Solar Panels Cost 2.6k-13k in Stillwater, MN | October, 2024

Solar Panels Cost $2.6k-$13k in Stillwater, MN | October, 2024

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How much do solar panels cost in Stillwater, MN in 2024?

In Stillwater, MN, the cost per watt for solar panel systems averages $3.72 per watt in October, 2024.

As a result of this rate per watt, expect costs to be $3,720, on average, for every 1000 watts (or 1 kW) of solar energy your solar system will need to produce. A 5 kW solar panel system in Stillwater is typically approximately $13,020 after accounting for the 30% federal income tax credit. To meet your energy demands, you could need more than a 5kW system.

Use the left-hand menu to select your area and view the typical roof size and the maximum capacity for solar panels on homes in your county. Below, you can see an outline of the price, payback period and 20 year average savings for a 5 kW system installed in your county.

Average out-of-pocket cost for a 5 kW system The upfront amount spent to buy and install solar.
Stillwater: $13,020US Average: $12,562
Average Payback Period The number of years until you break even on the solar investment.
Stillwater: 11 yearsUS Average: 7 years
Average Net 20-year savings The total amount of money saved over 20 years minus the out-of-pocket cost.
Stillwater: $5,285US Average: $15,784

Solar Potential in Stillwater

Estimated system size and solar electricity production per median viable roof in
Stillwater.

Roof size 679sq. ft.
Capacity 9.5kW DC
Electricity 10.8kkWh AC per yr.

Electricity Costs in Stillwater, MN & What that Means for Your Solar Panel Pricing

The average monthly cost for electricity in Stillwater is $99.52, with typical usage at 594 kWh. Flats and other smaller living spaces with reduced energy consumption are accounted for in this statistic.

The average rate for electricity in Stillwater, MN in October, 2024 is 16.76¢ per kWh.

In Stillwater, the typical electricity user needs a solar power setup of 5 kW or larger to account for their entire energy usage requirements. Right now, a 5 kW solar panel installation costs $13,020 when including the 30% federal income tax credit.

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Average solar panel costs by system size in Stillwater

On the left side below, the price breakdown for various sizes of the solar panel systems installed in Stillwater is shown. The larger the solar array, the higher the initial expense, but also the more considerable electricity savings and income tax credits you'll receive.

The breakdown of costs and benefits for solar panels, presented in the calculator down and to the right, is based on an average electric bill of $99.52 in Stillwater. To achieve personalized results, change the $99.52 to reflect your typical electricity payment.

System Size 1kW
Roof Size Min. space required
72 ft²
Electricity Value Annual Production $246 a year
Est. Price
$2,604
Savings from a 1kWthis system
  • Est. yearly production 1,449 kWh
  • Est. monthly savings $21
  • Full payback in 2 years
Environmental Impacts
  • Reduces CO2 emissions by 0.8 tons a year
  • Equivalent to planting 37 trees a year
  • Equivalent to driving 1,984 mi less a year
System Size 2kW
Roof Size Min. space required
143 ft²
Electricity Value Annual Production $493 a year
Est. Price
$5,208
Savings from a 2kWthis system
  • Est. yearly production 2,897 kWh
  • Est. monthly savings $41
  • Full payback in 4 years
Environmental Impacts
  • Reduces CO2 emissions by 1.6 tons a year
  • Equivalent to planting 74 trees a year
  • Equivalent to driving 3,969 mi less a year
System Size 3kW
Roof Size Min. space required
215 ft²
Electricity Value Annual Production $739 a year
Est. Price
$7,812
Savings from a 3kWthis system
  • Est. yearly production 4,346 kWh
  • Est. monthly savings $62
  • Full payback in 7 years
Environmental Impacts
  • Reduces CO2 emissions by 2.41 tons a year
  • Equivalent to planting 110 trees a year
  • Equivalent to driving 5,953 mi less a year
System Size 4kW
Roof Size Min. space required
286 ft²
Electricity Value Annual Production $985 a year
Est. Price
$10,416
Savings from a 4kWthis system
  • Est. yearly production 5,795 kWh
  • Est. monthly savings $82
  • Full payback in 9 years
Environmental Impacts
  • Reduces CO2 emissions by 3.21 tons a year
  • Equivalent to planting 147 trees a year
  • Equivalent to driving 7,938 mi less a year
System Size 5kW
Roof Size Min. space required
358 ft²
Electricity Value Annual Production $1,231 a year
Est. Price
$13,020
Savings from a 5kWthis system
  • Est. yearly production 7,244 kWh
  • Est. monthly savings $100
  • Full payback in 11 years
Environmental Impacts
  • Reduces CO2 emissions by 3.91 tons a year
  • Equivalent to planting 179 trees a year
  • Equivalent to driving 9,669 mi less a year

Stillwater Solar Panel Installation Incentives & Rebates | 2024

With the REAP Grant, up to 100% and no less than 80% of the installation costs for solar or wind turbines may be covered for rural small business owners and farmers. Curious if you fall into this category? Verify your eligibility with our REAP Grant eligibility tool.

Most homeowners can benefit from the federal 30% income tax credit for solar panels, which renders installing solar energy a logical choice in several regions of the U.S. Besides this, numerous state and local programs aim to further encourage the adoption of solar power.

Minnesota features 12 solar rebate and incentive initiatives offered by multiple utilities and government bodies.

Owatanna Public Utilities - Solar Rebate Program

Value:Up to $500

Commercial and residential customers of OPU, the municipal power utility for the city of Owatonna, may be entitled to rebates on solar PV systems and water heaters. Rebates add to existing federal tax incentives. New PV installations will yield a $500 rebate regardless of their rated capacity. Water heaters yield a rebate based on the area of the panels; the current rate is $15 per square foot. To qualify, systems should meet all city, state, and federal standards and be interconnected to the grid under a net metering contract. Interested customers should schedule an energy audit with an OPU participating solar contractor.

Minnesota Power - SolarSense Solar Rebate Program

Value:Up to $10,000

Minnesota Power customers may be entitled to rebates on new solar photovoltaic systems. To qualify, a system must meet all state and federal standards, be installed by a certified solar contractor, and be interconnected to the grid under a net metering contract. The incentive amount is determined through an NREL tool which considers the system's rated capacity and other design characteristics. Current rates are 56 cents/estimated kilowatt hour of production in the first year of the system's use. Minnesota Power must preapprove all incentives. Customers must therefore apply for the rebate before purchasing their system. Additional information is available from the website.

Value of Solar Tariff

Value:Varies

Net metering in Minnesota is set to be replaced by a Value of Solar (VOST) tariff program standardized by the Department of Commerce. No utility has implemented such a program as of 2021, though Xcel Energy is exploring retail-rate tariffs in a similar vein to VOST. VOST operates as an "inflow-outflow" program. Customers are technically billed for all electricity they generate, including excess generation (EG) sent to the grid. Rather than paying for all generated energy, however, they will only owe the cost of their "nettable energy" in that cycle. Nettable energy is equal to total power generated at the standard billed cost minus EG at a different "credit rate." As with net metering, should generation exceed consumption, the remaining credits will be applied to subsequent cycles. VOST contracts last for 20 years; credit rates are fixed for the length of the contract. "Virtual VOST" provisions exist to compensate microgrid subscribers in proportion.

Farm Opportunities Loan Program

Value:Varies

New sustainable farm equipment may be eligible for special financing through Minnesota's Farm Opportunity Loan Program. The program is administered by the state Rural Finance Authority in conjunction with various funding partners. Loans can cover up to 80% of purchase and installation costs. The RFA assumes responsibility for servicing 45% of the principal up to $45,000. Interest on the RFA portion is 3%; the remaining 55% will accrue interest at the current market rate. Additional information is available from the RFA website.

Community-Based Energy Development (C-BED) Tariff

Value:Varies

Utilities in Minnesota are required to participate in Community-Based Energy Development tariff programs (C-BED) to support the construction and onboarding of new renewable energy facilities, including solar and wind farms. C-BED contracts last for 20 years. During the term, the state will pay utilities at a fixed rate for the energy they produce. The underlying goal is for utilities to more easily recoup the costs for their renewable facilities. Additional information is available from the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission website.

Value-Added Stock Loan Participation Program

Value:Varies

The Minnesota Rural Finance Authority (RFA) operates a stock financing program to aid farmers in purchasing shares of nearby wind farms or biomass energy facilities. Loans are offered by private banking partners, though the RFA sets loan terms and low interest rates for up to 45% of the principal. Qualifying applicants must not be worth more than $450,000. Additional information is available from the RFA website.

Fix-Up Loan

Value:Varies

Minnesota homeowners making energy efficiency or accessibility improvements may be eligible for special loans from the state Housing Finance Agency (MHFA). "Fix-Up Loans" have a maximum of $15,000 in principal at market-rate interest. Applicants have direct access to MHFA lending partners and can negotiate loan terms. They may also use the contractors and builders of their choice. Lending partners differ between the 11-county Twin Cities area and the rest of the state. Additional information is available from the MHFA website.

Rural Minnesota Energy Board PACE Program

Value:Varies

The St. Paul Port Authority operates a PACE program in Duluth, Mankato, and certain Twin Cities suburbs and exurbs. Property owners will have access to an open market of local lenders offering competitive loans and terms for energy efficiency improvements. Effectively, funding comes from the government; repayment will therefore take the form of a tax lien senior to the property's mortgage. Residential structures are not eligible for PACE loans due to regulatory concerns from the FHFA. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are prohibited from acquiring a mortgage with an active PACE lien. Additional information is available from the Port Authority website.

Minnesota PACE Program (MinnPACE)

Value:Varies

The St. Paul Port Authority operates a PACE program in Duluth, Mankato, and certain Twin Cities suburbs and exurbs. Property owners will have access to an open market of local lenders offering competitive loans and terms for energy efficiency improvements. Effectively, funding comes from the government; repayment will therefore take the form of a tax lien senior to the property's mortgage. Residential structures are not eligible for PACE loans due to regulatory concerns from the FHFA. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are prohibited from acquiring a mortgage with an active PACE lien. Additional information is available from the Port Authority website.

Interconnection Standards

Value:Varies

Distributed generation and interconnection practices are standardized by the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission. Standards were last updated in 2019 and continue to be amended regularly. Unlike states which use tiers and levels to organize energy systems, Minnesota uses permit processes as benchmarks. Systems at a qualifying capacity level may be eligible for a "Fast Track" permit review. All systems must follow recognized standards such as those set by IEEE or UL. Customers may be required by their utility to carry liability insurance coverage or install additional safety features.

Renewable Development Fund (RDF)

Value:Varies

Xcel Energy has administered a Renewable Development Fund since 1999. The fund's annual budget amounts to $9 million, the result of a state-set rate per nuclear waste reservoir at the Prairie Island, Minnesota plant. Additional funding comes from a surcharge on Xcel customer bills in Minnesota and western Wisconsin. Funding supports incentive programs and other initiatives to adopt renewable energy. The University of Minnesota's Institute for the Environment also taps into the fund for its own research. Additional information is available from the Xcel website.

Xcel Energy - Solar*Rewards Program

Value:Varies

Solar*Rewards is the formal name for Xcel Energy's net metering and distributed generation tariff incentive programs nationwide. Under Minnesota law, renewable energy customers hold ownership of renewable energy credits (RECs) they generate. With a Solar*Rewards contract, the customer agrees to sell all RECs to the utility for a fixed amount of time and have a bidirectional meter installed on their system to track energy sent back to the grid. In exchange, the utility will provide fair compensation for both excess generation and credits accrued. To qualify for incentives, a new PV system must pass an engineering audit and not exceed 20 kW of DC capacity. Leased systems do not qualify for Solar*Rewards contracts. Additional information is available from the Xcel website.

Are solar panels worth it in Minnesota?

If you're planning to live in your home past the solar system's payback period, solar panels are a smart decision in Stillwater. If you install a 5 kW solar system in Stillwater, MN, you might save $10,864.8 over 20 years on average, with a break even point at roughly 11 years.

The cost of not having solar panels in Stillwater, MN

Failing to install solar panels or an alternative backup energy results in missing the savings mentioned earlier and being entirely reliant on your electric utility for electricity. The media has demonstrated several cases where full reliance on your utility is not always ideal.

In recent years, the utilities in Stillwater have recorded an average of 0.95 outages per customer annually. Each outage, on average, lasts for 114.46 minutes. In the case of major events like earthquakes, construction accidents, or aging infrastructure, this period can rise substantially.

A solar panel system, whether it has a backup battery or not, could reduce the impact of future power outages you might experience.

Power Outages

Currently, 0 customers are being tracked in Washington County.

Learn more

Customers Out:

0

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What impacts the cost of solar panels in Stillwater, MN?

Your Energy Needs - Even if the initial expense is larger, the price per watt drops with larger solar panel systems. For most homeowners, setting up a system that can make enough power to eliminate their entire electric bill is useful, providing significant savings.

Make & Model - Just like many products, solar panels come in a wide variety of makes and models. It's essential to pick a highly rated installer, given the brand preferences that installers may have. Higher grade makes and models typically result in an better long-term experience for the buyer.

Solar Panel Type - The standard in the industry is now monocrystalline panels, and rightly so. These panels are more expensive, yet they generate more energy. Many installers tend to work with panels constructed from this material.

Your Property - Each property and home has its own characteristics. Factors like trees, sloping terrain, or additional considerations can make the installation more challenging. Nowadays, most solar installers are able to leverage satellite images to evaluate your home and incorporate these factors for the preliminary cost estimate.

Labor Rates - Different companies offer different wages to their employees, and these costs are eventually passed on to the consumers. Businesses paying more to their employees typically garner higher reviews for their work and customer service.

Permitting & Interconnection - Local permitting and utility level interconnection fees change by area and will influence your final install price. Good local installers will build these figures into your preliminary estimates to avoid any surprises.

See what solar panels cost in other MN cities

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Who are the best solar installers in Stillwater?

Academy Energy Group

Newburgh, IN(812) 518-2150

Services

  • Auditing of energy requirements for independent energy generation.
  • Solar systems for selling electricity back to the grid.
  • Monitoring of independent energy generation.
  • Reparation of solar arrays.
  • Installation of solar arrays.

Solar Farm

St. Paul, MN(651) 271-8410

Services

  • Installation of solar arrays.
  • Solar systems for selling electricity back to the grid.

Dividend Finance

San Francisco, CA(415) 805-7000

Services

  • Installation of solar arrays.
  • Installation of batteries for energy storage.
  • Expertise in consulting on advantageous financing for solar.

Sundial Energy

St. Louis Park, MN(612) 439-9591

Services

  • Solar systems for selling electricity back to the grid.
  • Installation of batteries for energy storage.
  • Installation of solar arrays.

SunPower Corporation

San Jose, CA(800) 786-7693

Services

  • Installation of batteries for energy storage.
  • Monitoring of independent energy generation.
  • Solar systems for selling electricity back to the grid.
  • Expertise in consulting on advantageous financing for solar.
  • Consulting on all things solar related.
  • Installation of solar arrays.
  • Reparation of solar arrays.

Harvest Solar

Jackson, MI(888) 907-6527

Services

  • Consulting on all things solar related.
  • Expertise in consulting on advantageous financing for solar.
  • Installation of solar arrays.

Sunnova Energy

Houston, TX(866) 786-6682

Services

  • Installation of solar arrays.
  • Installation of batteries for energy storage.
  • Expertise in consulting on advantageous financing for solar.

GRNE Solar

Palatine, IL(312) 859-3417

Services

  • Installation of batteries for energy storage.
  • Consulting on all things solar related.
  • Expertise in consulting on advantageous financing for solar.
  • Installation of solar arrays.

Entegrity

Little Rock, AR(800) 700-1414

Services

  • Expertise in consulting on advantageous financing for solar.
  • Installation of solar arrays.

Ideal Energy

Fairfield, IA(800) 634-4454

Services

  • Reparation of solar arrays.
  • Installation of batteries for energy storage.
  • Expertise in consulting on advantageous financing for solar.
  • Installation of solar arrays.

LightEdison

Denver, CO(888) 966-6377

Services

  • Expertise in consulting on advantageous financing for solar.
  • Installation of solar arrays.
  • Reparation of solar arrays.
  • Installation of batteries for energy storage.

Empire Solar Group

Salt Lake City, UT(800) 467-4562

Services

  • Solar systems for selling electricity back to the grid.
  • Installation of batteries for energy storage.
  • Installation of solar arrays.

Stillwater, MN Solar Panel Cost FAQs

  • The typical cost per watt for solar panels in Stillwater, MN as of October, 2024 is $3.72/W. The cost of installing a 5 kW solar panel system in Stillwater, MN is about $13,020 post federal tax credit.

  • Homeowners in Minnesota can take advantage of 12 different rebates and incentives from a variety of utility companies and government agencies. Additionally, almost everyone is entitled to the 30% federal income tax credit.

  • Although paying in cash provides the most savings, numerous financing options for solar panels now exist that are financially sensible. Many installers will detail information about their financing partners in the initial quotes they provide.

  • Yes, the typical payback time for 5 kW solar panel systems in Stillwater, MN is 11 years, and the expected electricity cost savings over 20 years is $10,864.8.
Ginalyn Gelera
Last Reviewed By: Ginalyn Gelera
Published: 2024-10-01