The utility's rules
From the City's Solar Panel Guidelines (net metering section updated April 2025):
| Rule | Naperville Electric Utility |
|---|---|
| Credit for exported power | 1 kWh for 1 kWh against the electric utility portion of the bill |
| Not offset | Meter fees, electric demand charges, other City utility charges |
| Banking | Monthly surplus carries forward; credits expire March 31 |
| Expired credits | Paid in April at the avoided cost rate, 4.9 cents per kWh on the page |
| System size | No set cap for systems sized to your own use, up to 1 MW, "reasonably sized" as the utility decides |
| Before you buy | Check the utility's capacity map; some locations need upgrades first |
| Before it runs | Signed interconnection agreement and a passed City electrical final |
| Re-roofing | Removing and reinstalling panels needs a City building permit |
Because credits expire each March 31, a system sized to produce more than the house uses in a year turns the surplus into cash at the avoided cost rate, far below the retail credit. Size to annual use, and ask the installer for the expected kWh beside your last 12 bills.
The incentive
From the incentive terms (revised January 2026):
- Amount: "$250 per kW at AC Inverter", 7 kW maximum ($1,750), capped at 50% of the installer's invoice less other rebates, SREC incentives and tax credits.
- Who: a residential Naperville Electric Utility customer who owns the single-family home and the system; "Leased systems are ineligible."
- The catch: a Renewable Energy Program contribution of $5 a month or more for 60 consecutive months, and one award per customer. If terms are broken, a prorated part is repaid, falling 20% a year over five years.
- Installer: "must be installed by an electrician registered as an Electrical Contractor with the City of Naperville"; new panels and inverters; a 5-year installer warranty, 20-year module and 5-year inverter manufacturer warranties.
- Deadline: complete paperwork "within 120 days of passing final inspection"; failing inspections disqualifies the application. Batteries and monitoring are not covered.
- Funding: the solar page says that as of 26 June 2026 the full $280,000 budget had been awarded; incentives end for the year once funds run out, with no waiting list.
What it means when you hire
- Ask for the installer's City of Naperville electrical contractor registration. Without it there is no incentive, and our data cannot match Naperville firms to licenses (100.0% unmatched), so the registration check is on you.
- Check the capacity map for your address before signing.
- Put the permit, the interconnection agreement and the final electrical inspection in the contract, with the installer responsible for scheduling them.
- If you will apply for the incentive in a later year, keep the paid invoice and the inspection pass: the 120-day clock starts at the final.
What 341 Naperville solar permits show
| Measure | Naperville solar |
|---|---|
| Permits on homes, October 2023 to September 2026 | 341 |
| Firms / active in the last 12 months | 57 / 26 |
| Usual filed value | $21,450 |
| Middle half of firms' usual value | $14,600 to $41,896 |
| Passed final (a year or more old) | 78.0% |
| Usual days from issue to final | 107 |
| Share held by the five busiest firms | 54.8% |
| Busiest installer, last 12 months | Complete Solar, Inc (16) |
| Busiest / quietest month | November (274) / July (28) |
The usual permit takes 107 days to pass final, and the incentive cannot be claimed until it does. Of permits a year or more old, 78.0% had passed final, so ask any installer for the final inspection result in writing. Filing is lumpy: November runs at index 274, July at 28. Five firms file 54.8% of permits.
See every Naperville solar installer by permits passed final →
Related
Choosing an installer: hiring a solar installer; prices nationally: solar panel installation cost; ownership: solar lease vs buy. Naperville registration: Naperville contractor license lookup. EV chargers on the same panel: Naperville EV charger installers.
What this does not tell you
Permits do not show system size, so we cannot turn filed values into a price per watt, and they do not show who got the incentive. The avoided cost rate and incentive budget change; read the City's page before you sign. This covers Naperville Electric Utility customers only.
How we know this
Net metering, steps and the 2026 budget status are from the City of Naperville's Solar Panel Guidelines page; incentive amounts and conditions from the City's Solar Incentive Terms and Conditions (updated January 2026); both read 23 October 2026. Permit counts are City of Naperville building permits on homes classified as solar, October 2023 to September 2026; final share uses permits a year or more old.
Numbers come from City of Naperville building permits (the current permit system plus the city's older records), data through October 18, 2026. Nobody paid to be on this page and nobody can.
Questions
- Does Naperville have net metering?
Yes, through the City's own electric utility. Power you send to the grid earns credit 1 kWh for 1 kWh against the electric part of your bill; credits build month to month, expire March 31, and are paid out each April at the avoided cost rate (4.9 cents per kWh on the City's page, updated April 2025).
- How much is the Naperville solar incentive?
$250 per kW AC, up to 7 kW, so at most $1,750, and no more than 50% of the installer's invoice after other rebates and credits. The system must be owned, not leased, and you must give $5 a month to the Renewable Energy Program for 60 months.
- Is the Naperville solar incentive still available in 2026?
Not for the rest of 2026. The City's solar page says that as of 26 June 2026, 100% of the $280,000 budget had been awarded; the incentive ends for the calendar year once funds are spent, with no waiting list.
- Who can install solar panels in Naperville?
For the incentive, the system must be installed by an electrician registered as an Electrical Contractor with the City of Naperville. Every system needs City permits, a signed interconnection agreement and a passed final electrical inspection before it can operate.
- How much does solar cost in Naperville?
Naperville solar permits were usually filed at $21,450; the middle half of installers usually file between $14,600 and $41,896 (341 permits, October 2023 to September 2026).
Build your own list
Every firm with that kind of permit on record. Pick what you value. The list moves.
Related guides
- Home improvement costs in Albuquerque, NM (2026): what 6 kinds of jobs were filed at
- The New Mexico solar tax credit for Albuquerque homes: 10% up to $6,000, the EMNRD certificate, the $30 million cap and the deadline
- Home improvement costs in Anaheim, CA (2026): what 8 kinds of jobs were filed at
- Anaheim Public Utilities rebates for heat pumps, water heaters, EV chargers and batteries, and what the permits show
For one city
- Solar Panel Guidelines — City of Naperville Electric Utility (accessed 2026-10-23)
- City of Naperville Solar Incentive Terms and Conditions (updated January 2026) (accessed 2026-10-23)