Mayor Kerry Thomson

Page last updated on December 20, 2023 at 1:02 pm

The Bloomington Green Home Improvement Program (BGHIP) is a lending program to provide financing for homeowners to complete eligible energy efficiency, solar, and/ or geothermal upgrades to their homes.

This lending program is a partnership between the City of Bloomington’s Department of Economic and Sustainable Development,  CDFI Friendly Bloomington, Clean Energy Credit Union and Hoosier Hills Credit Union (solar)

The Bloomington Green Home Improvement Program helps Bloomington homeowners finance energy efficiency upgrades, reduce their utility bills, and increase the environmental sustainability of their houses, in accordance with the City's goals to improve environmental and economic equity in Bloomington. 

If you have any questions, please reference the FAQs and How to Apply attached at the bottom of the page, and the flowchart below. Contact sustain@bloomington.in.gov with any questions about program eligibility or how to apply. 

 

BGHIP Flowchart

 

Eligibility requirements:

  • Residence must be owner-occupied and the homeowner must apply for the program through the Department of Economic and Sustainable Development's application portal and complete a loan application to receive lending for an eligible project. See how to apply below for more information.
  • Property must be within the Bloomington city limits. If you are not sure if your house is in city limits, check at Bloomington.in.gov/MyBloomington. If your property is not within city limits, you can receive lending through CECU or Hoosier Hills Credit Union, but are not eligible for the interest rate reduction or rebate.
     
  • Eligible projects for lending through CECU or Hoosier Hills Credit Union include:
    • Solar photovoltaic system installation
       
  • Eligible projects for lending through CECU include:

 

Find a full list of eligible green home improvements for lending through CECU here.

For more information about appliances, lighting, water heaters, and heating and cooling products that are EnergyStar certified search here. 

 

Loan and Rebate Information 

 

  • Low interest loans: All program borrowers are qualified for a 0.5%-discounted loan rate to finance eligible home improvements (see above). Low interest loans will be provided through Clean Energy Credit Union’s Solar, Geothermal, and/or Green Home Improvement loan programs or through Hoosier Hills Credit Union's Solar loan program. The minimum loan amount is $3,000.  
    • Note: if your 2022 household income was below $50,000 and you are pre-approved for a loan below $3,000, you may still be eligible to participate in the program and receive a $1,000 rebate. Eligibility for program participation for loans below $3,000 will be reviewed on a case to case basis. Please email sustain@bloomington.in.gov to verify eligibility after pre-approval.
       
  • $1,000 rebates: Program borrowers with a 2022 annual aggregate household income of under $150,000 may be eligible for a $1,000 rebate from the City of Bloomington after the loan has closed and the resident has submitted proof of completion of eligible projects and income verification.

    To receive a program rebate, the resident must have closed their BGHIP loan from Clean Energy Credit Union or Hoosier Hills Credit Union and demonstrated project completion. The rebate will be issued directly to the program participant within 90 days of verification of loan closure. Rebates will be limited to the first 75 borrowers, and is limited to program participants with closed loans and submitted rebate verification forms. Limit one rebate per borrower. Please email sustain@bloomington.in.gov to verify rebate availability.
     
  • Tax credit and net metering:
    • Any solar installations installed are also eligible for a 30% federal income tax credit until 2032. For more information on the tax credit and how to apply, use this Homeowners Guide to the Federal Tax Credit for Solar Photovoltaics.
    • Please note, Indiana net metering programs for new solar customers has ended. Customers now receive a lower rate for electricity generated as a bill credit, called Excess Distributed Generation (EDG), which replaced net metering in Indiana starting in 2022. To learn about the benefits of EDG and how it works, you can read more here. More information about Indiana’s current net metering practices can be found here.

How to apply for program lending:

 

1. Submit the City of Bloomington intake form:

  • Complete your application through our online application portal 
  • Submission of the intake form indicates interest in receiving a loan to finance eligible green home improvements on a home within city limits. This intake form will be screened to determine whether the home is within city limits and whether the home is within a historic district. Confirmation of eligibility does not guarantee that you will be pre-approved for a loan.  
     

2. Select a contractor and get a detailed project quote. Contractor selection for green home improvement loan eligible projects and services will be the resident's choice. Businesses may consent to have their contact information listed on this site for residents to contact the business directly for project quotes and availability. This does not imply endorsement of specific businesses by the City of Bloomington. 

  • Program participants are recommended to consider multiple contractors to determine scheduling availability and suitability for their project.
  • Not sure where to start? Check out Duke's home improvement contractor network: www.duke-energy.com/find-it-duke/find-a-contractor or other businesses accredited through the Better Business Bureau at bbb.org.
     

3. Once you have received verification that your home is eligible via email from the City of Bloomington’s grant portal, and once you have obtained a detailed project proposal from a qualified contractor of your choice, you will then submit a loan application to one of our lending partners:

For more information about how to apply for a solar, geothermal, or green home improvement loan loan through Clean Energy Credit Union visit: 

For more information about how to apply for a solar loan through Hoosier Hills Credit Union visit a branch location or visit www.hoosierhills.com/loans/solar/.

 

4. City of Bloomington Rebate- For households with 2022 aggregate annual income up to $150,000: After the project has been completed from a Clean Energy Credit Union or Hoosier Hills Credit Union loan and your loan is closed, submit the Rebate Verification Form to sustain@bloomington.in.gov (see attachments at bottom of page for form and instructions). Processing will occur once the City of Bloomington receives confirmation from CECU or Hoosier Hills Credit Union that the loan is closed. 

 

For more information:

  • Please check the list of eligible projects and services. For general program questions or questions about qualified projects, please contact sustain@bloomington.in.gov.
     
  • Have questions about lending or your loan application, contact Clean Energy Credit Union at info@cleanenergycu.org or 720-479-7900 or Hoosier Hills Credit Union at (812) 279-6644.
     
  • If your home is in a local historic district (check your address at myBloomington) and you will be making any changes to the exterior of the home--such as solar panel installation--you will need to get a Certificate of Appropriateness (COA) from the Historic Preservation Commission. See the FAQs at the bottom of this page for more information or contact the City of Bloomington Historic Preservation Program Manager at (812) 349-3507.
     

Contractor Contact Information:

 

Residents may choose a contractor that best fits their needs. The lending process will require a quote or a purchase order for loan pre-approval. This list of contractors below does not imply endorsement of specific businesses by the City of Bloomington and will be updated as qualified contractors submit their contact information. 

 

Are you a business interested in being listed as a contractor? Please fill out this form to opt-in to have your information listed below.

 

  • Electric Vehicle Chargers: 
    • Jefferson Electric, dani@jeffersonelectricllc.com, 317-418-3917
    • MPI Solar & Mann Plumbing, amie@mpisolarenergy.com, 812-334-4003
    • Whole Sun Designs, alex@wholesundesigns.com, 812-345-6343
    • Solar Energy Solutions, eric@sesre.com, 317-650-0171
    • Unrivaled Electric, nathan@unrivaledelectric.com, 812-994-6973
       
  • Energy Analysis & Monitoring: 
    • Jefferson Electric, dani@jeffersonelectricllc.com, 317-418-3917
    • Quality HVAC, scott@qcomfort.com, 812-336-3372
    • Unrivaled Electric, nathan@unrivaledelectric.com, 812-994-6973
       
  • EnergyStar Appliances: 
    • Equity Builders Roofing, schmidt.doug@yahoo.com, 812-650-2424
       
  • Geothermal: 
    • Quality HVAC, scott@qcomfort.com, 812-336-3372
       
  • HVAC: 
    • Quality HVAC, scott@qcomfort.com, 812-336-3372
       
  • Lighting: 
    • Jefferson Electric, dani@jeffersonelectricllc.com, 317-418-3917
    • Equity Builders Roofing, schmidt.doug@yahoo.com, 812-650-2424
    • Unrivaled Electric, nathan@unrivaledelectric.com, 812-994-6973
    • Energy Harness Corporation, sfloyd@energyharness.com, 239-940-0674
  • Solar: 
    • MPI Solar & Mann Plumbing, amie@mpisolarenergy.com, 812-334-4003
    • Jefferson Electric, dani@jeffersonelectricllc.com, 317-418-3917
    • Whole Sun Designs, alex@wholesundesigns.com, 812-345-6343
    • Solar Energy Solutions, eric@sesre.com, 317-650-0171
    • Equity Builders Roofing, schmidt.doug@yahoo.com, 812-650-2424
  • Water Heaters: 
    • Equity Builders Roofing, schmidt.doug@yahoo.com, 812-650-2424
    • MPI Solar & Mann Plumbing, amie@mpisolarenergy.com, 812-334-4003
    • Quality HVAC, scott@qcomfort.com, 812-336-3372