Applications open Jan. 1 for 2017 Made in Minnesota solar incentive program

SAINT PAUL – Applications for the fourth year of the Made in Minnesota Solar Incentive Program will be accepted beginning on Jan. 1, 2017, and ending at 4:30 p.m. CST on Feb. 28, 2017.

Administered by the Minnesota Commerce Department, the program helps fund new solar electric and solar thermal systems for Minnesota residents, businesses and communities. In the program’s first three years, it has supported nearly 1,100 solar project statewide.

“The Made in Minnesota program is helping drive growth in the state’s rooftop solar market,” said Commerce Commissioner Mike Rothman. “The program is boosting Minnesota’s clean energy economy by making solar more affordable, creating more clean energy jobs and diversifying the state’s energy resources.”

The Legislature established the 10-year Made in Minnesota Solar Incentive Program in 2013 to expand the state’s solar industry. In the same year, it set a Solar Electricity Standard that requires investor-owned electric utilities to obtain 1.5 percent of their power from solar by 2020, with a goal of 10 percent by 2030.

Applicants for Made in Minnesota solar electric, or photovoltaic (PV), systems who are randomly selected for the program receive an annual incentive payment for 10 years based on the system’s electricity production. For owners of solar thermal systems, the program offers a one-time rebate up to 25 percent of the installed cost.

Solar electric systems generate electricity for a home or building, while solar thermal systems provide supplemental space heating or water heating.

Program boosts state’s solar industry

During the program’s first three years, funding was awarded in support of 1,048 solar electric projects and 36 solar thermal installations.

The PV projects equal about 15 megawatts (MW) of electric capacity. When all installations are completed and generating power, they will generate enough electricity to power 1,856 average Minnesota homes.

Over 10 years, the Made in Minnesota program is expected to help fund as many as 4,000 solar installations and increase the state’s solar electric capacity by about 65 MW, or more than four times the total capacity when the program began.

Who can apply for Made in Minnesota solar incentives?

The solar incentive program is available to Minnesotans who install solar PV or solar thermal systems using solar modules or collectors certified as manufactured in Minnesota.

Applications for the two parts of the incentive program (solar PV and solar thermal) are accepted from Jan. 1 to Feb. 28 each year and are awarded through a random selection process.

The solar PV incentive program is open only to customers of investor-owned utilities (Xcel Energy, Minnesota Power and Otter Tail Power). It is also available to developers of community solar gardens (less than 40 kW). Solar thermal rebate applications are open to utility customers throughout the state, with priority given to customers of investor-owned utilities.

More information is available at the Made in Minnesota sectionof the Commerce Department website. For questions, contact the Commerce Department’s Energy Information Center by email at energy.Info@state.mn.us or by phone at 651-539-1886 or 800-657-3710.

Made in Minnesota Solar Incentive Program now Accepting Applications for 2015

SAINT PAUL, MN – The Minnesota Department of Commerce kicked off its second year of the Made in Minnesota Solar Incentive Program on January 1, 2015. Applications will be accepted through February 28, 2015. The Made in Minnesota program was established to help fund new solar electric and solar thermal systems for Minnesota residents, businesses, and communities.

“In its first year, the Made-in-Minnesota solar initiative accomplished its goals — to boost the state’s solar energy sector and meet our renewable energy and solar objectives,” said Commerce Commissioner Mike Rothman. “Minnesota has taken a good step forward on its clean energy path, making solar more affordable for homeowners and businesses, creating more clean energy jobs, and diversifying our renewable energy economy.”

"Over the next nine years, the Made-in-Minnesota program will continue to help Minnesotans install qualified solar systems in our state," added Rothman.

Program’s first year boosts state’s solar capacity

In 2014, the first year of the Made in Minnesota program, funding was awarded for 343 solar electric (or photovoltaic [PV]) projects and 20 solar thermal installations. The PV projects equal approximately 5.1 megawatts (MW) of electric capacity—equal to more than one-third of the state’s total solar capacity of 14 MW when the program began January 1, 2014.

Over 10 years, the program is expected to help fund 4,000 solar installations and increase Minnesota’s solar electric capacity by about 75 MW, more than a five-fold increase in the state’s capacity as of January 1, 2014. Currently, about 20 MW of solar capacity is installed in Minnesota.

Who can apply for MiM solar incentives?

The solar incentive program is available to customers of electric investor-owned utilities (IOUs) who install solar PV or solar thermal systems using solar modules or collectors certified as manufactured in Minnesota. Applications for the two parts of the incentive program—the Solar PV Production-Based Incentive Program and the Solar Thermal Rebate Program—will be accepted annually between January 1 and February 28 each year through 2023 and will be selected by lottery. Applicants can reapply if not selected the first year. In addition, the solar PV incentive is available for community solar gardens (less than 40 kW).

More information on the Made in Minnesota program, including incentive amounts and the Solar Thermal Rebate Program, is available on the Commerce website. Questions can be directed to the Department of Commerce Energy Information Center at energy.Info@state.mn.us or 651-539-1886 or 1-800-657-3710.

Commerce to administer rebates for Made in Minnesota solar thermal systems starting in 2014

SAINT PAUL, MN – The Minnesota Department of Commerce announced today that it will begin to offer rebates for solar thermal systems starting in 2014 as part of its 10-year, $15-million-a-year Made in Minnesota Solar Incentive Program for both solar electric and solar thermal.

“Solar energy incentives will help boost the state’s solar market and make solar more affordable for Minnesota consumers and businesses,” said Commerce Commissioner Mike Rothman. “This program will spur local job growth and development in Minnesota.”

The solar incentive program includes up to $250,000 per year in rebates for the installation of “Made in Minnesota” solar thermal systems in the state. The solar thermal system may be installed in residential or commercial facilities for, among other uses, hot water or space heating purposes. A solar thermal system is “Made in Minnesota” if components of the system are manufactured in Minnesota and the solar thermal system is certified by the Solar Rating and Certification Corporation.

Currently, the solar thermal systems certified for the solar thermal rebate program are available from three Minnesota companies: Solar Skies, Rural Renewable Energy Alliance (RREAL), and Energy Conservation Products and Services.  All of the solar thermal collectors currently manufactured by the three companies meet the Made in Minnesota certification criteria. The rebate program is attracting interest among manufacturers nationwide. The Solar Thermal Collector Certification Application is available to manufacturers and available on the Commerce Department’s website.

Who can apply for the solar thermal rebate?

Rebates are available to customers of the following investor-owned utilities: Xcel Energy, Alliant Energy, Minnesota Power, and Otter Tail Power. Applications will be accepted annually between January 1 and February 28 each year starting in 2014 through 2023 and will be selected by lottery. Applications for the solar thermal rebates and solar electric incentives will be posted on the Commerce Energy website beginning January 1, 2014.

Solar thermal rebate amounts

Up to $250,000 per year in rebates will be available from 2014 to 2023. The solar thermal system rebates are as follows:

·         Single family residential dwellings

The maximum rebate amount is either 25% of the installed cost of a complete system or $2,500, whichever is lesser.

·         Multiple family residential dwellings

The maximum rebate amount is either 25%  of the installed cost of a complete system or $5,000, whichever is lesser.

·         Commercial installations

The maximum rebate available is either 25%  of the installation cost of the complete system or $25,000, whichever is lesser.

The systems must be installed by a factory- authorized installer. The Commerce Department will allocate approximately 50%  of the rebates each year to solar thermal hot water systems and 50%  to solar thermal air projects if sufficient applications are made for each category.

The Made in Minnesota Solar Incentive Program is administered by the Department of Commerce with an annual budget of $15 million for 10 years. The program is funded through two sources: 5% of each public electric utility’s total annual Conservation Improvement Program budget and the Xcel Renewable Development Fund, with the RDF providing approximately $12 million in the first year.

More information on the Made in Minnesota Solar Incentive Program is available online. Questions about the program can be directed to the Department of Commerce Energy Information Line: 651-539-1886 or toll free at 1-800-657-3710.