Published May 19, 2010

Minnesota set a record in 2009 for the number of solar photovoltaic systems installed, but it may not last long.

A new record is a near certainty for 2010, officials say.

The Office of Energy Security of the Minnesota Department of Commerce has compiled Minnesota Utility Solar Integration Rankings.

The rankings, which are designed to highlight utilities in Minnesota that are leading the integration of solar electricity into the grid, show a record 72 new solar-electric systems with a combined record capacity of 784 kilowatts were installed in 2009.  The previous high was in 2007, with 56 installations and 286 kw.

Minnesota utilities Xcel Energy and Minnesota Power rank No. 1 and No. 2, respectively, in both the number of PV systems installed and in total solar capacity installed, according to the rankings.

Officials from the Office of Energy Security expect that the records set in 2009 will be easily surpassed in 2010, thanks in part to the state’s 2010 solar-electric rebate program, which allocated $2.5 million to residences and small businesses.

At present, the total known PV capacity statewide is just over 2 megawatts, according to the Office of Energy Security. That capacity is expected to double by the end of 2010.

“Solar energy is an important domestic resource that Minnesotans can tap into,” said Bill Glahn, director of the Office of Energy Security and deputy commissioner at the Minnesota Department of Commerce. “There is great potential to scale up solar power in the state. The utilities and their customers who have chosen to invest in solar have taken a major step in moving toward energy independence.”

Installing a solar system is becoming more affordable, especially with utility incentive programs, the 30 percent federal tax credit (available through 2016), and a state sales tax exemption on solar equipment. As module prices fell, solar installation prices declined substantially in the latter part of 2009 and in early 2010.

The rankings, which include data through Jan. 31, 2010, were completed using Minnesota Solar Electric Rebate data in combination with other known PV generation sources. At least 55 of Minnesota's 178 electric utilities now have at least one solar-electric system interconnected within their service territory.

More information about solar rebates and other incentives available in Minnesota (and in every other state) is available from the federally funded Database of State Incentives for Renewables and Efficiency, or DSIRE.  Consumers also can get specific, detailed rebate information from the websites of  Xcel Energy, Minnesota Power and the Minnesota Office of Energy Security, or from the utility that serves their area.

*Total capacity and number of installations are for 2002 to Jan. 31, 2010. Planned projects for 2010 are not included.