Solar in Indiana: payback, sun by city and utility-scale capacity
Utility-scale solar in Indiana: 4,593 MW in 122 plants, 6.2% of 2025 generation; 4,253 MW more under construction or planned. Indiana pays back in 13.5 years at $3.00 a watt (rank 26 of 51), 0.0 years longer than the middle state. 1,370 kWh per kW (rank 28) at 16.23 ¢ (rank 20 from the top): price of power drives it. Across 5 Indiana cities, yearly output runs from 1,286 kWh per kW in Fort Wayne to 1,389 in Evansville. Jun is the best month at 152 kWh per kW and Dec the worst at 58.
Utility-scale solar in Indiana: 4,593 MW
Indiana: 4,593 MW of operable utility-scale solar in 122 plants across 51 counties (EIA-860, 2025), rank 9 of 51; 674 W per resident, rank 8. Solar made 6.2% of Indiana's net generation in 2025 (EIA-923), rank 20, -0.6 points against the national share. Biggest plants: Dunns Bridge II Solar in Starke County, 435 MW (2025); Mammoth North Solar in Starke County, 400 MW (2024); Dunns Bridge I Solar in Jasper County, 265 MW (2023). By county: Starke 835 MW, White 550 MW, Randolph 450 MW, Jasper 330 MW. Proposed: 2,150 MW under construction (11 plants) and 2,103 MW planned (13 plants); batteries 337 MW running and 270 MW proposed.
| Indiana year | MW added | Cumulative share of today's MW |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 28 | 1% |
| 2020 | 33 | 1% |
| 2021 | 329 | 8% |
| 2022 | 34 | 9% |
| 2023 | 649 | 23% |
| 2024 | 1201 | 49% |
| 2025 | 2102 | 95% |
Indiana: payback 13.5 years, rank 26 of 51
| Measure | Value | Rank of 51 | Median state |
|---|---|---|---|
| Output of 1 kW a year, kWh | 1,370 | 28 | 1,372 |
| Home price, ¢ per kWh | 16.23 | 20 | 15.37 |
| Value of 1 kW a year | $222 | 26 | $222 |
| Payback at $3.00 a watt | 13.5 years | 26 | 13.5 years |
EIA-861 (2024): 11,163 home net-metered systems in Indiana, 3.7 per 1,000 accounts (rank 44), average 8.7 kW.
Sun inside Indiana: 5 cities, 8% apart
| Indiana city | kWh per kW a year | Against state point | Sun, kWh/m2 a day | Payback at $3.00 | Residents |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Indianapolis | 1,332 | -2.8% | 4.66 | 13.9 | 882,043 |
| Fort Wayne | 1,286 | -6.1% | 4.50 | 14.4 | 266,235 |
| Evansville | 1,389 | +1.4% | 4.92 | 13.3 | 116,441 |
| South Bend | 1,310 | -4.4% | 4.57 | 14.1 | 102,866 |
| Bloomington | 1,326 | -3.2% | 4.75 | 13.9 | 78,791 |
Indiana state point 40.19, -86.26; city points Indianapolis 39.78, -86.15; Fort Wayne 41.09, -85.14; Evansville 37.99, -87.53; South Bend 41.68, -86.27; Bloomington 39.16, -86.52. Panel and method: solar method.
Output by month in Indiana cities: 12 rows
| Indiana month | Indianapolis | Fort Wayne | Evansville | South Bend | Bloomington |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 76.3 | 68.7 | 79.3 | 62.3 | 71.9 |
| Feb | 82.7 | 75.1 | 88.7 | 75.0 | 87.6 |
| Mar | 110.0 | 113.6 | 112.7 | 110.7 | 108.2 |
| Apr | 126.9 | 128.6 | 132.6 | 128.5 | 125.4 |
| May | 132.1 | 137.1 | 142.2 | 144.2 | 133.9 |
| Jun | 145.1 | 139.2 | 144.4 | 147.3 | 141.7 |
| Jul | 144.1 | 137.9 | 145.1 | 156.9 | 143.5 |
| Aug | 143.8 | 138.6 | 141.1 | 145.9 | 141.1 |
| Sep | 124.2 | 121.0 | 128.4 | 119.6 | 125.5 |
| Oct | 102.8 | 95.4 | 113.2 | 92.5 | 99.9 |
| Nov | 77.9 | 77.1 | 87.6 | 73.1 | 82.2 |
| Dec | 65.6 | 53.4 | 73.6 | 54.1 | 64.7 |
Indiana: 5 cities, best month 157 and worst 53 kWh per kW across them.
CSVBest and worst month in Indiana: Jun 152, Dec 58 kWh per kW
| Indiana month | kWh per kW | Price ¢ | Value per kW | kWh per kW per sun unit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 72.2 | 14.55 | $10.51 | 0.85 |
| Feb | 84.3 | 14.64 | $12.34 | 0.83 |
| Mar | 114.3 | 16.40 | $18.75 | 0.82 |
| Apr | 130.9 | 16.89 | $22.11 | 0.78 |
| May | 143.3 | 16.90 | $24.22 | 0.76 |
| Jun | 151.7 | 16.48 | $25.00 | 0.74 |
| Jul | 150.2 | 16.18 | $24.30 | 0.73 |
| Aug | 147.7 | 16.47 | $24.33 | 0.74 |
| Sep | 129.7 | 17.33 | $22.48 | 0.76 |
| Oct | 112.7 | 17.34 | $19.54 | 0.78 |
| Nov | 74.6 | 17.41 | $12.99 | 0.83 |
| Dec | 58.4 | 15.91 | $9.29 | 0.84 |
Indiana: December to February give 16% of a year (rank 10 of 51, 1 = most winter); the best month is 2.6 times the worst. Output per unit of sun is highest in Jan (0.85) and lowest in Jul (0.73); PVWatts lowers cell output when the panel is hot, and the sun angle changes with the season. Our runs use one fixed 14% loss figure for every place, so snow or soiling in Indiana is not modelled separately.
Net metering and CO2 in Indiana
EIA-861 (2024): 11,163 home net-metered systems in Indiana, 3.7 per 1,000 accounts (rank 44), average 8.7 kW.
6 kW in Indiana: 8,219 kWh a year displaces 5.4 t CO2 at 0.661 kg per kWh, +2.4 t against the average state.
Sizes and prices per watt in Indiana
| Indiana kW | kWh a year | Value a year | Cost at $2.50 | At $3.00 | At $3.50 | t CO2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 5,480 | $889 | $10,000 | $12,000 | $14,000 | 3.6 |
| 6 | 8,219 | $1,334 | $15,000 | $18,000 | $21,000 | 5.4 |
| 8 | 10,959 | $1,779 | $20,000 | $24,000 | $28,000 | 7.2 |
| 10 | 13,699 | $2,223 | $25,000 | $30,000 | $35,000 | 9.1 |
| 12 | 16,439 | $2,668 | $30,000 | $36,000 | $42,000 | 10.9 |
| Indiana $ per watt | 100% retail | 75% | 50% | 25% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2.00 | 9.0 | 12.0 | 18.0 | 36.0 |
| $2.50 | 11.2 | 15.0 | 22.5 | 45.0 |
| $3.00 | 13.5 | 18.0 | 27.0 | 54.0 |
| $3.50 | 15.7 | 21.0 | 31.5 | 63.0 |
| $4.00 | 18.0 | 24.0 | 36.0 | 72.0 |
Indiana: 1,370 kWh/kW × 16.23 ¢ = 222 a year per kW; the 30% column (9.4 years at $3.00) is arithmetic only.
CSVIndiana among its neighbours
| Closest to Indiana | Payback, years | kWh per kW | Price, ¢ | Utility-scale solar, points of generation | Miles away |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Indiana (this page) | 13.5 | 1,370 | 16.23 | 6.2 | - |
| Illinois | -0.5 | -62 | +1.46 | -2.7 | 135 |
| Kentucky | +3.4 | -30 | -2.99 | -4.0 | 159 |
| Ohio | +0.7 | -126 | +0.73 | -0.7 | 184 |
| Michigan | -1.8 | -90 | +3.78 | -4.0 | 210 |
Indiana against its neighbours in the payback ranking
- -1 places, Illinois -0.5 years against Indiana
- +0 places, Alabama -0.0 years against Indiana
- Indiana, rank 26: 13.5 years
- +2 places, South Carolina +0.2 years against Indiana
- +3 places, Kansas +0.4 years against Indiana
Indiana utilities and solar payback
| Indiana utility | Homes | Price ¢ | Value of 1 kW | Payback at $3.00 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Duke Energy Indiana, LLC | 796,265 | 12.75 | $175 | 17.2 yr |
| AES Indiana | 469,499 | 13.75 | $188 | 15.9 yr |
| Northern Indiana Pub Serv Co | 430,648 | 19.09 | $261 | 11.5 yr |
| Indiana Michigan Power Co | 422,062 | 16.31 | $223 | 13.4 yr |
| Southern Indiana Gas & Elec Co | 133,795 | 17.52 | $240 | 12.5 yr |
| Hendricks County Rural E M C | 37,638 | 13.84 | $190 | 15.8 yr |
| South Central Indiana REMC | 34,901 | 17.73 | $243 | 12.4 yr |
| Northeastern Rural E M C | 30,610 | 14.96 | $205 | 14.6 yr |
| City of Anderson | 29,533 | 12.82 | $176 | 17.1 yr |
| Tipmont Rural Elec Member Corp | 28,885 | 16.07 | $220 | 13.6 yr |
| Johnson County Rural E M C | 28,279 | 13.79 | $189 | 15.9 yr |
| Clark County Rural E M C | 27,103 | 14.63 | $200 | 15.0 yr |
Your numbers for Indiana
Limits in Indiana
Indiana: with the old 30% credit (IRS, ended 2025) payback would be 9.4 years instead of 13.5, so the calculator starts at 0%. No Indiana export rates in our data: output counts at 16.23 ¢. All limits.
Sources for Indiana
- PVWatts v8 (NLR), 5 Indiana cities and one state point: 1,370 kWh per kW
- EIA-860 2025 and EIA-923 2025: 4,593 MW of solar in Indiana
- EIA-861 2024: 11,163 net-metered systems in Indiana
- EIA retail sales 2025: 16.23 ¢ per kWh in Indiana
- IRS 25D (ended 2025): 9.4 years in Indiana with it; licences and periods for Indiana
More about Indiana
Indiana electricity hub, Indiana EV charging: 729 stations, where Indiana ranks for rooftop solar, 13.5 years against 51 states, Indiana calculators.
Questions
Indiana utility-scale solar capacity?
4,593 MW in 122 plants (EIA-860), 674 W per resident, rank 8; 4,253 MW proposed.
Net metering in Indiana?
11,163 systems, 3.7 per 1,000 accounts, rank 44.
Winter cut in Indiana solar output?
December to February give 16% of the year; Jun makes 152 kWh per kW and Dec 58.
Indiana electricity from solar, what share?
6.2% of 2025 net generation, rank 20 of 51, -0.6 points against the nation.
Where in Indiana is solar best?
Yes: 8% between Fort Wayne and Evansville in yearly output.
Indiana sunshine for solar panels?
1,370 kWh per kW a year at the state point, rank 28 of 51; from 1,286 in Fort Wayne to 1,389 in Evansville.
Solar payback in Indiana?
13.5 years at $3.00 a watt; 11.2 at $2.50; 15.7 at $3.50; 1,370 kWh per kW at 16.23 ¢.
Indiana pays half price for exports?
Payback 27.0 years at a 50% retail share.
CO2 displaced in Indiana?
5.4 t a year on 6 kW at 0.661 kg per kWh.
Federal solar credit in Indiana: still available?
Ended 2025 (IRS 25D); with it Indiana payback would be 9.4 years, not 13.5.