COMMUNITY SOLAR GARDENS

What is Community Solar?

Community Solar is a way for you to save money on your electricity bills while also supporting clean and renewable energy production!  Community solar is a subscription-based service that allows community members to benefit directly from a built solar array. Utility customers subscribe to shares of the community solar garden (CSG) by the kilowatt (kW) and receive bill credits directly on their electricity bill each month, based on the energy produced by their allocation of the CSG. The only eligibility requirement is that you are an Xcel Energy customer!

Community Solar Benefits:

  • Monthly Savings on electricity bill (Savings of $300/year for average household)

  • All can participate (renter or homeowner)

  • No upfront costs. No income requirement. No credit check.

  • No ongoing effort required

  • Guaranteed savings and can leave garden at any time without penalty

  • Supports clean renewable energy production 

  • Increases diversity and resilience of electrical grid


Subscription Models:

MCA offers 2 different subscription models.  You pick which works best for you!


Pay-As-You-Go: 

  • no upfront cost to subscriber

  • monthly subscription fee based on the production of total kW in your subscription and income 

  • monthly subscription fee can be paid through your Xcel bill. 

  • bill credit is always higher than subscription fee, guaranteeing savings every month!

    Pay-Up-Front:

  • one-time fee at the beginning of subscription 

  • plus an annual maintenance fee

In both subscription models,

  • Homeowners AND Renters can participate!

  • Bill credit varies month to month because it’s based on energy production

  • Savings are guaranteed every month on your utility bill for up to 25-year garden life

  • Bill credit rate is based on your customer group: Residential Low-and-Moderate-Income (LMI), Residential Non-LMI, Commercial, etc…

  • The highest bill credit rate is Residential Low-and-Moderate Income (LMI)

  • Can cancel or transfer subscription at any time

  • Can subscribe to up to 120% of your energy usage

Have questions?  Want more information? Want to sign up?  

Contact MCA’s Community Solar team at subscriber@mplsclimate.org today or complete a short interest form here.

MCA’s Community Solar Garden Projects:

Repowered CSG – Our newest CSG is currently under construction with subscriber enrollment opening soon!  

  • Click here to join the priority waiting list, with expected production starting in Spring 2026. 

  • Click here to detailed subscriber info packet.

North High CSG: This 365 kW solar array atop North High School was one of the first community solar projects approved under the LMI-Accessible Community Solar Program update passed by the MN Legislature in 2023. This solar garden is a partnership between Minneapolis Climate Action, Renewable Energy Partners, Minneapolis Public Schools, and others. [FULLY SUBSCRIBED]

Emerge Second Chance CSG: Built under the Legacy Community Solar program in 2022, this 173 kW CSG is atop a social enterprise that provides meaningful employment to individuals facing employment barriers, while also recycling mattress waste into new products and reducing waste. [LIMITED SHARES AVAILABLE (NON-LMI ONLY, pay-up-front preferred)]


North High Community Solar Garden

In collaboration with North Minneapolis High School, Renewable Energy Partners and others, Minneapolis Climate Action helped establish the North High Community Solar Garden. Installed in 2021, this 365 kW solar garden produces enough clean energy to power dozens of Minneapolis homes and apartments every year.
Subscriptions to the North High CSG are available on a pay-up-front and pay-as-you-go basis. For pay-as-you-go plans, subscribers pay a small amount for their subscription each month and get a bill credit that is always higher than the payment. It’s a win-win for your pocketbook and the planet!

The North High CSG is currently connected to the grid and producing energy and benefits for our subscribers! Recently re-certified under the new MN CSG program, this garden is dedicated to providing the best benefits possible to our subscribers with a focus on Low and Moderate Income households.

There is space on our North High Garden! Email subscriber@mplsclimate.org to join today!

Link to our North High Info Sheet HERE

Second Chance Community Solar Garden

The Emerge Second Chance CSG solar array is installed and sending energy to the grid!

The Second Chance Community Solar Garden (CSG) was developed with local minority business enterprises and Emerge Second Chance Recycling Facility, a nonprofit mattress recycling facility that provides job training for formerly incarcerated citizens. We thank Emerge Second Chance Recycling Facility, Renewable Energy Partners (our certified minority enterprise solar developer) and S3 Solar Service Systems (a black-owned solar company).
The Second Chance CSG provides options for pay-up-front and pay-as-you-go subscribers, who can participate regardless of income, credit score, or whether they rent or own their own home.

The Second Chance CSG was installed in 2021 and connected to the grid in late 2022. 

There is space for new subscribers on our Emerge Second Chance Solar Garden! Email subscriber@mplsclimate.org to join today!