How Community Solar Gardens Work
Connecting Renters to Solar Energy through the Grid
Community Solar Gardens (CSG) are strategically located solar photovoltaic (PV) panel systems built and maintained by Solar Developers. The solar PV systems are installed in sunny locations (on Host Sites) to produce electricity, which is then sent to the Xcel Energy grid.
Subscribers to the solar gardens receive credit on their utility bills for the electricity created by their share of the community solar garden.
Community Solar Gardens are a way for Xcel Energy customers in Minnesota to support solar electric systems without owning a roof or installing their own stand-alone project — an ideal solution.
Advantages & Benefits
- No rooftop or land is required to own a community solar garden
- Community solar gardens don’t have to be located where you live, and can be placed up to one county away
- No maintenance
- No upfront investments for Renters
Did you know?
The U.S. installed 14,800 megawatts (MW) of solar PV in 2016 to reach 42.4 gigawatts (GW) of total installed capacity, enough to power 8.3 million American homes. (Solar Energy Industries Association)