Home battery backup · Kane County, IL
Available now in Kane County

Kane County, keep the lights on when the grid goes down.

We're stronger together.

Rooftop solar and a Duracell home battery with no purchase price, installed, monitored and maintained through the program by licensed installers, with no maintenance bills. You pay for the solar power your system produces, at a rate that starts at 12¢/kWh, set in writing before you sign. When the grid goes down, the energy reserved in your battery powers your home.

See if your home qualifies → Takes ~30 seconds · No credit check
Quick check

See if your Kane County home qualifies.

Three quick questions, about 30 seconds, no credit check, no obligation.

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Kane County outages

Recent power outages in Kane County.

Most Kane County homes are served by ComEd. Here are recent storms that cut power in the area, taken from news reports and utility updates. We watch ComEd outage data twice a day and will keep adding to this list.

  • Aug 11, 2026. The derecho brought a 97 mph gust near Aurora Municipal Airport in Sugar Grove and 89 mph in Batavia. Kane County's emergency management office reported scattered power outages across southern Kane County. Source: Kane County Office of Emergency Management.
  • Aug 16, 2025. Overnight storms left more than 215,000 ComEd customers in the dark at the peak, including 2,090 in Kane County as of 9:30 p.m. Source: NBC Chicago.
  • Mar 14, 2025. Severe thunderstorms left 2,965 Kane County customers without power. Source: NBC Chicago.

Serving Aurora, Elgin, Carpentersville, South Elgin, Sugar Grove, Elburn and other ComEd areas of Kane County. Batavia, Geneva and St. Charles run their own electric utilities, so homes there aren't part of the ComEd program. Check live outages any time on ComEd's outage map.

How it works

We bring the battery. You get the backup.

01

Your battery goes in

Licensed installers put in a home backup battery with no purchase price. The program owns it, monitors it and maintains it for the life of the agreement.

02

It joins the network

While your home is connected to the grid, your battery works alongside thousands of others to support it. That's what pays for the battery.

03

Your home stays powered

The instant the grid drops, your home switches to the battery automatically. How long it runs depends on the battery's charge and what you're using.

The equipment

The battery that goes in your home.

This is the Duracell home battery system installed through the program in Illinois. Wall-mounted, usually in the garage, and monitored and maintained by the program.

Duracell home battery system mounted on a wall: an inverter beside three stacked battery modules

Photo: SOLRITE. Duracell is a trademark of its owner; VirtuGrid is not affiliated with Duracell.

The simple part

Who owns the power? It depends on one thing.

Ownership of the energy in your battery comes down to a single question: is the grid up, or is it down?

Rooftop solar panels on a house on a sunny afternoon
● Grid is up

The battery powers the network.

While you're connected, the stored energy is ours. We use it to support the grid, and that's what pays for the battery. You don't see a thing; your power runs as normal.

A mother and her young daughter at home in the evening by the warm light of a lamp
● Grid is down

The battery powers your home.

The moment the grid fails, the energy reserved in your battery is yours. Your home switches to the battery automatically and keeps running on the energy reserved for your backup, so you can ride out most outages in comfort.

About your rate

The honest version, up front.

Illinois homes in the program get rooftop solar and a Duracell home battery with no purchase price. Your rate for the solar power your system produces starts at 12¢/kWh, with a yearly adjustment written into your agreement. You'll see every year's rate before you sign. The agreement runs about 25 years. No hidden fees, no equipment fees, no maintenance bills.

You'll get a disclosure form with the full terms, including the length of the agreement, before you sign anything. And you'll understand every line of it before you commit.

You'll still receive a bill from ComEd or Ameren for delivery service and for any power you use from the grid. VirtuGrid is an independent sales partner of SOLRITE and does not represent ComEd, Ameren, the Illinois Power Agency or the Illinois Shines program.
Good questions

Kane County home battery questions, answered.

Yes. Most of Kane County is in ComEd's service area, and the program is available there. Batavia, Geneva and St. Charles run their own electric utilities, so homes there aren't part of the ComEd program. Take the 30-second check above to confirm your address.

It depends on the storm. Many outages are over in hours, but the August 2026 derecho left some Chicago-area homes without power for days.

It's a multi-year program agreement, and the exact terms depend on your home and your utility. Before you sign anything, one of our advisors walks you through every term in plain language, including the length and your rate. You get it all in writing, and nothing is final until you decide it's right for you.

Yes. In Illinois, rooftop solar is part of the program. It charges your battery every day, so the battery is ready when an outage hits.

Yes. You'll still get a ComEd bill for delivery service and for any power you use from the grid. Your advisor shows you how the two fit together before you sign.

There's no purchase price and no install bill. The program covers the solar, the battery and the installation, and owns and maintains the equipment. You pay for the solar power your system produces, at the rate written into your agreement. The rate details are in "About your rate" above.

Not every home does. We look at your roof, your electric bills and your utility first. If your home qualifies, we'll show you your options. If it doesn't, we'll tell you straight.

Ready when you are

See if your home qualifies.

Answer three quick questions and we'll tell you if your Kane County home is a fit, about 30 seconds.