The Numbers

How much might a project cost? A 5 kW installation would likely cost around $15,000. The 30 percent tax credit drops the cost to $10,000. Savings on energy the first year will amount to roughly $750 – or much more. And net metering may provide another $450. Payback is 10 to 11 years, while over a 25-year period – the length panels last – saving and profits could reach $20,000, according to SolarNation.

“The energy production depends on location and the size of the installation, because the more panels you have, the more electricity you’ll be getting from them,” Rutter says. “Some participants eliminate their utility bills through the energy they generate for their homes and from net metering reimbursements.”

 In 2018, its first year in Minnesota, Solar United Neighbors helped 58 families in Minnesota go solar, creating collectively more than 380 kilowatts of power. The neighborhoods were in cities as large as Minneapolis and as small as towns in Kandiyohi County. “It’s exciting to see all these groups go solar,” she says. ”In Bemidji, we had 14 signed contracts, in Minneapolis 17, in Mahtomedi 25 and in Kandiyohi we’re still signing people up. Mahtomedi has 80 people! There is so much interest in solar across the state. These communities have all been very welcoming.”

The Bottom Line

Solar United offers a downloadable “Go Solar” Guide on its website, and the services are free to homeowners. So if you live in Colorado, Florida, Indiana, Maryland, Minnesota, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia, or Washington, D.C., it’s worth checking them out—it could be a great way to kick start your journey towards producing your own clean electricity!