Solar in Bloomington, IN
With Duke Energy Indiana's electricity at about 15.9¢ per kWh and 1,326 kWh of sun per kW, solar is not worth it for a typical Bloomington home today: about a 18-year payback.
- Payback, typical home
- 18 yrsIndiana: 16.9 yrs
- 25-year net
- $8,255after paying $14,975
- Sun
- 1,326kWh per kW per year
- Electricity
- 15.9¢12% below U.S. average
A typical Bloomington home, by the numbers
| Utility | Duke Energy Indiana |
|---|---|
| Electricity use | 992 kWh a month |
| Best-value system | 4.5 kW, about 10 panels, 5,966 kWh a year (50% of use) |
| Cost | $14,975 |
| First-year savings | $761 |
| Payback | 18.0 years |
| Exported power | Reduced export credit (Duke Energy Indiana) |
Cash purchase, no federal credit, 3.3% yearly rate increases. Run it with your own numbers.
Homes in Bloomington
- Owner-occupied homes
- 35%
- Single-family detached
- 36%
- Median home value
- $321k
- Median year built
- 1985
- Population
- 80,049
- Roofs suitable for solar†
- 80%
Census ACS 2020–2024. †Share of 15,642 buildings Google Project Sunroof rated technically suitable (2019 snapshot).
Installers working in Bloomington
Public installation records for Indiana don't name installers, so we can't rank local companies here. Browse installers in Indiana.
Always verify the license and get at least three quotes. Compare quotes side by side.
Questions about solar in Bloomington
Is solar worth it in Bloomington, IN?
For a typical home in Bloomington, solar is not worth it at 2026 prices: a 4.5 kW system costs about $14,975 after state incentives, saves about $761 in year one and pays back in about 18 years. Enter your address for an estimate based on your roof and bill.
How much solar power does a system produce in Bloomington?
About 1,326 kWh per year for each kW of panels on a south-facing roof, based on PVWatts and local weather. That's 0% less than the Indiana average. East- or west-facing roofs produce roughly 10–20% less.
Who is the electric utility in Bloomington?
Most homes in Bloomington are served by Duke Energy Indiana, at about 15.9¢ per kWh on average. Some areas are served by South Central Indiana REMC, Utilities Dist-Western IN REMC, AES Indiana.
How much do solar panels cost in Bloomington?
A fair cash price is around $3.05 per watt before incentives, so about $14,975 for a 4.5 kW system. There's no federal tax credit for homeowners who buy in 2026.
Nearby
- Columbus 18 yrs
- Franklin 17.7 yrs
- Plainfield 17.9 yrs
- Greenwood 17.7 yrs
- Brownsburg 18.1 yrs
- Indianapolis 18 yrs
- Terre Haute 17.8 yrs
- Lawrence 18 yrs
- All of Indiana
Data: PVWatts (National Laboratory of the Rockies), EIA-861 2025 adjusted to 2026, U.S. Census ACS, LBNL Tracking the Sun, state policy research as of October 2026.