Solar panels in Forest Glen, Chicago

Forest Glen is a small, wooded Northwest Side neighborhood of single-family homes beside the forest preserves and the North Branch of the Chicago River.

• The Encyclopedia of Chicago calls the Forest Glen community area, which also takes in Edgebrook and Sauganash, perhaps the most stereotypically suburban of Chicago's community areas. Real estate development began there in the mid-1920s.
• Forest Glen had the most tree canopy of all 77 community areas, 48.72%, in a 2016 Nature Conservancy and Morton Arboretum study. That's great for summer shade but can cut solar output, so ask installers for a shade report.
• Residents voted to create their own Forest Glen Park District in 1929; it merged into the Chicago Park District in 1934.

• Small rooftop systems can use the Department of Buildings' Express Permit Program: inverter output of 13.44 kW or less, roof-mounted only, installed by a city-approved solar contractor, with one installation per ComEd service. Larger or ballasted systems need drawings from an Illinois-licensed architect or structural engineer.
• Residential panels must sit at least 3 feet from the edge of the roof.
• Only electrical contractors licensed by the City of Chicago can do the electrical work, so ask installers for their Chicago license.
• The city's solar zoning policy calls for separate design review for Chicago Landmarks and homes in Chicago Landmark Districts, and says rooftop panels there should be placed so they aren't visible from streets and sidewalks.

ComEd then approves the connection and your installer files for the rebate. For the full city picture, see solar in Chicago and solar permits in Illinois, town by town.

Illinois Shines, the state's solar incentive program, had approved 307 home-sized solar systems (25 kW or smaller) in ZIP code 60630 as of September 2026, including 43 in the past 12 months. About 41% are owned by the homeowner, compared with 44% statewide, and the typical system is 6.0 kW.

Yes. A battery keeps chosen circuits running when ComEd's grid goes down, which standard solar alone can't do, and ComEd pays about $300 per kWh of capacity, around $4,050 for one 13.5 kWh battery, through its virtual power plant program.

Chicago's July 2023 storms brought more than 12,000 basement flooding reports to 311 from July 2 to 18, more than in 2021 and 2022 combined, according to WBEZ. A battery that keeps the sump pump running is one of the most common reasons Chicago homeowners add storage. See sump pump battery backup and what a home battery costs.

• A Chicago-licensed electrical contractor for the electrical work, and a city-approved solar contractor if you want the Express Permit route.
• Illinois Shines Approved Vendor status, so the incentive is passed to you.
• Landmark experience if your home is a Chicago Landmark or in a landmark district.
• Two or three quotes compared on price per watt, equipment and warranties. Our solar quote checker flags high prices.

See how to choose a solar installer in Illinois.