Solar Answers → Incentives & Programs
How does the ComEd battery storage rebate work?
ComEd pays $300 per kilowatt-hour (kWh) of nameplate battery capacity through its Distributed Generation rebate — a one-time check, not a bill credit. A typical 13.5 kWh home battery earns $4,050. Since June 1, 2026 the rebate comes with three conditions: the battery must be paired with a qualifying solar system, you must enroll it in ComEd's Scheduled Dispatch Virtual Power Plant for a five-year term, and you must take supply under a ComEd Qualifying Utility Product for the life of the battery. Rate BESH (Hourly Pricing) is one qualifying product, not the only one.
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How much is the ComEd battery storage rebate?
The ComEd battery storage rebate pays $300 per kWh of nameplate capacity for residential and small commercial customers — a one-time check calculated purely on your battery's size, not its cost. A 10 kWh battery earns $3,000; a 20 kWh battery earns $6,000. Larger commercial and industrial systems (outside the residential/Small C&I class) receive $250/kWh instead.
That's the whole formula — nameplate battery capacity, in kWh, times the applicable rate. You don't have to also claim ComEd's separate $300/kW solar rebate to collect the storage rebate; the two are filed independently, though your solar system still has to qualify as an eligible distributed generation facility either way. (ComEd's separate Solar Paired With Storage rebate is aimed at large commercial systems, not homes.) What solar itself costs before either rebate comes off is on how much do solar panels cost in Illinois.
Typical residential sizes — your rebate = nameplate kWh × $300:
Swipe the table sideways to see every column →
| Battery size (nameplate) | Rebate at $300/kWh |
|---|---|
| 10 kWh | $3,000 |
| 13.5 kWh | $4,050 |
| 20 kWh | $6,000 |
Illustrative math on ComEd's published rate — your actual rebate is based on your equipment's nameplate capacity, not the examples above. Run your own size through the rebate tool below.
Thinking about more than one battery? The rebate scales the same way — nameplate kWh × $300, whatever the total. Here's what that looks like on the most common single battery size versus two of them:
1 Battery (13.5 kWh)
2 Batteries (27 kWh)
Straight arithmetic on the published $300/kWh rate — not a quote, and not a guarantee your home can fit or interconnect two units. Two batteries can also mean a bigger annual payment from ComEd's virtual power plant — see how that program pays, battery by battery.
Who qualifies for the ComEd battery storage rebate?
Your battery must be paired with a qualifying solar (or other renewable) system, include a smart inverter installed and in operation, and be owned by the applicant or installed with the property owner's permission. Standalone battery storage — installed without solar — doesn't meet ComEd's definition of an eligible energy storage facility, so it isn't eligible on its own. And ComEd's rebate page states that DG rebates are available to customers who interconnected after August 11, 2022.
If you don't have solar: ComEd's own terms define an eligible energy storage facility as one "associated with" a qualifying distributed generation system — in practice, almost always solar. A battery installed with no solar attached doesn't meet that definition, regardless of how it's marketed to you. Whether pairing the two makes sense for your home in the first place is a separate question — is a home battery worth it in Illinois?
Already have solar? A battery added to an existing system can qualify, as long as that system counts as a qualifying distributed generation facility under ComEd's terms — interconnected after August 11, 2022, with a conforming smart inverter — and the battery meets the same inverter requirement. Confirm your interconnection date with ComEd before you buy the battery on the strength of the rebate.
If your battery is leased or financed through a PPA, the rebate follows equipment ownership — typically the leasing or finance company, not you. Ask for the pass-through value in writing before you sign, the same way you'd ask an Illinois Shines Approved Vendor how REC value shows up in your contract price.
Want the short version for your specific situation? Jump to the 3-step rebate tool below — your size, your eligibility, and the two commitments in one read.
What does taking the rebate commit you to?
Two things, on two different clocks. Since June 1, 2026, ComEd's rebate page makes participation in its Scheduled Dispatch Virtual Power Plant (SDVPP) a condition of the DG Rebate — a five-year program term during which ComEd can call on your battery on summer weekday afternoons. Separately, the rebate's own terms require you to take supply under a Qualifying Utility Product for the life of the battery. Neither is a one-time decision like the check itself.
"Customer must agree to participate in ComEd's Scheduled Dispatch Virtual Power Plant (SDVPP) Program for the required SDVPP term, in order to qualify for the DG Rebate."
ComEd, Distributed Generation Rebates page — as displayed September 3, 2026Rider SDVPP: a program term of five consecutive Seasons (June 1 – September 30), with a dispatch window of 4–6 pm Central on weekdays. ComEd pays $10 per kW-Season for the average injection you deliver, there's no minimum injection commitment, and the battery must stay fixed in place for the whole term. Service begins no later than March 1, 2027; enrollment wasn't open as of September 3, 2026.
The rebate terms require electric supply from ComEd under a Qualifying Utility Product, and keeping one for as long as the storage facility exists. Rate BESH — Hourly Pricing — is one option ComEd names; it isn't the only one, and the terms don't limit you to it. This clock has no published end date.
The date that decides which clock applies to you: a storage rebate received on or after June 1, 2026 makes SDVPP participation mandatory. A rebate paid before that date — or no rebate at all — leaves participation voluntary, and the rider's December 31 opt-out belongs to voluntary participants only. Nobody else spells this out, and it's the single most useful thing to know before you sign.
What ComEd hasn't published yet: a dollar figure for leaving early, what happens if you sell the house during the term, and any enrollment cap. Until it does, get each of those answered in writing before you rely on the rebate. The full rider — dispatch rules, payment timing, who can opt out — is read line by line on the ComEd virtual power plant guide.
Is there a rate-plan requirement for the ComEd battery rebate?
Yes — ComEd requires storage-rebate recipients to enroll in a Qualifying Utility Product and stay on it for the life of the battery. Rate BESH (Basic Electric Service Hourly, also called Hourly Pricing) is one Qualifying Utility Product — ComEd's rebate page lists it by name as one way to satisfy the requirement — but it isn't the only one, and the terms themselves don't limit you to it.
"...must take electric power and energy supply from ComEd under any Qualifying Utility Product, and agree to continue to take electric power and energy supply under a Qualifying Utility Product for the life of the energy storage facility, in order for such energy storage facility to qualify for a rebate."
ComEd Distributed Generation Rebate Terms and Conditions, 2026 editionIf you land on Rate BESH specifically, that's a bigger commitment than it sounds: your ComEd supply charge would move with wholesale prices hour to hour instead of the flat rate most customers are on, for as long as you keep the battery. If you also have solar, Hourly Pricing changes how your export credits get calculated too — see our net metering guide, or the full mechanics on our dedicated ComEd Hourly Pricing + solar page before you choose. Ask ComEd to name every qualifying option in writing, and check the current price before you commit — ComEd's next rate reset is tracked separately. One thing this requirement is not: the virtual power plant itself has no hourly-pricing rule of its own — the supply-product clock comes from the rebate terms, not from Rider SDVPP.
How do you apply, and when does the check arrive?
You (or your installer, with your authorization) submit a signed DG Rebate application to ComEd with an itemized contractor invoice or purchase receipt after your system is energized and inspected. Once approved, the rebate arrives as a single check — CUB's guidance describes a typical window of about 90 days from energization, though ComEd sets no guaranteed date. The steps, in order:
- Before you sign anything, get the conditions in writing. Confirm the installer is an Illinois Shines Approved Vendor (five minutes, here's how), that the inverter conforms to ComEd's required smart-inverter settings, and that your contract states who receives the rebate, which Qualifying Utility Product you'll be enrolled in, and that SDVPP participation is required. What else to check in the quote.
- Install and interconnect. The battery must be paired with a qualifying solar system; ComEd's rebate page states DG rebates are available to customers who interconnected after August 11, 2022.
- Energize and pass inspection. ComEd can request a post-installation inspection before it pays, and reserves the right to inspect installed equipment for up to a year after paying.
- Submit the signed DG Rebate application with the itemized invoice or receipt. Your installer can file it on your behalf with your written authorization — most do. An incomplete application delays payment or gets it denied, so check the paperwork before it goes in.
- Receive the check. CUB's typical window is about 90 days from energization; ComEd publishes no guaranteed date. Enroll in SDVPP when ComEd opens enrollment — it hadn't as of September 3, 2026 — and stay on your Qualifying Utility Product for the life of the battery.
What does taking the ComEd battery rebate cost you?
Five years of virtual-power-plant participation with the battery fixed in place, a Qualifying Utility Product for as long as the battery exists, and — according to ComEd's tariff — no Community Solar subscription at the same address. The good news: unlike the separate solar generation rebate, taking the storage rebate does not cost pre-2025 solar owners their full-retail net metering. And if your battery is leased or under a PPA, the rebate likely belongs to whoever owns the equipment, not you.
Weigh the two commitments as a pair, not as fine print. Ask what ComEd charges to leave the program early and what happens on a sale of the house — neither is published yet. Watch out, too, for offers that bundle a battery with a non-utility electricity-supply contract and get called a "rebate" or "free battery" — those are not this ComEd program and run on very different terms: what those contracts actually say. Not sure whether solar-paired storage fits your home? A two-minute eligibility check can model that against your own roof and usage before you talk to an installer.
Does the battery rebate stack with other Illinois incentives?
Yes. The storage rebate stacks with ComEd's separate $300/kW solar Distributed Generation rebate and with Illinois Shines renewable energy credits, which pay $80.77 per REC in ComEd territory for program year 2026–27 on systems up to 10 kW AC, plus $20 more per REC if you own the system outright. These are three distinct value streams on the same system, each with its own rules — see the full stack in one place on Illinois solar incentives 2026.
For the solar side of that math, see our ComEd Solar Rebate guide — this page covers storage only.
The virtual-power-plant payment is a fourth stream, and a different kind: it's a condition of this rebate, not a stacking bonus, and it pays $10 per kW-Season on what your battery actually delivers during dispatch hours — the ComEd Virtual Power Plant guide works the payment example through.
How does Ameren's battery rebate differ?
Ameren pays the same $300/kWh for residential batteries, and since June 1, 2026 its gate has the same shape: the battery must be paired with on-site solar and enrolled in Ameren's Scheduled Dispatch Virtual Power Plant, per Ameren's own DER Bulletin 2026-04. What Ameren does not add is ComEd's supply-product requirement — the bulletin says VPP enrollment doesn't change your supply option on its own. Ameren's dispatch, payment and exit terms weren't published as of September 3, 2026.
This page covers ComEd. The side-by-side of both utilities lives on Illinois battery incentives, explained, and Ameren's program has its own guide: the Ameren virtual power plant.
What would the rebate mean for your home?
Three steps, answered from ComEd's own published terms: your battery size, the eligibility gates, and the two commitments. Nothing is sent until you choose to start the eligibility check — this runs in your browser.
Your rebate, your eligibility, your commitments
Rebate math on ComEd's published $300/kWh rate. Eligibility answers come straight from the Distributed Generation Rebate Terms and Conditions.
Nameplate kWh × $300, residential rate. Not a quote; your rebate is set by your equipment's rated capacity.
Who is your electric utility?
Is the battery paired with solar (existing or planned)?
Will you own the battery, or lease/PPA it?
Are you currently on a Community Solar subscription?
Five years in ComEd's virtual power plant — summer weekday dispatch, battery fixed in place, $10 per kW-Season paid. Workable?
A ComEd Qualifying Utility Product for the life of the battery — Hourly Pricing is one option. Workable?
Do you expect to stay in this home for the next five years?
Ready to see the real numbers for your home? The free eligibility check looks at your roof, your battery plans and your utility together — and says so if solar-paired storage isn't a fit.
See my solar + battery numbers →The terms, in plain English
- DG Rebate
- ComEd's Distributed Generation Rebate — the umbrella program that pays both the $300/kW solar rebate and the $300/kWh storage rebate.
- Nameplate capacity
- The rated size of your equipment, in kW for solar or kWh for a battery, as stated by the manufacturer — this is what the rebate is calculated on, not what the system cost or what it's worth.
- Scheduled Dispatch Virtual Power Plant (SDVPP)
- ComEd's program, approved by the Illinois Commerce Commission on June 30, 2026, that pays enrolled battery owners $10 per kW-Season for energy sent to the grid on summer weekday afternoons. Participation is a condition of any storage rebate received on or after June 1, 2026.
- Program Term and Season
- The term is five consecutive Seasons; a Season runs June 1 to September 30. The dispatch window is 4–6 pm Central, Monday through Friday, during the Season. The battery must stay fixed in place for the whole term.
- Qualifying Utility Product
- The category of ComEd supply rates that satisfies the storage rebate's life-of-facility requirement. Rate BESH is one option; ComEd's rebate page names it as one way to qualify, not the only one.
- Rate BESH
- ComEd's hourly-priced supply rate (Basic Electric Service Hourly) — one Qualifying Utility Product among others, and the same rate that lets solar export credits offset an entire bill.
- Project Owner
- Where a battery is leased or financed, the entity that owns the equipment — typically the leasing or finance company, not the homeowner — and typically who the rebate is paid to.
- Community Solar
- A subscription to a shared, off-site solar array rather than panels on your own roof. ComEd's terms treat this and the storage rebate as mutually exclusive.
ComEd Battery Storage Rebate FAQ
Does ComEd's battery rebate require solar panels?
Yes. ComEd's $300/kWh storage rebate only applies to battery systems paired with a qualifying renewable-generation facility — in practice, almost always solar. A standalone battery with no solar system attached doesn't meet ComEd's definition of an eligible energy storage facility.
Can I add a battery to solar I already have and still get the rebate?
Yes, if the existing system counts as a qualifying distributed generation facility under ComEd's terms. ComEd's rebate page states DG rebates are available to customers who interconnected after August 11, 2022, and both the solar system and the battery must use an inverter that conforms to ComEd's required smart-inverter settings. Confirm your interconnection date with ComEd before you buy the battery on the strength of the rebate.
How much does a typical home battery earn from the ComEd rebate?
The rebate is $300 per kWh of nameplate capacity, calculated on battery size, not battery cost. A 10 kWh battery earns $3,000; a 13.5 kWh battery (a common size class) earns $4,050; a 20 kWh battery earns $6,000. Two batteries earn roughly double, since the rebate simply scales with total nameplate kWh.
Do I have to join ComEd's virtual power plant to get the battery rebate?
Yes, for any storage rebate received on or after June 1, 2026. ComEd's rebate page states the customer must agree to participate in its Scheduled Dispatch Virtual Power Plant for the required term — five consecutive Seasons of summer weekday dispatch, with the battery fixed in place. ComEd pays $10 per kW-Season for the energy you deliver. Rebates paid before June 1, 2026 didn't carry the requirement, and joining stays voluntary for anyone who never took the rebate.
Is ComEd's virtual power plant enrollment open yet?
Not as of September 3, 2026. The Illinois Commerce Commission approved Rider SDVPP on June 30, 2026 and ComEd has said service begins no later than March 1, 2027, but enrollment dates, any cap, and the process haven't been published. Taking the rebate now means agreeing to enroll when it opens; we re-check the day ComEd announces it.
What is a Qualifying Utility Product, and do I have to stay on it forever?
It's the category of ComEd supply rate you must enroll in — and stay enrolled in for the life of your battery — to keep the storage rebate. Rate BESH, ComEd's hourly-priced Basic Electric Service Hourly plan, is one Qualifying Utility Product that satisfies this; ComEd's rebate page names it as one option, not the only one. Ask ComEd to name every qualifying option in writing before you commit.
What if I sell my house during the five-year virtual-power-plant term?
ComEd hasn't published what happens. The rider requires the battery to stay fixed in place for the whole program term, the December 31 opt-out applies to voluntary participants only, and no early-exit dollar figure or sale provision has been published. Get ComEd's answer in writing before you sign, and if a move inside five years is likely, weigh the rebate against that gap rather than assuming it transfers.
Will taking the battery rebate affect my net metering?
Not on its own. If you installed solar before January 1, 2025 and still have full-retail net metering, taking the storage rebate alone won't cost you that status. It's the separate solar generation rebate that ends full-retail netting — the storage rebate doesn't.
Can I get the battery rebate if I lease my battery or have a PPA?
The rebate goes to whoever owns or operates the equipment — for a lease or PPA, that's typically the financing company, not you. Ask for the pass-through value in writing before you sign.
Does the battery rebate come automatically with the solar $300/kW rebate?
No — they're filed as separate applications, and you don't have to claim the solar generation rebate to claim the storage rebate. Your underlying solar system still has to qualify as an eligible distributed generation facility either way.
How long does the ComEd battery rebate check take to arrive?
ComEd doesn't publish a guaranteed date, and an incomplete application can delay or disqualify it. CUB's guidance describes a typical window of about 90 days after your system is energized and your application is fully processed.
Can I still get the battery rebate if I'm on a Community Solar plan?
No. According to ComEd's tariff, customers who receive a battery storage rebate can't also participate in a Community Solar subscription — it's one or the other, not both.
Is the ComEd battery rebate the same thing as Illinois Shines?
No — different programs, different payers. The battery rebate is a one-time payment direct from ComEd. Illinois Shines pays for renewable energy credits through your Approved Vendor, separately, over a 15-year contract. Many systems qualify for both.
What size battery gets the biggest ComEd rebate?
There's no cap stated in ComEd's terms for typical residential systems — the rebate simply scales with nameplate kWh at $300/kWh. A bigger battery, or a second battery, earns a bigger one-time check, but it also means a bigger upfront system cost, so the rebate is best read as an offset, not a reason to oversize.
Related answers
See what the ComEd battery rebate means at your address.
Free, about a minute, no obligation — see whether solar-paired storage pencils out for your home, commitments included.
Free eligibility check · ComEd & Ameren · No obligationThe Day Company is an Illinois solar and battery information resource. Information you submit may be used by our review team and authorized partners to contact you about your request. Checking eligibility creates no obligation.
Sources
- ComEd — Distributed Generation Rebates (rebate rates, the SDVPP participation condition, the August 11, 2022 interconnection rule, and the link to the 2026 Terms and Conditions)
- ComEd Rider SDVPP — Scheduled Dispatch Virtual Power Plant Program, ICC filing 399541 (program term, Season, dispatch window, $10/kW-Season rate, fixed-in-place requirement)
- Solar and Storage Rebates in Illinois — Fact Sheet (Citizens Utility Board, March 2026)
- Illinois Public Utilities Act, 220 ILCS 5/16-107.6 (ilga.gov)
- Illinois Shines — DG Purchase Disclosure Form Guidance
- Ameren Illinois DER Bulletin 2026-04 (the Ameren SD VPP gate, for the comparison)
- Ameren Illinois — Distributed Generation & Energy Storage Rebates
Changelog: July 21, 2026 — v1 published. August 7, 2026 — corrected the rate-plan requirement: ComEd's terms require any Qualifying Utility Product, not Rate BESH specifically. Added a 1-vs-2-battery rebate comparison, an eligibility checker, and a glossary. September 3, 2026 — added the virtual-power-plant condition (mandatory for rebates received on or after June 1, 2026) and what it commits you to; corrected the Ameren comparison to the SD VPP gate; rewrote how-to-apply as steps; replaced the checker with a three-step rebate tool; re-verified every figure at source.
How to cite: The Day Company Editorial Team, "How does the ComEd battery storage rebate work?," The Day Company, updated September 3, 2026. https://theday.company/answers/comed-battery-storage-rebate