Community Solar Gardens Xcel

Xcel energy is the biggest utility in minnesota covering most of the population and is the only utility that has a legislation backed community solar program.

Community solar gardens xcel.

Solar power from xcel s existing. It s credited at a rate similar to xcel charges its customers but gives the opportunity to reduce their. The community solar gardens csg program is available to any electric customer of xcel energy. Through the program garden operators own and interconnect a garden to the xcel energy electric grid then sell or lease solar subscriptions to xcel energy customers.

Advocates say changes are needed to. Even now xcel reports minnesota s community solar gardens currently have around 19 000 subscribers but the commercial and industrial clients represent 86 of their capacity. Our solar rewards community allows xcel energy customers to support solar energy without installing their own solar system. Solar rewards community developer resources.

The electricity produced is fed to the grid and credited to a subscriber s xcel energy account. Members of other utilities in minnesota can subscribe to a community solar garden if one is offered by the utility. Under the current system xcel energy asks for proposals for. The minnesota legislature established an option for customers of xcel energy to support community solar also referred to as solar gardens or solar farms.

The xcel report says energy from a solar garden costs them between 110 to 125 per megawatt hour while a larger utility scale solar project costs about 40 for the same power. Community solar gardens csg allow people to support renewable energy through membership. Under its renewable energy plan trammell said xcel will increase community solar garden offerings with 170 megawatts of capacity available by the end of 2021. Csgs are large arrays located in sunny open areas.

Many people want to support renewable energy as a way to help the environment. Xcel energy customers can participate in projects offered by private developers.