Is Solar Worth It in Minnesota? 2026 Rates & Payback
Is solar worth it in Minnesota?
Less attractiveAt 17.4¢/kWh, payback in Minnesota takes about 12.7 years, so the financial case is weaker here.
Electricity here is 9% cheaper than the national average (~19.3¢/kWh).
Rates in Minnesota rose 20% from 2020 to 2025. If prices rise 3% a year, payback drops to about 10.9 years. Try other scenarios ↓
Get free quotes from local installersEstimates only. Actual results depend on your home, installer and local rules. Learn more: Is solar worth it in 2026? · What if electricity prices rise?
At 17.4¢/kWh, a home using 900 kWh a month pays about $157. A 6 kW rooftop system here produces roughly 8,136 kWh a year. At $3.00/W ($18,000, before incentives), the savings would pay off the system in about 12.7 years.
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Estimate based on average system size and current rates. Actual results vary.
What if electricity prices rise?
Many states have seen rates rise faster than 3% in recent years.
Do nothing: over 25 years you'd pay about $51,763 for the electricity a 6 kW system would otherwise produce — money that stays with the utility instead of paying off your panels.
Estimates only. Actual results depend on your home, installer and local rules.
Electricity rate trend
From 2020 to 2025, the average residential rate went from 13.2¢ to 15.8¢/kWh — +20% in 5 years.
If rates continue at a similar pace, solar payback shortens further.
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Electricity price trend
Electricity in Minnesota went up 31% since 2015 (about 2.7% per year).
Average residential price, ¢/kWh (EIA yearly data).
For a 6 kW system. Yearly price rise capped at 5% in this estimate. Future prices are not guaranteed.
Major utilities & net metering
- Xcel Energy
- Minnesota Power
Mostly flat residential rates; ask about optional time-of-use plans.
Net metering: Full retail credit — exported solar power is credited at (close to) the price you pay.
General guide — check your utility for current rates.
Solar installers in Minnesota
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Data based on EIA and NREL PVWatts (rates for 2026-07).