Incentives & financing
Every dollar available for solar in Indiana and Illinois, in one place.
Federal credits and depreciation, Illinois Shines, utility export credits and financing. Updated October 2026.
Federal investment tax credit (48E)
30% of system cost for farm and business systems placed in service by December 31, 2027. The residential credit (25D) ended for costs after December 31, 2025. Foreign-content rules now apply.
Learn more →Depreciation
Solar is 5-year MACRS property and 100% bonus depreciation was restored for equipment acquired after January 19, 2025. For most farms this is worth nearly as much as the credit.
Learn more →Illinois Shines
15 years of REC payments for Illinois systems, through Approved Vendor #336. Small systems: 50% at energization plus a $20/REC adder for customer-owned systems.
Learn more →Elective pay for tax-exempt owners
Schools, townships and churches can receive the 30% credit value as a direct payment from the IRS for systems placed in service by the end of 2027.
Learn more →Utility export credits
Illinois IOUs: supply-only credits plus a $300/kW smart-inverter rebate. Indiana IOUs: excess distributed generation tariffs. Co-ops and REMCs set their own; we read yours before we size.
Learn more →Financing & leases
Bank financing with terms up to 10 years through ag lenders we work with, plus a lease option for qualifying customers who prefer low monthly payments.
Learn more →Federal
The 2026–2027 window for businesses and farms
The One Big Beautiful Bill Act kept the 30% investment credit for solar but set a hard end: projects had to begin construction by July 4, 2026 or be placed in service by December 31, 2027. The begin-construction date has passed, so for a new project the credit now depends on being energized before the end of 2027. Our schedule and the utility’s interconnection queue both matter, which is why we encourage 2027 projects to sign in early 2027 at the latest.
Tax-exempt entities such as schools, townships and churches can receive the credit value as a direct payment from the IRS (elective pay) on the same timeline.
Foreign-content rules
For projects beginning construction after 2025, the credit requires a minimum share of non-prohibited-foreign-entity content, rising each year. We document the origin of panels, inverters and racking on every project.
USDA REAP grants: USDA rewrote the Rural Energy for America Program in October 2026 and is not currently accepting grant applications. We will update this page if that changes.
Incentive figures are estimates for illustration only and are not guarantees. Program rules, prices and availability change; eligibility is determined by the program administrator or USDA, not by Ag Technologies. Consult your tax advisor about credits and depreciation.
Utility
What your utility pays for exports
| Territory | Export credit for new systems | Rebate | What we do |
|---|---|---|---|
| ComEd, Ameren Illinois, MidAmerican | Supply-only credit (energy portion of the rate), rolls over | Smart-inverter rebate, at least $300/kW for residential and small customers | Size for self-consumption; file the rebate with interconnection |
| Indiana investor-owned (NIPSCO, Duke, AES, CenterPoint, I&M) | Excess distributed generation credit based on wholesale pricing | None statewide | Size to daytime load; model seasonal tilt gains |
| Co-ops, REMCs and municipals (IN & IL) | Set by each utility; ranges from near-retail to avoided cost | Varies | Read your tariff first; in Illinois it goes on your Disclosure Form |
Financing
Paying for it
Bank financing
We have arranged financing through a number of ag and community lenders with terms up to 10 years. Many farm customers finance through their existing operating lender using our cash-flow model.
Lease
Low monthly payments with the option to keep the investment credit or pass it to the leasing company. Not all customers are eligible; call to learn more.
Cash with incentives
For an Illinois farm: 30% credit, depreciation, and Illinois Shines REC payments with 50% at energization can return a large share of the cost in the first 18 months.
Want this worked out for your bill?
Every free assessment comes with a 30-year cash-flow model that lists each incentive separately so you can see what the system does on its own.