Minnesota · Performance incentive · Deep-stack program
Made in Minnesota Solar Incentive
Pays residential solar owners in Minnesota based on actual output -- see the rate, eligibility, and how it changes payback below.
- $0.07-$0.17/kWh
- stated benefit
- Residential
- eligible customers
- 15.9 yr
- Minnesota baseline payback
- 4
- other Minnesota programs
Deep-stack program · early directory
Minnesota runs a 5-program DSIRE stack; this performance incentive is one layer on a 15.9-year modeled baseline, not the whole story.
- Stack5 programs
- In-state #1/4
- Type #2/8
- Baseline15.9 yr
In-state directory place #1 of 4 (early alphabet). National performance incentive directory #2 of 8. Amounts and eligibility change; verify with the official program page before relying on a dollar figure. Informational only - not financial advice. See our disclaimer.
Program description
Production incentive for solar systems using Minnesota-manufactured components.
Program at a glance
- Program type
- Performance incentive
- Eligible customers
- Residential
- Stated benefit
- $0.07-$0.17/kWh for 10 years
- State electricity rate
- 14.2¢/kWh
- Minnesota solar score
- 26/100
Solar's trajectory in Minnesota
The market this incentive operates in: total installed solar capacity in Minnesota reported to the EIA.
Minnesota's solar incentive stack
How this performance incentive sits among Minnesota's 4 tracked programs, by type
- Tax exemption
Tax exemption
1 programs
- Net metering
Net metering
1 programs
- Performance
Performance
1 programs
- Rebate
Rebate
1 programs
What this shows Minnesota tracks 4 incentive types, 1 of them performance-based like this one -- paid on actual output rather than a one-time credit, stacking with the state's other program types.
How this performance incentive layers inside Minnesota's deep stack
The Made in Minnesota Solar Incentive pays based on actual measured generation rather than a one-time credit, one of Minnesota's DSIRE-tracked solar incentive programs. Eligibility is scoped to residential customers, with a stated benefit of $0.07-$0.17/kWh for 10 years. DSIRE lists no scheduled sunset, though enabling legislation and appropriations can still be revised year to year.
That baseline is slower than most states, which raises the stakes for every incentive on the table. Minnesota averages 4.4 kWh/m²/day of usable sunlight and residential rates of 14.2¢/kWh, producing an estimated 7,709 kWh/year and $1,095 of annual utility offset on a typical 6 kW system costing $17,400. That baseline already implies a 15.9-year simple payback and a 25-year modeled net of roughly $9,975 before this incentive - every dollar this performance incentive delivers compresses that payback further.
Minnesota bundles a deep incentive stack, so this program rarely stands alone. Minnesota has 5 solar incentive programs indexed in DSIRE, including adjacent options like MN Solar Property Tax Exemption, MN Value of Solar Tariff, Xcel Energy Solar Incentive Program (MN). The state's net-metering policy is classified as full, which governs how excess generation is credited and often decides whether a given program is worth claiming for a specific household.
Other Minnesota incentives
Frequently asked questions
Where does the Made in Minnesota Solar Incentive sit in Minnesota's deep program stack?
How does this performance incentive work beside Minnesota's other programs?
Who qualifies, and why is this an early in-state directory row?
How does this incentive affect solar ROI in Minnesota?
Which other Minnesota programs stack with this one?
Incentive data from the DSIRE (Database of State Incentives for Renewables & Efficiency); state solar economics from NREL and the U.S. EIA. See our methodology · Minnesota solar data · ROI calculator · All incentives.