Typical home: Not worth it

Solar in Inver Grove Heights, MN

With Xcel Energy Minnesota's electricity at about 17.0¢ per kWh and 1,310 kWh of sun per kW, solar is not worth it for a typical Inver Grove Heights home today: about a 16.7-year payback.

Payback, typical home
16.7 yrsMinnesota: 16.8 yrs
25-year net
$12,895after paying $20,075
Sun
1,310kWh per kW per year
Electricity
17.0¢5% below U.S. average

A typical Inver Grove Heights home, by the numbers

UtilityXcel Energy Minnesota
Electricity use615 kWh a month
Best-value system5.1 kW, about 12 panels, 6,681 kWh a year (91% of use)
Cost$20,075
First-year savings$1,136
Payback16.7 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 Inver Grove Heights

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

Show as a table
PeriodValue
Jan75
Feb85
Mar125
Apr132
May136
Jun135
Jul152
Aug140
Sep115
Oct91
Nov66
Dec58

Homes in Inver Grove Heights

Owner-occupied homes
77%
Single-family detached
55%
Median home value
$363k
Median year built
1990
Population
35,906
Roofs suitable for solar†
75%

Census ACS 2020–2024. †Share of 7,994 buildings Google Project Sunroof rated technically suitable (2019 snapshot).

Installers working in Inver Grove Heights

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 Inver Grove Heights

Is solar worth it in Inver Grove Heights, MN?

For a typical home in Inver Grove Heights, solar is not worth it at 2026 prices: a 5.1 kW system costs about $20,075 after state incentives, saves about $1,136 in year one and pays back in about 16.7 years. Enter your address for an estimate based on your roof and bill.

How much solar power does a system produce in Inver Grove Heights?

About 1,310 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 Inver Grove Heights?

Most homes in Inver Grove Heights are served by Xcel Energy Minnesota, at about 17.0¢ per kWh on average.

How much do solar panels cost in Inver Grove Heights?

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

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.