Typical home: Not worth it

Solar in Brooklyn Center, MN

With Xcel Energy Minnesota's electricity at about 17.0¢ per kWh and 1,325 kWh of sun per kW, solar is not worth it for a typical Brooklyn Center home today: about a 16.6-year payback.

Payback, typical home
16.6 yrsMinnesota: 16.8 yrs
25-year net
$13,009after paying $19,750
Sun
1,325kWh per kW per year
Electricity
17.0¢5% below U.S. average

A typical Brooklyn Center home, by the numbers

UtilityXcel Energy Minnesota
Electricity use615 kWh a month
Best-value system5 kW, about 12 panels, 6,627 kWh a year (90% of use)
Cost$19,750
First-year savings$1,127
Payback16.6 years
Exported powerFull retail net metering (Xcel Energy Minnesota)

Cash purchase, no federal credit, 2.7% yearly rate increases. Run it with your own numbers.

Solar production per kW in Brooklyn Center

kWh per kW each month, south-facing at 20° tilt. PVWatts v8 with local typical-year weather.

Show as a table
PeriodValue
Jan78
Feb91
Mar131
Apr128
May137
Jun142
Jul152
Aug143
Sep119
Oct82
Nov64
Dec59

Homes in Brooklyn Center

Owner-occupied homes
64%
Single-family detached
60%
Median home value
$274k
Median year built
1962
Population
32,479
Roofs suitable for solar†
62%

Census ACS 2020–2024. †Share of 5,829 buildings Google Project Sunroof rated technically suitable (2019 snapshot).

Older housing stock. Many homes here were built before 1975. Have the roof and electrical panel checked before signing; a roof or panel upgrade can add thousands. Roof first?

Installers working in Brooklyn Center

Public installation records for Minnesota don't name installers, so we can't rank local companies here. Browse installers in Minnesota.

Always verify the license and get at least three quotes. Compare quotes side by side.

Questions about solar in Brooklyn Center

Is solar worth it in Brooklyn Center, MN?

For a typical home in Brooklyn Center, solar is not worth it at 2026 prices: a 5 kW system costs about $19,750 after state incentives, saves about $1,127 in year one and pays back in about 16.6 years. Enter your address for an estimate based on your roof and bill.

How much solar power does a system produce in Brooklyn Center?

About 1,325 kWh per year for each kW of panels on a south-facing roof, based on PVWatts and local weather. That's 1% less than the Minnesota average. East- or west-facing roofs produce roughly 10–20% less.

Who is the electric utility in Brooklyn Center?

Most homes in Brooklyn Center are served by Xcel Energy Minnesota, at about 17.0¢ per kWh on average.

How much do solar panels cost in Brooklyn Center?

A fair cash price is around $3.75 per watt before incentives, so about $19,750 for a 5 kW system. There's no federal tax credit for homeowners who buy in 2026.

Nearby

Data: PVWatts (National Laboratory of the Rockies), EIA-861 2025 adjusted to 2026, U.S. Census ACS, LBNL Tracking the Sun, state policy research as of October 2026.