Made in MN Incentives Announced
The incentives for solar electric systems from the Made in Minnesota Solar Incentive Program will be available to customers of investor-owned utilities who
install solar electric, or solar photovoltaic (PV), systems using solar modules or collectors certified as manufactured in Minnesota. Modules from two Minnesota companies—tenKsolar and Silicon Energy—have been certified for the program to date. Solar PV systems must be less than 40 kilowatts (kW) to qualify for incentives. Applications will be accepted annually between Jan. 1-Feb. 28 each year through 2023 and will be selected by lottery. Applications will be available at the Commerce website beginning Jan. 1, 2014.
Solar Energy Production Incentives
Several factors were used to determine the incentive amounts, including six criteria listed in the Made in Minnesota Solar Energy Production Incentive
legislation (Minnesota Statute 216.414). Incentives for PV systems will be performance-based—established by a system’s energy production—and will be paid
over 10 years rather than the capacity-based incentives of past programs.
Commercial For Profit Solar Incentive Amounts
tenKsolar Module TKS-FXXXXXXX = $.13/kWh
Silicon Energy Cascade Modules SiE 150, 155, 160, 165, 170, 175, 180, 185, 190, 195, 200, 205 = $.18/kWh
Nonprofit/Government Solar Incentive Amounts
tenKsolar Module TKS-FXXXXXXX = $.20/kWh
Silicon Energy Cascade Modules SiE 150, 155, 160, 165, 170, 175, 180, 185, 190, 195, 200, 205 = $.27/kWh
Residential Solar Incentive Amounts
tenKsolar Module TKS-FXXXXXXX = $.20/kWh
Silicon Energy Cascade Modules SiE 150, 155, 160, 165, 170, 175, 180, 185, 190, 195, 200, 205 = $.27/kWh
The Made in Minnesota Solar Incentive Program is administered by the Department of Commerce with an annual budget of up to $15 million for 10 years, of which $250,000 per year is reserved for solar thermal rebates. About 50 percent of the incentives will go to residential systems and about 50 percent to
commercial/nonprofit/government systems. The $15 million a year program is funded through two sources: 5 percent of each public electric utility’s total
annual Conservation Improvement Program budget and the Xcel Renewable Development Fund (RDF), with the RDF providing approximately $12 million in the first year.
More information on the Made in Minnesota program is available on the Commerce website. Questions can be directed to the Department of Commerce Energy Information Line: 651-539-1886 or toll free at 1-800-657-3710.
install solar electric, or solar photovoltaic (PV), systems using solar modules or collectors certified as manufactured in Minnesota. Modules from two Minnesota companies—tenKsolar and Silicon Energy—have been certified for the program to date. Solar PV systems must be less than 40 kilowatts (kW) to qualify for incentives. Applications will be accepted annually between Jan. 1-Feb. 28 each year through 2023 and will be selected by lottery. Applications will be available at the Commerce website beginning Jan. 1, 2014.
Solar Energy Production Incentives
Several factors were used to determine the incentive amounts, including six criteria listed in the Made in Minnesota Solar Energy Production Incentive
legislation (Minnesota Statute 216.414). Incentives for PV systems will be performance-based—established by a system’s energy production—and will be paid
over 10 years rather than the capacity-based incentives of past programs.
Commercial For Profit Solar Incentive Amounts
tenKsolar Module TKS-FXXXXXXX = $.13/kWh
Silicon Energy Cascade Modules SiE 150, 155, 160, 165, 170, 175, 180, 185, 190, 195, 200, 205 = $.18/kWh
Nonprofit/Government Solar Incentive Amounts
tenKsolar Module TKS-FXXXXXXX = $.20/kWh
Silicon Energy Cascade Modules SiE 150, 155, 160, 165, 170, 175, 180, 185, 190, 195, 200, 205 = $.27/kWh
Residential Solar Incentive Amounts
tenKsolar Module TKS-FXXXXXXX = $.20/kWh
Silicon Energy Cascade Modules SiE 150, 155, 160, 165, 170, 175, 180, 185, 190, 195, 200, 205 = $.27/kWh
The Made in Minnesota Solar Incentive Program is administered by the Department of Commerce with an annual budget of up to $15 million for 10 years, of which $250,000 per year is reserved for solar thermal rebates. About 50 percent of the incentives will go to residential systems and about 50 percent to
commercial/nonprofit/government systems. The $15 million a year program is funded through two sources: 5 percent of each public electric utility’s total
annual Conservation Improvement Program budget and the Xcel Renewable Development Fund (RDF), with the RDF providing approximately $12 million in the first year.
More information on the Made in Minnesota program is available on the Commerce website. Questions can be directed to the Department of Commerce Energy Information Line: 651-539-1886 or toll free at 1-800-657-3710.
BREAKING NEWS: Who’s Who Of U.S. Companies LOVE Solar
Renewable Energy can supply 80% of total U.S. electricity generation in 2050
Renewable electricity generation from technologies that are commercially available today, in combination with a more flexible electric system, is more than adequate to supply 80% of total U.S. electricity generation in 2050 while meeting electricity demand on an hourly basis in every region of the country.
http://www.nrel.gov/analysis/re_futures/
http://www.nrel.gov/analysis/re_futures/
Solar Panel Is Next Granite Countertop for Homebuilders
US solar capacity to total 50GW by end of 2016, says Deutsche Bank
By Andy Colthorpe - 04 September 2013
A team led by Vishal Shah at Deutsche Bank has predicted there will be nearly 50GW of installed solar capacity in the USA by 2017, with 20 to 30GW of
installed distributed generation expected to be one of the key drivers for growth.
According to NPD Solarbuzz the installed capacity in the US, as of July 2013, was 10GW.
The September Deutsche Bank research note also predicted a rush of installations ahead of the reduction in investment tax credit (ITC) which will
take place in 2016.
The analysis is based on levelised cost of energy (LCOE), gross lifetime cost of system and lifetime electricity production, with ITC inclusion also factored in.
The report asserts that grid parity has already been attained in 10 US states as industrial system costs of solar have fallen below US$3 per Watt. Hawaii and
California lead tables of states at or near grid parity in the residential, commercial and industrial sectors.
In 2016, when ITCs will still be at the 30% level, Shah expects up to 47 states to have attained grid parity, however, when the ITC is reduced to 10%
this figure could drop to 36, which still represents 70% of the total number of states.
According to the forecast, despite rising interest rates, costs will continue to fall. Financing models such as 'yieldcos', where companies put liquid assets
into an operational or nearly operational project thus reaping tax benefits across the entire organisation, and strong demand from Japan and China, will, in
Shah’s view, offset interest rate rises. Shah predicts that the use of yieldco structures could lower costs of financing projects by as much as 200 to 300 basis points and provide liquidity.
Of the residential, commercial and industrial sectors, residential solar power still has the most markets at grid parity, followed by commercial. Industrial still has the furthest distance to go to attain grid parity.
The report’s finding conclude that US installation rates are expected to continue to rise, with a rush of activity pre-ITC reduction in 2016. According to the report, 2015 is expected to mark an inflection point for solar power in the USA.
A team led by Vishal Shah at Deutsche Bank has predicted there will be nearly 50GW of installed solar capacity in the USA by 2017, with 20 to 30GW of
installed distributed generation expected to be one of the key drivers for growth.
According to NPD Solarbuzz the installed capacity in the US, as of July 2013, was 10GW.
The September Deutsche Bank research note also predicted a rush of installations ahead of the reduction in investment tax credit (ITC) which will
take place in 2016.
The analysis is based on levelised cost of energy (LCOE), gross lifetime cost of system and lifetime electricity production, with ITC inclusion also factored in.
The report asserts that grid parity has already been attained in 10 US states as industrial system costs of solar have fallen below US$3 per Watt. Hawaii and
California lead tables of states at or near grid parity in the residential, commercial and industrial sectors.
In 2016, when ITCs will still be at the 30% level, Shah expects up to 47 states to have attained grid parity, however, when the ITC is reduced to 10%
this figure could drop to 36, which still represents 70% of the total number of states.
According to the forecast, despite rising interest rates, costs will continue to fall. Financing models such as 'yieldcos', where companies put liquid assets
into an operational or nearly operational project thus reaping tax benefits across the entire organisation, and strong demand from Japan and China, will, in
Shah’s view, offset interest rate rises. Shah predicts that the use of yieldco structures could lower costs of financing projects by as much as 200 to 300 basis points and provide liquidity.
Of the residential, commercial and industrial sectors, residential solar power still has the most markets at grid parity, followed by commercial. Industrial still has the furthest distance to go to attain grid parity.
The report’s finding conclude that US installation rates are expected to continue to rise, with a rush of activity pre-ITC reduction in 2016. According to the report, 2015 is expected to mark an inflection point for solar power in the USA.
8/31/2013 - U.S. Market Installs 723 Megawatts in Q1 2013; Grows 33% Over Last Year!
8/17/2013 - Module Prices are inching upward due to the Chinese Tariff and Strong Demand
Thinking of buying a solar electric system? You might want to purchase one now. Prices hit there lowest point around January of this year and hit there highest point so far in the middle of June. There has been some recovery but the latest trend indicates prices are continuing to inch higher.
8/17/2013 - Microinverters are being used in a 2.3-MW commercial rooftop installation!
6/3/2013 - Why Haven’t Americans Embraced Solar? An Installer Weighs In
By Terrill Dines, SPW Contributor
Each day, the solar industry spends more time than it should pointing to one of a growing number of reasons why solar energy isn’t taking hold in America. Our government incentives were cut too quickly. Our state’s SREC program is broken. Net-metering requirements aren’t strong enough. The list is nearly
endless. It’s not that those things wouldn’t bolster the industry, but ask your friends and family about solar energy. The problem with solar energy in
America isn’t a result of the deficiencies of the incentives.
It’s with the astounding lack of knowledge about a technology that can transform the lives of everyone in our nation and around the world. Let me be provocative for a moment. Do your customers know how much of a return on their investment they would receive if you installed solar on their home or business right now? Do you know enough to even estimate the amount of money they’d save over 25 to 30 years? Do they know that solar energy works in colder climates and on cloudy days? Do they know that nearly any solar installation company will gladly provide you these numbers for free? Probably not. Most Americans can’t begin to answer these questions — and who can blame them?
We, as an industry, are still young. We’re not behemoths with seemingly unlimited budgets to pay for lobbying and well-placed television commercials. We reach out to a media who has no idea what solar energy really is, and you can’t explain the entirety of the benefits of solar energy in 140 characters.
We’re not necessarily at war with the other energy companies, either, though they often seem at war with us. People will still need oil for a long time (probably longer than our actual supply will last). No energy employee from fossil fuel plants will end up on Skid Row because of solar any time soon. Utility companies? Utilities are actually required by the state governments to purchase renewable energy, and most of them have employees that are themselves dedicated to the renewable energy sector. Banks? Banks are in the business of lending, so they would love for solar modules to be included in home appraisals. The real-estate market? Solar panels sell homes much more easily than those without. The solar industry simply has no natural predators, and for that, we’re thankful.
What we do face is a nation who just doesn’t understand us. We’re right here, and there’s not been a better time to go solar than today. The panels pay for themselves typically about halfway through their life cycle, and the rest is for homeowners to keep. There is a 30% federal tax credit for anyone who installs solar on a home or business. Many states have similar tax incentives to add to that. You can get paid to send your excess energy back to the grid. You can also sell solar credits to utility companies. And if you own a business, there’s a good chance you can depreciate the entire installation in one year. Did you know you’ll see, on average, a more steady return from “going solar” than you would on stocks and bonds (at least historically)? Most people don’t know that, and it’s your job to tell them.
So here we sit as an industry with such a powerful energy solution for our country, as a whole and for individuals. The United States is, as a nation, being quickly surpassed by other countries in terms of solar development. What countries like Germany are doing with solar energy — it’s mindboggling. But in the United States, the industry has to rely on people finding us. We try, but we just don’t have the financial size and subsequent influence (yet) to achieve the success solar energy deserves.
Yet each solar installation still engenders the exhilaration of The Cavern Club in 1961, right after a little-known band named The Beatles finished playing to a
room of around100 people. Solar energy is the early rock-and-roll of our generation. We installers are the rock-and-roll stars of our time, hellbent on
changing the world. As an industry, we can see what is ahead. We’ll be here waiting. And when consumers say “Oh man, we wish we’d known about this sooner,” we won’t judge. We’ll love and support you just the same. See you soon, America.
Each day, the solar industry spends more time than it should pointing to one of a growing number of reasons why solar energy isn’t taking hold in America. Our government incentives were cut too quickly. Our state’s SREC program is broken. Net-metering requirements aren’t strong enough. The list is nearly
endless. It’s not that those things wouldn’t bolster the industry, but ask your friends and family about solar energy. The problem with solar energy in
America isn’t a result of the deficiencies of the incentives.
It’s with the astounding lack of knowledge about a technology that can transform the lives of everyone in our nation and around the world. Let me be provocative for a moment. Do your customers know how much of a return on their investment they would receive if you installed solar on their home or business right now? Do you know enough to even estimate the amount of money they’d save over 25 to 30 years? Do they know that solar energy works in colder climates and on cloudy days? Do they know that nearly any solar installation company will gladly provide you these numbers for free? Probably not. Most Americans can’t begin to answer these questions — and who can blame them?
We, as an industry, are still young. We’re not behemoths with seemingly unlimited budgets to pay for lobbying and well-placed television commercials. We reach out to a media who has no idea what solar energy really is, and you can’t explain the entirety of the benefits of solar energy in 140 characters.
We’re not necessarily at war with the other energy companies, either, though they often seem at war with us. People will still need oil for a long time (probably longer than our actual supply will last). No energy employee from fossil fuel plants will end up on Skid Row because of solar any time soon. Utility companies? Utilities are actually required by the state governments to purchase renewable energy, and most of them have employees that are themselves dedicated to the renewable energy sector. Banks? Banks are in the business of lending, so they would love for solar modules to be included in home appraisals. The real-estate market? Solar panels sell homes much more easily than those without. The solar industry simply has no natural predators, and for that, we’re thankful.
What we do face is a nation who just doesn’t understand us. We’re right here, and there’s not been a better time to go solar than today. The panels pay for themselves typically about halfway through their life cycle, and the rest is for homeowners to keep. There is a 30% federal tax credit for anyone who installs solar on a home or business. Many states have similar tax incentives to add to that. You can get paid to send your excess energy back to the grid. You can also sell solar credits to utility companies. And if you own a business, there’s a good chance you can depreciate the entire installation in one year. Did you know you’ll see, on average, a more steady return from “going solar” than you would on stocks and bonds (at least historically)? Most people don’t know that, and it’s your job to tell them.
So here we sit as an industry with such a powerful energy solution for our country, as a whole and for individuals. The United States is, as a nation, being quickly surpassed by other countries in terms of solar development. What countries like Germany are doing with solar energy — it’s mindboggling. But in the United States, the industry has to rely on people finding us. We try, but we just don’t have the financial size and subsequent influence (yet) to achieve the success solar energy deserves.
Yet each solar installation still engenders the exhilaration of The Cavern Club in 1961, right after a little-known band named The Beatles finished playing to a
room of around100 people. Solar energy is the early rock-and-roll of our generation. We installers are the rock-and-roll stars of our time, hellbent on
changing the world. As an industry, we can see what is ahead. We’ll be here waiting. And when consumers say “Oh man, we wish we’d known about this sooner,” we won’t judge. We’ll love and support you just the same. See you soon, America.
3/23/2013 - Cumulative PV Demand to Double Again by 2015
3/15/2013 - The Making of a Minnesota Solar Energy Standard
3/15/2013 - SEIA & GTM Host U.S. Solar Energy Year In Review
3/15/2013 - Solar Installations Skyrocketed 76% in the U.S. Last Year
http://www.foxbusiness.com/industries/2013/03/14/solar-installations-skyrocketed-76-in-us-last-year/
3/15/2013 - Another Banner Year for Solar Power: Industry Breaks Records in 2012
5/24/2012 - Is Net Metering a Cost to Utilities, or a Benefit?
Utilities often claim that allowing customers to run their meter backward (by generating electricity on-site, e.g. from rooftop solar) can affect their bottom
line because these customers don’t pay enough to cover the cost of maintaining the grid. In at least one case, however, a utility’s cost-benefit analysis
of net metering was turned on its head in an independent review.
The utilities typically give almost no value to net metering systems, a review found that the on-site generation helped the utility avoid energy costs,
line losses, capacity upgrades, and transmission costs worth as much as 15 cents per kWh. Even when balanced against the transmission and distribution
costs, and power generation costs to the utility of supporting net metering, the policy had a net benefit as high as 7.8 cents per kWh.
The lesson for advocates of distributed generation is clear: challenge utility valuation of net metering and of distributed renewable energy. You
can never be sure what they overlook.
line because these customers don’t pay enough to cover the cost of maintaining the grid. In at least one case, however, a utility’s cost-benefit analysis
of net metering was turned on its head in an independent review.
The utilities typically give almost no value to net metering systems, a review found that the on-site generation helped the utility avoid energy costs,
line losses, capacity upgrades, and transmission costs worth as much as 15 cents per kWh. Even when balanced against the transmission and distribution
costs, and power generation costs to the utility of supporting net metering, the policy had a net benefit as high as 7.8 cents per kWh.
The lesson for advocates of distributed generation is clear: challenge utility valuation of net metering and of distributed renewable energy. You
can never be sure what they overlook.
5/16/2012 - Confidential memo calls for climate change sceptics to turn American public against solar and wind power
A number of organizations, including Americans for Prosperity, the Heartland Institute, the John Locke Foundation, Americans for Prosperity, which are
funded by the oil billionaire Koch brothers, are attacking solar and wind power. The American Legislative Exchange Council (Alec), which also has financial links to the Kochs, has drafted bills to overturn state laws promoting wind energy.
Now a confidential strategy memo advises using "subversion" to build a national movement of protesters.
Documents show for the first time that NIMBY anti-wind groups are co-ordinating and working with national fossil-fuel funded advocacy groups to wreck the wind industry.
Their proposals call for a national PR campaign aimed at causing subversion...effectively making something sound so bad that no one wants to admit in public they are for it.
It suggests setting up "dummy businesses" to buy anti-wind billboards, and creating a "counter-intelligence branch" to track the wind energy industry. It also
calls for spending $750,000 to create an organization with paid staff and tax-exempt status dedicated to building public opposition to state and federal government policies encouraging the wind energy industry.
Campaign groups and spokespersons for the wind industry say there has been an increase in organized opposition since early 2009. "We do see evidence of
co-ordination," said Peter Kelley a spokesman for the America Wind Association. "The same rhetoric pops up all over the place. Things that are disproven, that are demonstrably untrue, continually get repeated."
Recent developments in the campaign against wind power include:
• A new $6m election ad buy by the ultra-conservative group Americans for Prosperity attacking wind and solar power.
• An email and telephone campaign by the American Legislative Exchange Council and Americans for Tax Reform to repeal or alter clean energy mandates
requiring electric companies to get a share of their power from renewables.
• Putting forward Alec-drafted bills overturning those measures in Michigan, Ohio, West Virginia, Colorado, Montana and Washington state.
funded by the oil billionaire Koch brothers, are attacking solar and wind power. The American Legislative Exchange Council (Alec), which also has financial links to the Kochs, has drafted bills to overturn state laws promoting wind energy.
Now a confidential strategy memo advises using "subversion" to build a national movement of protesters.
Documents show for the first time that NIMBY anti-wind groups are co-ordinating and working with national fossil-fuel funded advocacy groups to wreck the wind industry.
Their proposals call for a national PR campaign aimed at causing subversion...effectively making something sound so bad that no one wants to admit in public they are for it.
It suggests setting up "dummy businesses" to buy anti-wind billboards, and creating a "counter-intelligence branch" to track the wind energy industry. It also
calls for spending $750,000 to create an organization with paid staff and tax-exempt status dedicated to building public opposition to state and federal government policies encouraging the wind energy industry.
Campaign groups and spokespersons for the wind industry say there has been an increase in organized opposition since early 2009. "We do see evidence of
co-ordination," said Peter Kelley a spokesman for the America Wind Association. "The same rhetoric pops up all over the place. Things that are disproven, that are demonstrably untrue, continually get repeated."
Recent developments in the campaign against wind power include:
• A new $6m election ad buy by the ultra-conservative group Americans for Prosperity attacking wind and solar power.
• An email and telephone campaign by the American Legislative Exchange Council and Americans for Tax Reform to repeal or alter clean energy mandates
requiring electric companies to get a share of their power from renewables.
• Putting forward Alec-drafted bills overturning those measures in Michigan, Ohio, West Virginia, Colorado, Montana and Washington state.
5/15/2012 - Microinverters can improve performance under shaded conditions more than 12%
The US Department of Energy’s (DOE) National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) has released a new repeatable test protocol that simulates real shade conditions and can predict with much greater precision the effects of shade on a solar array. The new test demonstrated that under heavy shading conditions the use of microinverters instead of typical string inverters can help mitigate the impacts of shade by improving system performance by more than 12
percent. “Photovoltaic (PV) Shading Testbed for Module-level Power Electronics” was co-authored by NREL senior engineers Chris Deline and Jenya
Meydbray, as well as Jason Forrest and Matt Donovan of PV Evolution Labs of Davis, Calif. The research was paid for by DOE. Full article can be found here: http://www.nrel.gov/news/press/2012/1841.html
percent. “Photovoltaic (PV) Shading Testbed for Module-level Power Electronics” was co-authored by NREL senior engineers Chris Deline and Jenya
Meydbray, as well as Jason Forrest and Matt Donovan of PV Evolution Labs of Davis, Calif. The research was paid for by DOE. Full article can be found here: http://www.nrel.gov/news/press/2012/1841.html
5/15/2012 - Study Compares Energy Sources From 'Cradle-to-Grave'
No form of energy really emits zero emissions, and that's a point that's both missed by casual advocates and overstated by strident critics.
It takes a whole lot of energy — quite often of the coal burning variety — to test, build, transport, install and dismantle all those clean sources of renewable energy. But how do the carbon emissions produced over the lifetime of a clean source of energy compare with various forms of fossil fuels over that same
period?
This week, the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory(NREL) released an analysis that lets users compare, contrast and
better understand what a lifespan of emissions means for project permitting, environmental impacts and future policy. And at worst, it’s a great way to kill
a rainy afternoon. See for yourself with the online database.
A quick look at one of the findings: Greenhouse gas emissions over the life of a solar project are about 5 percent of those of a coal plant.
2/21/2012 - Wisconsin Solar Energy Rebates from Focus On Energy
Focus on Energy has been tasked by the Public Service Commission (PSC) to assess renewable technologies according to specific criteria in order to determine renewable energy offerings for 2012. We anticipate that this process will be completed in late spring. Additional information will be provided as the task is completed. http://www.focusonenergy.com/
4/22/2011 - Minnesota Solar Air Heat and Solar Hot Water Programs extended
Department of Commerce has adopted a deadline of September 15, 2011 to make application, complete installation, and turn in paperwork for the Minnesota Solar Air Heat and Solar Hot Water Programs. All newly approved applicants to the programs will have an expiration date of September 15 to submit Rebate Claim Forms.
See Rebates & Credits for program applications and guidelines.
See Rebates & Credits for program applications and guidelines.
3/11/2011 - Siliken modules generate 6.2% more energy than competing modules
Thursday, 10 March 2011 00:48
According to testing of 47 solar modules by 36 manufacturers, Siliken modules were shown to generate 6.2% more energy than the average level of all other modules assessed. The study was conducted by Photon Laboratry from January through December 2010.
The lab, which has been conducting these studies since 2005, randomly selects three modules from each company and installs them at an open-air site in Germany, in a south-facing position, 2.5 meters from the ground and at a 28˚ angle. Testing analyzes the power of the modules under standard conditions, cell performance with low radiation, temperature co-efficients, power degredation over time, and other factors that influence the energy that the module can be expected to produce over its lifetime. Photon's technology measures and records the data for all modules automatically.
In addition to generating 6.2% more than the average level, the Siliken modules produced 13.1% more energy than the lowest performing modules in the study. www.siliken.com
According to testing of 47 solar modules by 36 manufacturers, Siliken modules were shown to generate 6.2% more energy than the average level of all other modules assessed. The study was conducted by Photon Laboratry from January through December 2010.
The lab, which has been conducting these studies since 2005, randomly selects three modules from each company and installs them at an open-air site in Germany, in a south-facing position, 2.5 meters from the ground and at a 28˚ angle. Testing analyzes the power of the modules under standard conditions, cell performance with low radiation, temperature co-efficients, power degredation over time, and other factors that influence the energy that the module can be expected to produce over its lifetime. Photon's technology measures and records the data for all modules automatically.
In addition to generating 6.2% more than the average level, the Siliken modules produced 13.1% more energy than the lowest performing modules in the study. www.siliken.com
2/18/2011 - Better Living Show
We will again be at the Better Living Show this March 5th (9am-6pm) and 6th (11am-4pm) at the Winona Senior High School. Please stop by and say hi.
11/04/2010 - Xcel Energy requests Minnesota electric rate increases
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - Xcel Energy wants to increase its electric rates in Minnesota over the next two years. Northern States Power Co.-Minnesota, an Xcel company, asked the state Public Utilities Commission on Wednesday to approve a base electric rate increase for 2011 and 2012.
NSP-Minnesota President and CEO Judy Poferl (POH'-fur-uhl) says the company needs the increase, in part, for infrastructure improvements. The company is asking for an increase of about $150 million or 5.6% in base electric rates in 2011, with an additional $48 million or 1.8% in 2012. As part of its filing, Xcel wants to implement interim rates effective Jan. 2, 2011. The Minneapolis-based utility has about 1.2 million electric customers in Minnesota.
NSP-Minnesota President and CEO Judy Poferl (POH'-fur-uhl) says the company needs the increase, in part, for infrastructure improvements. The company is asking for an increase of about $150 million or 5.6% in base electric rates in 2011, with an additional $48 million or 1.8% in 2012. As part of its filing, Xcel wants to implement interim rates effective Jan. 2, 2011. The Minneapolis-based utility has about 1.2 million electric customers in Minnesota.
10/21/2010 - Solar electric systems achieve record numbers in Minnesota
Minnesota is on a pace to more than double its 2009 record for solar electric installations. As of mid-October, 139 installations had been completed in the state, already a significant increase over the 76 new installations reported in 2009. By year's end, there will be more than 150 new solar electric installations in the state, according to the Minnesota Department of Commerce, Office of Energy Security (OES). With these new installations, Minnesota currently has 481 solar electric installations with 2.64 megawatts of solar electric capacity.
In the past year alone, the price to install solar has decreased by 20 to 25 percent. For example, the cost of an average residential solar electric system in Minnesota has gone from about $10 a watt to $7.50 per watt. Rebates from utilities and incentives (such as the State Solar Electric Rebate program administered by OES) have further lowered the cost of systems. OES has approved 260 solar electric rebates (representing $2.5 million) for residences and small businesses, with a total capacity of 1.5 megawatts.
In the past year alone, the price to install solar has decreased by 20 to 25 percent. For example, the cost of an average residential solar electric system in Minnesota has gone from about $10 a watt to $7.50 per watt. Rebates from utilities and incentives (such as the State Solar Electric Rebate program administered by OES) have further lowered the cost of systems. OES has approved 260 solar electric rebates (representing $2.5 million) for residences and small businesses, with a total capacity of 1.5 megawatts.
10/21/2010 - Still time for OES solar hot water and solar air heat rebates
More than $300,000 in rebate funds from the Minnesota Office of Energy Security (OES) are still available for solar hot water and solar air heat systems installed at residences and small businesses. Application materials are located in the Rebates & Credits section of the OES website. Contact OES at 651-296-5175 or energy.info@state.mn.us for more information or if you need assistance completing the application.
