Minnesota · Net metering · Deep-stack program
MN Value of Solar Tariff
Sets the billing terms for excess solar generation sent back to the grid by residential customers in Minnesota -- see the credit rate and how it shapes payback below.
- Value-based rate (~$0.08/kWh)
- stated benefit
- Residential
- eligible customers
- 15.9 yr
- Minnesota baseline payback
- 4
- other Minnesota programs
Deep-stack program · late directory
Minnesota runs a 5-program DSIRE stack; this net metering is one layer on a 15.9-year modeled baseline, not the whole story.
- Stack5 programs
- In-state #3/4
- Type #20/46
- Baseline15.9 yr
In-state directory place #3 of 4 (late alphabet). National net metering directory #20 of 46. 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
Minnesota allows utilities to compensate solar customers at "value of solar" rate.
Program at a glance
- Program type
- Net metering
- Eligible customers
- Residential
- Stated benefit
- Value-based rate (~$0.08/kWh)
- 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 net metering 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; net metering (1 program) governs the billing side, while the state's other tracked types handle upfront cost or ongoing payments.
How this net metering layers inside Minnesota's deep stack
The MN Value of Solar Tariff governs how Minnesota credits excess solar generation sent back to the grid, one of the state's DSIRE-tracked solar policies. Eligibility is scoped to residential customers, with a stated benefit of Value-based rate (~$0.08/kWh). 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 net metering 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, Made in Minnesota Solar Incentive, 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 MN Value of Solar Tariff sit in Minnesota's deep program stack?
How does this net metering work beside Minnesota's other programs?
Who qualifies, and what does a late in-state directory place mean?
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.