Solar in Cottage Grove, MN
With Xcel Energy Minnesota's electricity at about 17.0¢ per kWh and 1,304 kWh of sun per kW, solar is not worth it for a typical Cottage Grove home today: about a 16.8-year payback.
- Payback, typical home
- 16.8 yrsMinnesota: 16.8 yrs
- 25-year net
- $12,731after paying $20,075
- Sun
- 1,304kWh per kW per year
- Electricity
- 17.0¢5% below U.S. average
A typical Cottage Grove home, by the numbers
| Utility | Xcel Energy Minnesota |
|---|---|
| Electricity use | 615 kWh a month |
| Best-value system | 5.1 kW, about 12 panels, 6,651 kWh a year (90% of use) |
| Cost | $20,075 |
| First-year savings | $1,131 |
| Payback | 16.8 years |
| Exported power | Full retail net metering (Xcel Energy Minnesota) |
Cash purchase, no federal credit, 2.7% yearly rate increases. Run it with your own numbers.
Homes in Cottage Grove
- Owner-occupied homes
- 88%
- Single-family detached
- 78%
- Median home value
- $379k
- Median year built
- 1990
- Population
- 40,992
- Roofs suitable for solar†
- 83%
Census ACS 2020–2024. †Share of 9,991 buildings Google Project Sunroof rated technically suitable (2019 snapshot).
Installers working in Cottage Grove
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 Cottage Grove
Is solar worth it in Cottage Grove, MN?
For a typical home in Cottage Grove, solar is not worth it at 2026 prices: a 5.1 kW system costs about $20,075 after state incentives, saves about $1,131 in year one and pays back in about 16.8 years. Enter your address for an estimate based on your roof and bill.
How much solar power does a system produce in Cottage Grove?
About 1,304 kWh per year for each kW of panels on a south-facing roof, based on PVWatts and local weather. That's 2% less than the Minnesota average. East- or west-facing roofs produce roughly 10–20% less.
Who is the electric utility in Cottage Grove?
Most homes in Cottage Grove are served by Xcel Energy Minnesota, at about 17.0¢ per kWh on average.
How much do solar panels cost in Cottage Grove?
A fair cash price is around $3.75 per watt before incentives, so about $20,075 for a 5.1 kW system. There's no federal tax credit for homeowners who buy in 2026.
Nearby
- Woodbury 16.3 yrs
- Inver Grove Heights 16.7 yrs
- Rosemount 16.4 yrs
- Eagan 16.6 yrs
- Oakdale 16.5 yrs
- St. Paul 16.6 yrs
- Apple Valley 16.5 yrs
- Maplewood 16.5 yrs
- All of Minnesota
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.