Typical home: Not worth it

Solar in Maplewood, MN

With Xcel Energy Minnesota's electricity at about 17.0¢ per kWh and 1,329 kWh of sun per kW, solar is not worth it for a typical Maplewood home today: about a 16.5-year payback.

Payback, typical home
16.5 yrsMinnesota: 16.8 yrs
25-year net
$13,120after paying $19,750
Sun
1,329kWh per kW per year
Electricity
17.0¢5% below U.S. average

A typical Maplewood home, by the numbers

UtilityXcel Energy Minnesota
Electricity use615 kWh a month
Best-value system5 kW, about 12 panels, 6,647 kWh a year (90% of use)
Cost$19,750
First-year savings$1,131
Payback16.5 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 Maplewood

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

Show as a table
PeriodValue
Jan78
Feb97
Mar134
Apr134
May137
Jun136
Jul152
Aug142
Sep115
Oct83
Nov63
Dec60

Homes in Maplewood

Owner-occupied homes
72%
Single-family detached
58%
Median home value
$323k
Median year built
1979
Population
40,695
Roofs suitable for solar†
68%

Census ACS 2020–2024. †Share of 8,515 buildings Google Project Sunroof rated technically suitable (2019 snapshot).

Installers working in Maplewood

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 Maplewood

Is solar worth it in Maplewood, MN?

For a typical home in Maplewood, solar is not worth it at 2026 prices: a 5 kW system costs about $19,750 after state incentives, saves about $1,131 in year one and pays back in about 16.5 years. Enter your address for an estimate based on your roof and bill.

How much solar power does a system produce in Maplewood?

About 1,329 kWh per year for each kW of panels on a south-facing roof, based on PVWatts and local weather. That's 0% less than the Minnesota average. East- or west-facing roofs produce roughly 10–20% less.

Who is the electric utility in Maplewood?

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

How much do solar panels cost in Maplewood?

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.