Typical home: Not worth it

Solar in St. Louis Park, MN

With Xcel Energy Minnesota's electricity at about 17.0¢ per kWh and 1,340 kWh of sun per kW, solar is not worth it for a typical St. Louis Park home today: about a 16.4-year payback.

Payback, typical home
16.4 yrsMinnesota: 16.8 yrs
25-year net
$13,419after paying $19,750
Sun
1,340kWh per kW per year
Electricity
17.0¢5% below U.S. average

A typical St. Louis Park home, by the numbers

UtilityXcel Energy Minnesota
Electricity use615 kWh a month
Best-value system5 kW, about 12 panels, 6,701 kWh a year (91% of use)
Cost$19,750
First-year savings$1,140
Payback16.4 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 St. Louis Park

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

Show as a table
PeriodValue
Jan80
Feb90
Mar131
Apr130
May134
Jun146
Jul153
Aug142
Sep117
Oct91
Nov65
Dec62

Homes in St. Louis Park

Owner-occupied homes
58%
Single-family detached
47%
Median home value
$387k
Median year built
1965
Population
49,594

Census ACS 2020–2024.

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 St. Louis Park

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 St. Louis Park

Is solar worth it in St. Louis Park, MN?

For a typical home in St. Louis Park, solar is not worth it at 2026 prices: a 5 kW system costs about $19,750 after state incentives, saves about $1,140 in year one and pays back in about 16.4 years. Enter your address for an estimate based on your roof and bill.

How much solar power does a system produce in St. Louis Park?

About 1,340 kWh per year for each kW of panels on a south-facing roof, based on PVWatts and local weather. That's 1% more than the Minnesota average. East- or west-facing roofs produce roughly 10–20% less.

Who is the electric utility in St. Louis Park?

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

How much do solar panels cost in St. Louis Park?

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.