In Fort Wayne your electric utility is Indiana Michigan Power (I&M), not AES. Since July 2022, Indiana’s SEA 309 replaced retail net metering with an Excess Distributed Generation credit worth about 5.5 cents per kWh, well below the 18.15 cents you pay for power. The 30% federal homeowner credit ended December 31, 2025.
Fort Wayne homeowners pay about 18.15 cents per kWh for electricity (EIA retail sales, residential Indiana, as of May 2026), a middle-of-the-pack rate, so the money math here is not driven by a sky-high bill. It is driven by two local facts: who your utility is, and how Indiana now pays you for the power your roof sends back. This page covers your I&M utility, what SEA 309 changed for net metering, permitting in Allen County, and what solar actually costs, then you can check your address in about a minute. For the statewide picture, see our Indiana solar guide.
A 7 kW rooftop system in Fort Wayne (ZIP 46802) produces about 9,000 kWh a year (NREL PVWatts v8). At Indiana’s 18.15 cents per kWh residential rate that is roughly $1,630 of grid power you stop buying each year (EIA, May 2026). Self-consumption like that is now the core of your payback, because power you export earns far less under Indiana’s EDG credit than the power you avoid buying.
Why solar math in Fort Wayne is about using your own power
The reason solar pays in Fort Wayne is not a high rate, it is what you avoid. Indiana residential electricity averages about 18.15 cents per kWh (EIA, as of May 2026), close to the national middle, so the win comes from erasing the grid power you would otherwise buy rather than from a punishing bill. A 7 kW roof here makes roughly 9,000 kWh a year, and every kilowatt-hour you use on-site is worth the full retail 18.15 cents, while a kilowatt-hour you export is worth far less. That gap is the single most important thing to understand about solar in Indiana today.
Your production is what turns that rate into savings, and it depends on your roof. Fort Wayne gets a solar resource typical of the northern Midwest, with strong summer output and lighter winter production under snow. Because output depends on your roof’s pitch, shading, and orientation, estimate your own roof with NREL’s free PVWatts calculator rather than a generic number. Sizing the system close to what you actually use, so you self-consume more, is what makes the numbers work under Indiana’s current export rules.
See what solar programs are available in your Fort Wayne ZIP code
Solar incentives, export credits, installer availability, and electric rates change by utility and location. Enter your ZIP and we’ll match you with licensed installers who serve your area.
Free to check. About a minute. No credit pull to check.
Submitted securely and used to match you with licensed installers in your area. Some homeowners may qualify for $0-up-front lease or PPA options where available.
Your Fort Wayne utility is Indiana Michigan Power, not AES
In Fort Wayne your electric utility is Indiana Michigan Power (I&M), an American Electric Power company. This trips up a lot of homeowners because the state’s biggest name is AES Indiana, but AES serves the Indianapolis area, not Fort Wayne. Allen County and the city sit in I&M’s northeast Indiana service territory (U.S. DOE Alternative Fuels Data Center, Indiana Michigan Power, as of August 2026). Your utility matters because it sets the interconnection process you sign up under and the export credit you are paid, and I&M’s rules are its own, not AES’s. Confirm your exact provider on a recent electric bill before you plan a system.
How I&M credits your solar exports under SEA 309
Indiana no longer offers full retail net metering to new solar customers, and this is the biggest change to know. Under Senate Enrolled Act 309, passed in 2017, full retail net metering closed to new customers of the state’s investor-owned utilities, including I&M, on July 1, 2022 (DSIRE Indiana, as of 2026). New solar homes now go on Excess Distributed Generation, or EDG, which pays a wholesale-based credit for the power you export rather than the full retail rate.
For I&M, that EDG credit is worth roughly 5.5 cents per kWh in 2026. I&M’s Rider EDG credit was set near 5.466 cents per kWh effective with March 2026 bills, based on the prior year’s average wholesale energy price in its zone (Indiana Michigan Power rates and tariffs; IURC Cause No. 45506, as of 2026). That is well below the 18.15 cents you pay to buy power, which is exactly why using your own production on-site beats exporting it. The EDG value resets periodically, so confirm the current figure with I&M before you size a system. If you interconnected solar before the July 2022 cutoff, you may be grandfathered on retail net metering for a limited period under SEA 309; verify your own status with I&M.
| Every kWh your roof makes | What it is worth to you |
|---|---|
| Used in your home (self-consumed) | The full retail rate, about 18.15 cents per kWh |
| Exported to the grid (EDG credit) | About 5.5 cents per kWh under I&M’s Rider EDG (confirm current) |
| Stored in a home battery | Shifts more output into self-consumption, closing the gap above |
Because the export credit is low, many Fort Wayne homeowners now look harder at a home battery, which stores daytime production to use at night instead of exporting it cheaply. For how export credits work in general, see how net metering and export credits work.
What the federal tax-credit change means for Fort Wayne
The 30% federal homeowner credit is gone, so do not budget around it. The federal Residential Clean Energy Credit (Section 25D) ended for systems placed in service after December 31, 2025, under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, so a Fort Wayne homeowner who buys solar with cash or a loan in 2026 cannot claim it (IRS Residential Clean Energy Credit, as of January 2026). You will still see installer pages advertising “the 30% credit,” but for a 2026 purchase that homeowner credit has already expired. For the full timeline, see what the federal solar tax credit change means in 2026.
One federal credit still exists, and it is not yours to claim as a homeowner. A separate commercial credit, Section 48E, is claimed by the business that owns a leased or PPA system, not by the resident (IRS Clean Electricity Investment Credit, as of 2026). On a lease or PPA in Fort Wayne you do not file for a federal credit yourself; the company that owns the panels does. The 25D homeowner credit, by contrast, ended for systems placed in service after December 31, 2025. Indiana also grants a property-tax exemption so a solar system does not raise your assessed home value, but verify current terms with the Allen County Assessor.
Solar permitting in Fort Wayne and Allen County
Your solar project needs a local building and electrical permit before it goes up. For homes inside the city, permits are issued by the City of Fort Wayne, and for unincorporated addresses the Allen County building department handles them; your installer normally pulls the permit and schedules inspection for you (verify the current process with the local building authority). After the install passes inspection, I&M reviews your interconnection application and issues Permission to Operate before your system can legally send power to the grid. A Fort Wayne installer who has done I&M interconnections before will move that paperwork faster, so ask any company how many local I&M projects it has completed.
Paying for solar in Fort Wayne: cash, loan, lease, or PPA
There is no single right way to pay for solar; the best fit depends on whether you want to own the system or avoid an up-front cost. A lease or PPA can mean no up-front cost for eligible homeowners, but it is a long-term agreement with monthly payments, not free solar, and the third-party owner, not you, holds any tax credit the system earns. For typical price-per-watt and payback figures statewide, see our Indiana solar cost guide, and to weigh the long-run numbers see whether solar panels are worth it.
| Path | Up-front cost | Who owns the system | Best when |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cash purchase | Full system cost | You | You want the fastest payback and the most lifetime savings |
| Solar loan | Little to none, financed | You | You want ownership without paying cash up front |
| Lease or PPA | $0-up-front where eligible | The third-party company | You prefer no up-front cost and a simpler, fixed monthly bill |
How to choose a solar installer in Fort Wayne
Rather than chasing a “best installer” list, screen any Fort Wayne company against objective criteria:
- NABCEP certification, the industry’s professional standard for PV installers.
- A valid Indiana electrical license and the local registrations Fort Wayne or Allen County requires.
- Real experience with I&M interconnection and local permitting, so your EDG enrollment and Permission to Operate go smoothly.
- A clear workmanship and equipment warranty in writing.
- A written production estimate and a transparent quote that models today’s low EDG export credit, not old full-retail net metering. For a checklist, see the right questions to ask a solar installer.
MySolarFY matches you with licensed installers that serve Fort Wayne so you can compare real local quotes side by side, with no obligation.
Check which solar programs are available at your Fort Wayne address →
Frequently asked questions
Is solar worth it in Fort Wayne in 2026?
It can be, but the case is different than it was under old net metering. Indiana residential electricity averages about 18.15 cents per kWh (EIA, as of May 2026), a middle-of-the-road rate, and Indiana Michigan Power now pays only about 5.5 cents per kWh for the power you export under its Rider EDG credit. So the savings come mostly from using your own production on-site rather than exporting it. A well-sized system, often paired with a battery, can still pay off, but savings are not guaranteed and depend on your roof, usage, and how you pay.
Who is my electric utility for solar in Fort Wayne?
Indiana Michigan Power (I&M), an American Electric Power company. Fort Wayne and Allen County are in I&M’s northeast Indiana territory, not AES Indiana, which serves the Indianapolis area (U.S. DOE Alternative Fuels Data Center, as of August 2026). Your utility sets the interconnection process and the export credit you receive, so confirm I&M on a recent electric bill before planning a system.
Does Fort Wayne still have net metering?
Not for new customers. Under Indiana’s SEA 309, full retail net metering closed to new customers of investor-owned utilities like I&M on July 1, 2022, and new solar homes now go on Excess Distributed Generation (EDG), which credits exported power at a wholesale-based rate near 5.5 cents per kWh rather than the full retail rate (DSIRE Indiana; IURC Cause No. 45506, as of 2026). If you interconnected before July 2022 you may be grandfathered on net metering for a limited period, so verify your status with I&M.
How much does a solar system produce in Fort Wayne?
A typical 7 kW rooftop system in Fort Wayne (ZIP 46802) produces roughly 9,000 kWh a year, based on NREL PVWatts v8 modeling. At Indiana’s 18.15 cents per kWh residential rate, that is about $1,630 of grid power you avoid buying each year if you use it on-site. Your own number depends on your roof’s pitch, shading, and orientation, so estimate your specific address with the free PVWatts calculator before you size a system.
What happened to the federal solar tax credit?
The 30% federal Residential Clean Energy Credit (Section 25D) ended for systems placed in service after December 31, 2025, under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, so a Fort Wayne homeowner who buys solar in 2026 with cash or a loan cannot claim it (IRS, as of January 2026). A separate commercial credit, Section 48E, can apply to leased and PPA systems, but the business that owns the system claims it, not the homeowner.
Can I get solar with no up-front cost in Fort Wayne?
Some homeowners can, through a lease or power purchase agreement (PPA) where eligible, which can mean no out-of-pocket cost at installation in exchange for monthly payments. This is not free solar; it is a long-term agreement, typically 20 to 25 years, and total payments may exceed the cost of a cash purchase. On a lease or PPA the third-party owner, not you, holds any tax credit the system earns, while your benefit is a lower or fixed power price. If you want to own the system yourself, a cash purchase or solar loan is the path that keeps ownership.
Reviewed by the MySolarFY team. Figures were verified against the linked EIA, NREL PVWatts, U.S. DOE AFDC, DSIRE, Indiana Michigan Power, IURC, and IRS sources as of August 2026. The I&M Rider EDG export credit, the SEA 309 net-metering rules, and Fort Wayne and Allen County permitting can change, so confirm current terms with Indiana Michigan Power, the City of Fort Wayne or Allen County, and the IURC before you decide. MySolarFY does not provide tax or financial advice; consult a licensed professional about your own situation. Learn more about the MySolarFY team and how we work.
MySolarFY is a free service that matches homeowners with licensed solar installers. We are not an installer, financing company, or government program. “No up-front cost” refers to qualifying lease or PPA financing, where eligible homeowners may have no out-of-pocket cost at installation. Lease and PPA terms typically run 20 to 25 years, may include an annual price escalator, and total payments may exceed the cost of a cash purchase; on a lease or PPA the tax credit goes to the company that owns the system, not the homeowner. Homeowners do not get the federal residential credit that ended after December 31, 2025. Solar panels are not free and monthly payments apply. Eligibility, savings, incentives, export credits, and rates vary and are not guaranteed. See our full disclaimer.
