Commonwealth Edison (ComEd) Solar Program Overview
Commonwealth Edison (ComEd) is one of the larger energy companies in the US and has been around for 113 years. It provides service to about 3.8 million people in Illinois and is a subsidiary of Exelon, a larger utility company. It does not generate electricity, purchasing the energy it distributes from other generation facilities owned by Exelon, who generates energy via nuclear, wind, hydroelectric, oil, natural gas and solar sources.
ComEd supports over 4,000 solar customers (and more every day!) who are connected to the energy grid. Customers can also purchase clean electricity exclusively generated by solar when they enroll in the Community Solar plan. In the long run, installing your own home solar system is a less costly option, especially when you take advantage of existing solar rebates and incentives from the state and federal governments.
How the ComEd Solar Program Works
Solar energy generated from your own solar panel system can be used to power your home, store energy in a home battery, or sell the power back to the electricity grid. To power your home, you need a solar system and sunlight. To store energy for future use (like at night), you need a special home battery. To sell power back to the grid, you need a two-way system and a meter that is hooked up to the utility grid. These function together to send energy back to the grid and offset your electric bill, a program which is called net metering, Net Energy Metering or NEM.
ComEd offers Net Metering almost everywhere. There is an online tool for checking the validity of your location, and EnergyPal can help you determine if your home is applicable. You are compensated for energy you sell back to the ComEd grid in the form of either monetary net metering credits or credit in kilowatt-hours (kWh), depending on what rate plan you are enrolled in. The credit goes against the cost of retail electricity you use when you cannot supply yourself with enough solar energy. Sometimes the amount you can sell back to the grid is capped. With ComEd, your system needs to be less than 2,000 kW and cannot produce more than 110% of your most recent 12 months of energy use.
Overall, you can offset your electric bill to near zero! However, ComEd will not compensate you above 100% offset of your ComEd electric bill charges, credits do not apply to customer and standard meter charges, and credits do not carry over to the next 12-month billing period. EnergyPal will help you size and configure your solar and home battery system appropriately to ensure you maximize your financial savings and energy independence.
Becoming a ComEd Solar Customer
In addition to reducing fossil fuel consumption and diminishing your carbon footprint, you can reduce your monthly bill, improve the resale value of your home and avoid power loss during outages with your own solar (or solar-battery) system. EnergyPal will help you follow these steps:
- Download your ComEd bill information on your annual usage.
- Assess the solar potential for your home using ComEd’s online calculator, and analyze your roof.
- Compare quotes for solar panel systems and finance options.
- Prepare the interconnection agreement, and sign documentation.
- Prepare the interconnection application, and sign documentation. ComEd even has an online project tracker.
- Install your solar system using qualified workers.
- Pass inspection with local inspectors and ComEd.
- Sign up for Net Metering to get ComEd bill credit for generating your own power!
Upfront ComEd Solar Incentives
There are multiple incentive programs available to reduce the upfront costs associated with solar system installations. They are the:
- Solar Renewable Energy Credit (SREC) program. This is a state-sponsored program that pays 7.1 cents per kWh of energy you produce over the first 15 years you own your solar system. It is paid out in the first year of ownership as a lump sum and is subject to taxes.
- Illinois Solar for All program. These programs provide free or discounted home solar systems to homeowners, renters and non-profits who qualify based on need or location. In some instances, participants are protected from future cost increases as well.
EnergyPal is available to help you navigate ComEd bills and the ComEd solar program requirements and steps for installing solar. Start by requesting a quote, and we’ll help you through the whole process so you get the right system at the right price and offset your ComEd electric bill.