Pass as Amended by Energy and Public Utilities, 9–4.
- 25 March 2026 — passed second reading and was placed on the third-reading calendar.
- The third-reading deadline was extended three times — 8 May, 15 May, 22 May.
- 22 May 2026 — re-referred to Assignments under Senate Rule 3-9(a). That is where it stopped: it never got a third reading, so the full Senate never voted.
What the amended bill would do
Senate Committee Amendment No. 2, adopted 12 March 2026, replaced the bill’s text. Its central number is one no other state uses:
- 391 watts or less to a receptacle outlet — exempt from building safety code or product listing provisions that would require alterations to the building’s premises, wiring or electrical panels.
- More than 391 watts — installation prohibited until the National Fire Protection Association adopts a National Electrical Code standard covering those systems.
- Certification by Underwriters Laboratories or an equivalent nationally recognized testing laboratory is required.
- Systems manufactured on or after 1 January 2027 need a label; selling one without it would be an unlawful practice under the Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act.
- The owner must notify the electricity provider within 30 days of installation.
- No net metering and no distributed generation rebate.
- Homeowners’ associations, condominium associations and landlords could not prohibit a plug-in solar system.
Source: Illinois General Assembly — Bill Status of SB3104, including the official synopsis of Senate Committee Amendment No. 2. Read 23 August 2026. None of this is in force.
Before you buy in Illinois
Call your electric utility and ask: (1) do they allow small plug-in / behind-the-meter grid-tied solar, and (2) is any notification or interconnection form required? Stay within the wattage they specify, use a UL-listed microinverter, and keep written confirmation.
Then estimate your numbers with our savings calculator (pre-loaded with Illinois's rate).
Ready to start? If you want backup power for outages rather than a grid-tied kit, see our power stations guide →
Nearby states: Wisconsin · Iowa · Missouri · Kentucky · Indiana · see the full 50-state tracker.
Frequently asked questions
Is plug-in solar legal in Illinois?
Plug-in (balcony) solar is legal to install in Illinois, but there is no plug-in-specific state law yet — SB 3104 cleared its committee and a second reading but stalled in May 2026, so your utility’s standard interconnection rules still apply. Average residential electricity rate is around 17¢/kWh. Confirm wattage limits with your utility before buying.
Do I need utility permission in Illinois?
It depends on your state's rules and your utility. The safe path in Illinois is to use a UL-listed (UL 3700) microinverter and check your utility's interconnection policy (major utilities here include ComEd, Ameren) before you install; see the status for Illinois above for specifics.
Is there a bill to legalize plug-in solar in Illinois?
Yes. SB 3104, the plug-in solar energy systems bill from Sen. Rachel Ventura with 17 Senate sponsors, cleared the Energy and Public Utilities committee 9-4 on March 12, 2026 and passed a second reading on March 25. Its third-reading deadline was extended three times and on May 22, 2026 it was re-referred to Assignments under Senate Rule 3-9(a). Three further procedural actions followed on July 2, 2026, when Senate Floor Amendments 4, 5 and 7 were re-referred to Assignments under Senate Rule 3-9(b); the last substantive action remains May 22. It is not law.
How much can plug-in solar save in Illinois?
Illinois’s average residential electricity rate is around 17¢/kWh. Estimate your own savings with our free savings calculator, pre-loaded with Illinois’s rate.