Columbus School District Installs 363 kW Solar Array to Save $300,000 per Year

Bartholomew Consolidated School Corporation installed rooftop solar projects at Northside Middle School in Columbus. This will save the school district $300,000 per year on electricity costs, allowing the school to use those savings to help educate students.

Southern Indiana Farmers Turn to Solar to Keep Their Land

Farmers in Clark County have turned to solar to help ensure their farmland stays in the family. The farmers say that solar would provide a steady, more stable income. "We're just looking at this as this is a different crop to raise,” said one farmer.

Solar Plus Storage Microgrid Increases Camp Atterbury’s Strategic Value

Camp Atterbury partnered with Duke Energy to install a solar plus storage microgrid that will provide low-cost power to the Nation Guard site. “This proposed project will increase our strategic value and give us the ability to continue our mission-critical operations in the unlikely event of a large grid outage," said Col. John Silva.

Egg Washing Facility in Seymour Reduces Electricity Bills Thanks to Rooftop Solar

Vital Farms announced plans to construct a new egg washing and packing facility in Seymour, Indiana. The facility will begin operations in 2027 and use rooftop solar panels to reduce their electricity bill.

150 Year Old Jeffersonville Church Celebrates Rooftop Solar Project

First Presbyterian Church added 48 new solar panels that will provide about 1/3 of the energy needs for the 150 year old church. Pastor Don Summerfield said, “"We are called to not just use them up, but to care for them, nurture them, grow them if we can, so that they will bless others and give life to others and be there for others who follow after us … It's part of a larger stewardship and understanding that we have as Christians.”

Over 500 Low-Income Columbus Households get Solar Assistance

The Indiana Community Action Association received a $117.5 million federal grant to help low-income households reduce their energy bills with solar. This will be done by adding rooftop solar to the Bartholomew County United Way Center, which will reduce the electric bills for 320 households by at least 20%. An additional 200 households will get rooftop solar panels.

Freedom Pork Farms Receives USDA Funding to Build 101.8 kW Solar Array

Freedom Pork Farms was part of a group of Hoosier businesses that received USDA funding for clean energy projects. Freedom Pork Farms will use their funds to install a 101.8 kW solar array that will save the farmers nearly $11,000 annually.

Plymouth Schools Save $138,000 Annually with Solar Projects

Plymouth Community Schools invested in two solar projects that help power starboards, computers, and lights. These projects will save the school districts $138,000 per year and have a 7 year payback period and a 30 year lifespan.

Steel Dynamics Uses Flat Roll Mill in Jeffersonville to Provide Steel for Solar Trackers

Indiana-based Steel Dynamics came to an agreement with Array Technologies to supply coils needed for Array’s racking systems. These coils will be made at Steel Dynamics’ flat roll steel mills around the country. Steel Dynamics’ flat roll steel mill in Indiana is in Jeffersonville.

Naval Support Activity Crane Gets Energy Security With 17 MW Solar Project

Naval Support Activity Crane installed a 17 MW solar project to help increase energy security for the naval base. By agreeing to host the solar project, Duke Energy is also providing NSA Crane with a microgrid study that could help provide emergency power for the base.

Greensburg Farm Runs on Solar Plus Storage Microgrid

The Corya System Precision Crop Farming crop production facility built a 65 kW solar project plus 30 kW of energy storage. “From an economic perspective, the project offsets traditional grid usage and insulates the operation from rising energy prices, creating a significant and growing cost of production advantage, while enabling additional future cost savings,” said the owner.

Sheridan Schools Able to Redirect $1.3 Million to Teacher Salaries Thanks to Solar

Sheridan Community Schools installed solar at their schools and these arrays have led to significant energy savings for the district. As a result, the school district has been able to redirect $1.3 million annually to teacher salaries.

Brown County Library Offsets 90% of Electric Costs with Solar Carport

The Brown County Public Library installed a 162 kW solar carport in its parking lot. The solar carport will offset more than 90% of the library’s electricity costs, saving the library and Brown County taxpayers money.

Jeffersonville Tech Center Goes 100% Solar

Jeffersonville’s Star Solar Specialists installed a rooftop solar project at the Jeffersonville Tech Center. This rooftop array will provide 100% of the building’s power needs.

Minnich Eggs Hen Houses are Nearly 100% Solar Powered

Minnich Eggs in Portland uses solar panels to help power their water heater to help wash their eggs. Additionally, their six newest hen houses are solar powered, helping the farm reduce egg costs for Hoosiers.

Curtis Creek Dairy Installs 1.7 MW Solar Array Thanks to USDA Funding

Curtis Creek Dairy in Fair Oak received funding from the USDA to purchase and install a 1.7 MW solar array. This will save the farm nearly $140,000 annually over the next 20 years.

South Bend Fire Station Saves Nearly 40% on Energy Bill with Solar

South Bend Fire Station 9 has installed rooftop solar panels that will decrease annual energy costs by 38%. The solar panels will also ensure the station has backup power during emergencies.

Solar Racking Manufacturer Opens New State-of-the-Art Line in Pierceton

Omco Solar, one of America’s largest solar racking manufacturers, opened their new facility in Pierceton. This facility will manufacture torque tubes that help solar panels track the sun during the day, increasing energy generated from solar panels.

Bila Solar Invests in $35 Million Solar Facility in Indiana

Bila Solar, a manufacturer of flexible solar panels, is in the final stages of building a solar module factory in Indiana. This facility will have the capacity to make 1 GW of unique solar modules. It will employ over 240 Hoosiers.

Hoosiers Awarded $400,000 in Solar Grants for Low-income Projects

Duke Energy awarded $400,000 in solar grants to 16 not-for-profit organizations around Indiana. This includes solar projects in Columbus, Corydon, Marengo, and Franklin.

Fourth Generation Dairy Farmer Loves His Rooftop Solar Panels

Fourth Generation farmer Brian Rexing runs New Generation Dairy Farms in Owensville. He purchased a meat processing facility that’s powered by solar and he loved the simplicity so much that he’s thinking about adding solar to his dairy farm as well.

Rural Indiana Farmer Spurs Savings Through Solar

Clauson Farms in Rensselaer received $30,000 from REAP to install solar panels. “They don’t take up a lot of space or cause trouble. Typically we can utilize parts of our farm that weren’t productive anyways. So, we’re not taking good productive parts of the farm out of service just to have solar panels,” said third generation farmer Jeff Bauman.

Indiana Hog Farmers Use Sun’s Rays to Brighten Energy Costs

Kraig Ressler used REAP funding to install a 155 kW solar array at his 7,000 hog farm. This will cover about 75% of the farm’s energy demand and reduce energy prices by the same amount.

IU Gets $2.5 Million to Study Solar Acceptance

Researchers at the IU’s O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs received a $2.5 million grant to evaluate how siting practices shape community support for large-scale project. This award demonstrates the critical role IU is shaping in developing America’s future energy mix.