Top 5 Best Solar Companies in Minnesota (2024 Reviews)

Watch Below: How Well Will Your Solar Panels Still Work When Covered In Snow?

How to Save Money When Hiring a Solar Company in Minnesota

The price per watt of solar in Minnesota is $3.60, which is above the average price of solar panels in the U.S. Most Minnesotans install a solar system size of 8 kW, so you can expect to pay around $28,800, or $20,160 after the federal solar tax credit.

These figures may be a mere estimate of what your solar system will cost, but there is no hiding that solar panel systems are expensive upfront. Thankfully, there are several incentives, rebates and programs in Minnesota that help to offset costs so that you can start saving money on your energy bill. Below are some tips to help you lower the cost of your solar project.

• Benefit from Minnesota solar incentives and rebates
• Purchase the right type of solar panels
• Chose your system size based on your energy needs
• Go for community solar

Benefit from Minnesota Solar Incentives and Rebates

The upfront cost of solar panels may seem pricey, but the plethora of solar incentives programs offered in Minnesota lightens the financial load. Every installer on our list of top companies has a local branch that knows Minnesota’s solar incentives well, so they can help you see which programs you qualify for.

Purchase the High Efficiency Solar Panels

Minnesota gets below-average days of sunlight each year, so it is not always the best location for solar panels. In the summertime, energy production will not be much of an issue. But in the winter when the days are significantly shorter, you might not produce enough energy to completely offset your energy bill.

That doesn’t mean you should avoid solar energy — it just means you need to invest in high-quality, energy-efficient panels. If you want to get the most out of your solar panels and save more money each month, get the best panels your provider offers.

Higher efficiency panels are more expensive, but these panels will save you more money in the long run and will pay for themselves in just 12 years.

Choose Your System Size Based on Your Energy Needs

You shouldn’t pay for a larger system than you need. Instead, make sure you evaluate your monthly energy consumption to see just how much energy you use. Not every home needs a large 10 kW system, so don’t pay for what you won’t use.

To determine what size solar panel system you need, talk to your solar provider or ask for recommendations when you get a quote.

Go for Community Solar

If you don’t want to pay for your own solar system, or if you are a renter in Minnesota who still wants to save money on your energy bill, you should consider community solar. When you invest in a community solar garden, you still receive discounts on your energy bill without having to pay the high upfront cost of switching to solar.

Minnesota has excellent community solar programs — the state has reached 841 megawatts of operational capacity as of August 2022. To date, the community solar programs have saved Xcel Energy customers in Minnesota more than $2.2 million in energy costs.¹ We believe these programs are worth it for anyone interested in saving money via solar energy.

Outstanding Regional Installer

4.5/5

Full-service home energy solutionsExcellent reputationNABCEP-certified technicians

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Outstanding Local Installer

4/5

NABCEP-certified techniciansOffers rewards for customer referralsExcellent reputation

Get Free Quote

Outstanding Regional Installer

4/5

Offers products from leading manufacturersCompetitive pricingRewards customer for referrals

Get Free Quote

Will Solar Increase Your Home Value in Minnesota?

Like most home improvement projects, the addition of solar panels will increase the value of your home. According to data gathered from Zillow, the average Minnesota home value is $324,215.² Most homeowners see a property value increase of about 4.1%, so in Minnesota, you can expect an increase of about $13,292.

Even though your home’s value will increase, you won’t have to pay any extra property taxes. This makes the installation of solar panels a worthy investment for any Minnesota home.

Should Minnesota Residents Hire a Professional Solar Installer or DIY?

Solar panels are expensive, so some homeowners may try to install them on their own. DIY solar installation will save you money upfront, but it can cost you thousands of dollars in the future. If you have debated doing your solar installation yourself, make sure you consider the following before you make your decision:

• You won’t get a workmanship warranty
• Quality installation is important for efficiency
• Your safety is important

You Won’t Get a Workmanship Warranty

The best solar installers offer a workmanship warranty that covers the cost of poor installation or workmanship. Should your panels underperform or be installed incorrectly, a workmanship warranty ensures that the company will cover the cost to fix your solar system. All of our top Minnesota solar companies offer some sort of warranty coverage, so if something goes wrong, you’ll likely be covered.

However, if you install your own panels incorrectly, there won’t be anyone to come to your home to re-install the panels. Instead, you will have to fix the mistakes yourself. If your panels don’t perform and you suspect a product malfunction, the manufacturer might not honor your warranty if it has reason to believe the panels were installed incorrectly.

Quality Installation is Important for Efficiency

If your solar panels are installed incorrectly, the panels may not perform optimally. When your solar panels don’t perform, you don’t harness enough energy to cover your electricity bills. By trusting professional solar installers to set up your solar panels, your panels are guaranteed to work as they should.

Your Safety is Important

Above all, your safety is the most important factor. Unless you have extensive electrical knowledge and solar installation experience, then you are unlikely to be equipped to install your own solar panels. Even the smallest electrical mistake could make your home a fire hazard, so avoid this potential disaster and leave your solar installation to the professionals.

Outstanding Regional Installer

4.5/5

Full-service home energy solutionsExcellent reputationNABCEP-certified technicians

Get Free Quote

Outstanding Local Installer

4/5

NABCEP-certified techniciansOffers rewards for customer referralsExcellent reputation

Get Free Quote

Outstanding Regional Installer

4/5

Offers products from leading manufacturersCompetitive pricingRewards customer for referrals

Get Free Quote

What Should Minnesota Residents Look For in a Solar Installer?

Because there are so many solar panel companies in Minnesota, it’s not always easy to find the right company for your home. As you research our top solar installers, you should pay extra attention to the following features:

• Warranties offered
• Year founded
• Services offered
• Solar panels offered
• Solar pricing and financing
• Industry affiliations
• Size of company

Warranties Offered

The warranty is a critical part of a new solar panel system. For some homeowners, an excellent warranty is non-negotiable. Generally, the best solar companies offer product and workmanship coverage. These cover any damage due to issues with workmanship (such as leaky roofs) or manufacturing (such as a defective panel).

Warranty coverage is essential to ensure peace of mind, and all of our top Minnesota solar installers offer some sort of warranty. The best solar companies — such as Sun Badger Solar and All Energy Solar — offer 25-year production warranties and separate equipment warranties alongside a workmanship warranty.

Year Founded

As with most other trades, solar installers gain a wealth of knowledge and experience from many years in the industry. Due to how solar is booming, several subpar “fly-by-night” companies have popped up around the U.S., making years of experience more and more important.

Although some newer companies — such as MN Solar and More and Sun Badge Solar — are reputable, knowledgeable options, this isn’t always the case. Thus, we pay attention to years of experience when considering companies for our recommendations.

Services Offered

Some solar providers offer additional services besides solar panel installations. For example, solar system monitoring and electrical services are offered by All Energy Solar and MN Solar and More. These extra services can be helpful for Minnesota homeowners, as they eliminate the need to call in a different company should a roofing or electrical-related problem arise.

Solar Panels Offered

Most solar installers offer various solar PV equipment brands, including mid-range and high-end brands. The best solar installers have the materials necessary to handle any solar energy project, no matter how big, small or unique.

Nearly all of our recommended Minnesota solar installers offer a wide array of solar panel brands. All Energy Solar has top-tier Tesla solar panels, for example, and Sun Badger Solar installs quality brands such as Q Cells and Silfab solar panels.

Solar Pricing and Financing

Residential solar energy systems are usually between $12,000 and $28,000, depending on the size of the system. For many homeowners, paying this cost upfront simply isn’t feasible. This is where financing comes in.

The best solar companies offer several solar panel financing options to accommodate various budgets. In addition, these companies often provide competitive pricing. All Energy Solar is the most expensive solar installer on our list, but it does offer several types of financing options and the technicians are knowledgeable about local incentives programs.

Industry Affiliations

One way to tell whether a company focuses on growing the solar industry rather than just growing its profit margin is by looking at industry affiliations. We rank companies higher if they employ NABCEP-certified technicians, are members of the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) or are associated with local organizations focused on solar access and sustainability.

All of our recommended solar installers have some sort of industry affiliation. All Energy Solar and MN Solar and More clearly state NABCEP industry affiliations, so you can feel confident in choosing either of these companies for your solar project.

Size of Company

The size of a company doesn’t always guarantee quality service, but it can indicate its level of experience, variety of solar panels offered and quality of customer service. Minnesota is unique in that all of our recommended providers are smaller corporations, but each is capable of excellent customer care and offers only the best solar panels on the market.

Methodology: How We Ranked Minnesota’s Solar Companies

When we rank our top solar companies, we start by identifying the factors that matter most to ensure our readers find a trustworthy, reliable and environmentally responsible provider. We’ve listed those factors as categories below. We then weigh these factors against the industry benchmark (a company meeting the industry standard in all categories would earn 4 out of 5 stars in our rating system).

• Solar Services (20%)

• Qualifications, Reputation & Certifications (20%)

• Solar Warranty & Customer Support (15%) 

• Solar Financing Options (15%)

• Experience (10%) 

• Availability (10%)

• Environmental, Social and Corporate Governance Factors (10%)

Our goal is to deliver unbiased reports and honest reviews, thus, our methodology is not affected by commercial partnerships and is specifically tailored to Minnesota homes.

Solar Services

A company earns a perfect score in this category if it offers: in-house installations, energy storage systems (solar batteries) and home-efficiency audits or upgrades. A company — such as All Energy Solar — can earn bonus points if it offers additional services that we don’t consider essential, including electric vehicle chargers, home thermostats, etc. The industry standard that we measure against includes solar panel and backup battery installations only.

Qualifications, Reputation & Certifications

A company earns a perfect score in this category if it is: NABCEP-certified, has a minimum of 4 stars over its last 100 reviews on Google, an A+ rating with the BBB and 4 or more stars on Glassdoor to reflect employee satisfaction and low turnover rate. We give bonus points for additional certifications, such as LEED or certification with the Building Performance Institute (BPI). We flag a company for further review if it has any track record of lawsuits or customer rights violations.

Energy Solar, MN Solar and More LLC and Winona Renewable Energy all have BBB ratings of A+, and each of these companies employs NABCEP-certified technicians. For that reason, we believe you can trust each of these providers to complete your solar project. Live Wire Solar & Electric may not be rated by the BBB, but it does have trusted NABCEP-certified technicians.

Solar Warranty & Customer Support

A company earns a perfect score in this category if it offers 25-year warranties that cover performance, product and workmanship. The industry standard that we measure companies against is 25-year product and performance warranties, along with a 10-year workmanship warranty. We also look closely into the track record of the post-installation support each company provides in terms of honoring its warranties.

All Energy Solar, Sun Badger Solar and Winona Renewable Energy each offer impressive 25-year warranties, but we do not see such comprehensive coverage from MN Solar and More nor Live Wire Solar.

Solar Financing Options

A company earns a perfect score in this category if it offers multiple financing options, including in-house options in addition to partner organizations. As many solar companies choose not to offer leases and PPAs in the interest of consumer well-being, we do not dock points for companies that don’t offer them.

All of our recommended Minnesota installers offer solar loan options and cash payment options, but we do not see as many PPAs or solar leases available. Homeowners should keep this in mind as they shop for a solar installer.

Experience

A company earns a perfect score in this category if it has 10+ years of experience installing solar. The industry standard that we measure against is at least five years of experience.

When a company has more experience, it means it has installed more solar panel systems and has a better understanding of home needs in Minnesota. MN Solar and Moreand Sun Badger Solar are new to the solar industry, but the others all have more than 10 years of solar installation experience.

Availability

A company earns a perfect score in this category if it offers services in the majority of states in the U.S. The industry standard that we measure against on a national level is 20 states.

Unlike many of the other solar companies we review, none of our Minnesota companies meet this standard. The companies reviewed in this guide have been chosen due to specific knowledge of Minnesota and Northern homes. Because Minnesota experiences less sunshine, solar providers must know the solar industry and make recommendations based on Minnesota-specific needs.

Environmental, Social and Corporate Governance Factors

A company earns a perfect score in this category if it offers public data disclosure, addresses end-of-life (EoL) products or processes and demonstrates a commitment to uplifting the communities that it serves. Sun Badger Solar excels in this category because it received the 2022 Sustainability Award from Best Company, which shows this company’s dedication to a healthy future.

Outstanding Regional Installer

4.5/5

Full-service home energy solutionsExcellent reputationNABCEP-certified technicians

Get Free Quote

Outstanding Local Installer

4/5

NABCEP-certified techniciansOffers rewards for customer referralsExcellent reputation

Get Free Quote

Outstanding Regional Installer

4/5

Offers products from leading manufacturersCompetitive pricingRewards customer for referrals

Get Free Quote

The cost information presented in this article is derived from a comprehensive analysis, incorporating data from multiple industry sources. The average cost per watt per state was calculated based on figures from Consumer Affairs, Energy Sage, and Berkeley Lab’s Electricity Markets & Policy Department. Additionally, monthly energy consumption and the average monthly cost of electricity were sourced from the U.S. Energy Information Administration, ensuring a well-rounded and accurate representation of the information presented.