Community Solar Gardens

Community solar (also called community shared solar or community solar gardens) offers Minnesotans the opportunity to benefit from solar energy without installing a system at their home.

Community solar may have special appeal if you:

• Live in a multi-unit building
• Rent your home
• Have a house with a shaded rooftop
• Don’t want to install and maintain your own solar panels.

As a community solar subscriber, you participate in a solar energy system along with other subscribers. Your share of the electricity generated by the project is credited on your electric utility bill. Community solar can offer you a variety of benefits—including predictable electricity rates over time, potential utility bill savings, and the opportunity to support a clean, sustainable energy resource.

For Consumers

Finding a Community Solar Garden

You are only able to subscribe to a community solar garden that operates in your electric service territory. The structure, rules, and financial benefits of community solar gardens can vary depending on where the garden is located and when it was built:

Community solar inside Xcel Energy service territory and built in 2024 or later:

Minnesota Department of Commerce administers community solar gardens through its Low- and Moderate-Income Accessible CSG Program. Private solar developers own the projects and sell the subscriptions, with subscribers receiving solar credits on their Xcel Energy bill. The gardens are subject to a state law passed in 2023.

Community solar inside Xcel Energy service territory and built prior to 2024*:

Community solar gardens are administered by Xcel Energy through its Solar*Rewards Community program. However, private solar developers—not the utility—own the projects and sell the subscriptions. The gardens are regulated by the state and subject to a state law passed in 2013.

*Note: some projects built in 2024 or later will still be part of the Xcel Energy-administered program. In-development community solar projects that received initial approval from Xcel prior to 2024 may choose to either continue as part of Xcel’s Solar*Rewards Community program or to move to the Department of Commerce’s LMI- Accessible CSG Program. But all projects that became operational prior to 2024 must remain part of the Xcel program, while all projects that begin development in 2024 or later must be part of the Department of Commerce program.

Community solar outside of Xcel Energy service territory:

Community solar gardens are owned and operated by the local electric utility, which offers subscriptions to their customers. Each utility sets its own rules for its gardens, including bill credit rates and subscription costs. Please see the Clean Energy Resource Teams’ (CERTs) list of Minnesota utilities that offer community solar gardens.

Making an Informed Decision

Whether to subscribe to a community solar project is an important financial decision that can involve a long-term commitment. Before subscribing to a community solar project, it is important to understand the potential costs, risks, and benefits. Carefully review the subscription contract before signing it and, as always, be wary of a high-pressure “buy now or lose out” sales pitch. The contract terms for different community solar gardens can vary greatly.