Winnebago County, keep the lights on when the grid goes down.
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 Winnebago County home qualifies.
Three quick questions, about 30 seconds, no credit check, no obligation.
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Recent power outages in Winnebago County.
Most Winnebago 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.
- Apr 27, 2026. Gusty winds left nearly 3,500 customers in Winnebago County without power, including 1,598 in Roscoe and 929 in Rockford. Source: WIFR.
- Jul 10, 2025. Storms and flooding left nearly 2,500 Winnebago County customers without power, more than 1,200 of them in Rockford. Source: WIFR.
- Mar 14, 2025. Severe thunderstorms left 4,802 Winnebago County customers without power, the most of any county in the report. Source: NBC Chicago.
Serving Rockford, Loves Park, Machesney Park, Roscoe, Rockton and the rest of Winnebago County. Some rural homes get power from Rock Energy Cooperative instead of ComEd and aren't part of the program. Check live outages any time on ComEd's outage map.
We bring the battery. You get the backup.
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.
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.
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 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.
Photo: SOLRITE. Duracell is a trademark of its owner; VirtuGrid is not affiliated with Duracell.
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?
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.
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.
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.
Winnebago County home battery questions, answered.
Yes. Most of Winnebago County is in ComEd's service area, and the program is available there. Some rural homes get power from Rock Energy Cooperative instead of ComEd and aren't part of the program. Take the 30-second check above to confirm your address.
It depends on the storm. After the July 2025 storms, most Winnebago County outages were fixed by late the next morning. Bigger storms can take several 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.
See if your home qualifies.
Answer three quick questions and we'll tell you if your Winnebago County home is a fit, about 30 seconds.