Minneapolis’s Newest Energy Option: The ‘Netflix’ Of Solar

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You may have noticed some large solar farms while driving around Minneapolis, and you’re likely to see more of them in the future. Community solar is the rising superstar of renewable energy, and for good reason: it allows homeowners, renters, and businesses alike to go solar without paying any money upfront, installing any equipment, or dealing with any change in electrical service.

If you’re looking for a hassle-free way to save money on electricity and protect our climate, community solar is the answer.

First thing’s first: what is community solar, and how does it work?

The best thing about community solar is its accessibility. Property owners and renters throughout Minneapolis can join a local solar farm without paying any money upfront or installing any equipment – all you need is an electric bill. And unlike other solar options, you don’t have to worry about long-term contracts; most community solar options allow you to cancel at any time, for any reason.

Here’s how it all works:

1. A local solar farm generates renewable electricity for the grid.
2. Your utility company distributes this electricity to its customers (including you and your neighbors!)
3. As a community solar subscriber, you buy a share of energy* from the solar farm. Community solar companies sell the energy at a discount so that you pay a lower rate than what your utility company charges.
4. Solar credits show up on your monthly electricity bill, reducing what you owe your utility company.

*Note: since the energy does not go directly into your home, community solar programs use a bill crediting system to pay you for the value of the energy produced from your share.

Saving with community solar

Community subscribers in Minneapolis can save 5-15% off their annual electricity bills. How? Most community solar companies sell energy from their solar farms at a fixed discount (i.e. 10% off utility rates). Even though you buy the energy at a discounted rate, your utility company credits them to your bill at full value.

It’s like purchasing arcade tokens from your friend (i.e. the community solar company) – even if you buy these tokens (i.e. bill credits) for a quarter each instead of the 50 cents the arcade (i.e. utility company) charges, the pinball machine (i.e. your bill) still only requires two tokens to play, and you save 50 cents!

Finding the right community solar program

Community solar isn’t available in every state; luckily, solar farms near Minneapolis are looking for new subscribers (and filling slots up quickly!)

When choosing between one nearby community solar project and another, location is only one factor to keep in mind; also consider the following:

• What discount does the community solar company offer? These days, most community solar subscriptions offer a fixed discount between 5-15% on bill credits – this means you’ll lock in bill savings, regardless of how much the cost of electricity rises (or falls!) in Minneapolis.
• Is it easy to cancel your subscription? Many community solar subscriptions allow you to cancel for free at any time; others may require a minimum cancellation notice, or charge a small cancellation fee.
• Are there any bonuses or special promotions available? Some community solar companies offer limited-time rewards for new subscribers, such as Amazon or Visa gift cards. This isn’t something you should expect to find with every option, but rather a nice perk on top of community solar’s other benefits!

One helpful resource is EnergySage’s Community Solar Marketplace. Here, you can learn more about open projects near Minneapolis, get a quick estimate of how much you can save with community solar, and subscribe to a local project with ease.

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