Indiana
Indiana solar in 2026
Indiana solar is not a simple panel-count calculation anymore. The state ended net metering on July 1, 2022 and applies instantaneous netting. A kWh your home does not use at the moment it is produced earns the Excess Distributed Generation rate, not the retail rate. That is the policy that decides the economics. An honest Indiana proposal starts with load timing, not a giant offset percentage.
Indiana rooftop solar can be cheap to make and expensive to waste
The owned-solar figure is attractive against the statewide retail blend. The problem is not production alone. Indiana attaches a sharply lower price to unused instant production. A design that sends a steady midday surplus to the grid can look fine in a brochure and underperform in the actual bill math.
| Energy source | Type | Average price | What that means |
|---|---|---|---|
| Indiana household electricity | Electricity | 18.15¢ per kWh | EIA's residential Indiana series, reported for May 2026. |
| Indiana residential gas | Natural gas | $13.7 per Mcf | Indiana's EIA gas series for 2026-05, roughly 4.5 cents for each thermal kWh. |
| Owned rooftop generation | Electricity | ~8.6¢ per kWh | A 25-year levelized estimate built from EnergySage's state cash price and our PVGIS output. It is a generation-cost estimate, never a promise of the export payment. |
The electricity reference is EIA Table 5.6.A for May 2026. The gas reference is EIA natural gas prices for 2026-05, and 1 Mcf equals about 304 kWh of thermal energy. The rooftop estimate follows our calculation described on the methodology page.
Indiana production changes by city, but timing changes the deal
Evansville is the high point in this group and South Bend the low point. That production range matters, but the policy creates the more important spread: a kWh consumed at once avoids a retail purchase; a kWh exported is paid at EDG. Put the quote beside interval usage data if you can get it.
| Modeled place | Yearly yield, kWh per kW | Output from a 11.88 kW array |
|---|---|---|
| Indianapolis | 1,318.4 | 15,663 kWh |
| Fort Wayne | 1,293.3 | 15,364 kWh |
| Evansville | 1,376 | 16,347 kWh |
| South Bend | 1,269.9 | 15,086 kWh |
PVGIS v5.2 model runs by Solar Learning Lab on August 18, 2026, using the NSRDB radiation database. Assumptions: fixed roof mount, south facing, 30 degree tilt, 14 percent losses. Your roof will differ. PVGIS v5.2.
Indiana removed net metering and made each instant count
Net metering ended July 1, 2022. It was replaced with Excess Distributed Generation, credited at the prior-year average wholesale electricity price multiplied by 1.25. NIPSCO describes its tariff as 125% of market-priced power for excess distributed generation. The Indiana Supreme Court upheld instantaneous netting in an early 2023 ruling favoring CenterPoint Energy.
That means no monthly offsetting of a noon export against an evening purchase. In 2026, rates are $0.049685 per kWh at NIPSCO, $0.0543254 at AES Indiana, $0.05466 at I&M, $0.055143 at Duke Energy Indiana, and $0.05561 at CenterPoint. Municipal and REMC terms vary. A battery is not automatically a good deal, but it is the cleanest tool for preserving value when the house cannot use solar as it arrives.
| Rule | Threshold or term | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| EDG formula | Prior-year wholesale price × 1.25 | Updated annually by utility |
| NIPSCO 2026 EDG rate | $0.049685 per kWh | Investor-owned utility tariff |
| CenterPoint 2026 EDG rate | $0.05561 per kWh | Investor-owned utility tariff |
Policy source: Solar United Neighbors Indiana EDG guide. Use the utility's current EDG rate and interconnection terms in your own savings model.
Indiana has no confirmed statewide rooftop rebate
| Item | Value | Fine print |
|---|---|---|
| Property-tax deduction | Current status unconfirmed | A 2024 codification of IC 6-1.1-12-26.1 describes a deduction for the solar-attributable assessed-value increase, but current-year status was not verified from a primary source. (2024 Indiana Code) |
| Sales-tax exemption or state rebate | Not confirmed | The research did not confirm a statewide residential solar sales-tax exemption or rebate. (Indiana Office of Energy Development) |
| Federal 25D | Ended December 31, 2025 | A lease or PPA company may still use the federal 48E business credit and reflect part of that value in its pricing (CRS) |
The property-tax deduction is not presented as a live promise because the research could not verify its current status from a primary source. That restraint matters. In Indiana, export economics are already weak enough that a phantom incentive can completely change the apparent result.
Indiana interconnection questions should be answered before the sales pitch ends
Indiana's export rules make the interconnection path more than paperwork. NIPSCO publishes three application levels, which gives a homeowner a useful way to test whether a proposal is concrete. Level 1 covers projects at 25 kW and below and has no application fee. Level 2 begins above 25 kW and runs through 2 MW, with a $50 charge plus $1.00/kW. Level 3 is for projects above 2 MW and lists $100 plus $2/kW.
Those thresholds are useful even when a home project is comfortably small. The same NIPSCO materials say eligible distributed generation must be customer-owned, under 1 MW, and sized to average annual on-site consumption. A serious bid can name the anticipated application level, identify the utility, and explain why the proposed system fits that utility's rules. If it cannot do that, the production figure is doing too much work.
There is also a property question that belongs early in the process. Indiana Code Title 32, Article 25.5, Chapter 3.5 establishes a petition route for homeowner-association solar requests. A board may not deny a request that meets the statute's requirements, and the law limits when it may prohibit or require removal of a system. Read the association documents alongside the statutory text before equipment placement is treated as settled.
The state has five investor-owned utilities, including Duke Energy Indiana, AES Indiana, NIPSCO, Indiana Michigan Power, and CenterPoint/Vectren. Their customer bases and EDG rates are not interchangeable. The Indiana Office of Energy Development identifies the utility group, while the current tariff determines the credit that enters the savings model. Get both documents. Then decide whether the design earns its keep.
Treat the Level 1 label as an interconnection category, not proof that a project is right-sized. The EDG tariff still controls what excess generation earns, while average annual on-site consumption remains an eligibility yardstick. A lower application fee does not repair a design that quietly assumes full retail value for a surplus kWh.
Run Indiana with a self-consumption bias
This calculator is a starting screen using statewide price and production inputs. It does not know the fraction of production you will use in the instant it is made. For Indiana, use a conservative view of exports and have any installer show the EDG assumption behind the savings number.
Slider bounds come from our PVGIS runs across four Indiana cities. Your roof can differ because shade, orientation, and equipment choice matter.
Cash quotes in Indiana cluster near $2.82 per watt, against a $3.50 national 2024 median (LBNL). Use your quote.
Assumptions you can change
Use the rate on your actual lease or PPA quote. There is no published statewide average we trust enough to hardcode.
Cash purchase
$18,894 after state credit
- Year 1 benefit
- $133/mo
- Payback
- 11 years
- 20 year net position
- $19,882
No confirmed statewide residential solar rebate or sales-tax exemption is included. Indiana exports earn the much lower EDG rate, so system sizing has to respect self-consumption.
Solar loan
$242/mo 15 yr payment
- Year 1 net
- -$109/mo
- Upfront
- $0
- 20 year net position
- -$4,800
We price loans at $4.02 per watt, the EnergySage cash figure plus the $1.20 national loan-over-cash spread LBNL documents.
Lease / PPA
$0 down you buy the power
- Year 1 net
- -$43/mo
- Upfront
- $0
- 20 year net position
- -$10,034
A lease or PPA provider can still claim the federal 48E business credit. It cannot change Indiana's EDG rate for the energy your home exports.
Estimates, not quotes. Inputs use Indiana EIA pricing, our PVGIS production runs, and EnergySage cost data. Exports are subject to low EDG rates and instantaneous netting. We are a solar installer and we also partner with other solar companies. See our disclosures.
Indiana specifics to insist on before signing
- Ask for an EDG model that states your utility's actual 2026 export rate. A generic net-metering projection is wrong for a new system.
- Get interval usage data if possible. Instantaneous netting makes the timing of demand more valuable than annual consumption alone.
- NIPSCO uses Level 1 for projects 25 kW and below with no application fee. Larger projects move into higher interconnection levels.
- Indiana HOA law has a petition process that limits when a qualifying solar request may be denied. Read the governing documents and the statute before placing equipment.
Indiana installers should be willing to show an EDG spreadsheet
A good quote here separates retail-offset production from exported production. If the savings page does not state an EDG rate, it is missing the term that matters most. Ratings do not replace that conversation.
Bone Dry Solar
Indianapolis, Indiana
4.8(154 Google reviews)
Jefferson Energy
Indianapolis, Indiana
4.7(109 Google reviews)
Universal Solar Direct of Indiana
Indiana
4.8(87 Google reviews)
Solar Energy Solutions
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5.0(25 Google reviews)
SunPower
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4.4(439 Google reviews)
Review snapshot from Google Maps in August 2026, using the DataForSEO SERP feed. Zero companies paid us and none are endorsed by us. Check the state and local licensing that applies to your project before signing.
Get an Indiana estimate that does not pretend exports are retail value
Start with four quick questions tied to the EIA and PVGIS figures on this page. We are a solar installer and we also partner with other solar companies. Details appear in our disclosures.
What does your monthly electric bill look like?
Indiana average is $133 per month (EIA, 2024).