Schools are increasingly going solar nationally and across Minnesota.
In 2022, Brighter Future: A Study on Solar in U.S. Schools was published detailing cumulative national solar schools by state while highlighting trends from January 2020 through December 2021. It reported 8,400 schools with a collective solar capacity exceeding 1,600 MW, representing 9% of U.S. K-12 schools and 19% of U.S. K-12 school districts. With more than 23 MW of solar installed across nearly 190 schools, Minnesota is among the top states for solar schools, ranking 13 for installed solar capacity and 11 in total number of solar schools.
In 2021, the Minnesota State Legislature established the Solar for Schools grant program. Administered by the Minnesota Department of Commerce Division of Energy Resources, the program was designed to promote the installation of solar energy systems on Minnesota schools, while using the opportunity to integrate renewable energy use into school curriculum. Since its launch in January 2022, 92 Minnesota schools have been awarded grants, with an additional 47 full grant applications being reviewed. With one additional funding round remaining in 2024, the program is on track to nearly double the number of solar schools in the state in three years. For more information, explore the Solar for Schools.
General inquiries related to this program should be directed to SolarForSchools@state.mn.us