SREC programs help homeowners increase the financial return from their solar energy system by selling certificates for energy to their utility provider. A homeowner earns one (1) SREC for every 1000-kilowatt hours (kWhs) of electricity produced by their solar systems. In certain states, each certificate can be worth upwards of $300. In Illinois, however, such certificates are worth more: a homeowner that installs an 8kw system that produces, on average, 10,000 kWh of power per year would receive nearly $12,000.