All states · Minnesota
Updated October 2026 · ranks 19 of 50
Only under favorable conditions
6 kW system · $18,660 after incentives · $1,636 returned in year one
0 yrs25 yrs
At 12.1 years the outcome depends more on individual circumstances than on the state average. It shortens appreciably with above-average consumption, an unshaded south-facing roof, or an installed price below $3.11 a watt, and lengthens with the opposite.
The answer depends on the individual property rather than the state average. At 12.1 years, shading or below-average consumption can move the outcome materially in either direction.
The case modeled here approximates an average Minnesota household on the state average rate of 17.4¢, with an unshaded roof and no financing: $18,660 of capital, $1,636 returned in the first year, and break-even near year 12.1. Above-average consumption, a south-facing roof or a competitive installed price shorten that period; shading, a loan carrying a dealer fee, or a sale within six years lengthen it. Exports earn 17.4¢, close to the retail rate, so daytime occupancy makes little difference to the result.
At 17.4¢ per kilowatt-hour, Minnesota pays 6% more for electricity than the United States average of 16.5¢. A high retail rate is the principal driver of a short payback, since each kilowatt-hour generated displaces an expensive one.
A 6 kW array in Minnesota generates approximately 7,998 kWh a year, above the national median. Irradiance is the one input that no change in policy can remove.
Minnesota operates full-retail net metering. Each exported kilowatt-hour is credited at the same 17.4¢ charged for consumption, so the grid functions as storage and there is no penalty for generating more than is consumed during daylight hours. This is the principal reason payback here is shorter than in states with comparable irradiance.
Minnesota offers no state rebate or tax credit at present, so the installed price of $18,660 stands. With Section 25D expired there is no federal credit to deduct either, the first year in over a decade in which that has been the case.
A 6 kW system, the size typical of Minnesota households, costs approximately $18,660 installed at $3.11 a watt before deductions. No deduction applies in Minnesota: there is no state rebate, no state tax credit, and no federal credit following the expiry of Section 25D on 31 December 2025. That is well above the $2.85 national median, which is why a high retail rate alone does not shorten the payback here as much as it first appears. Smaller systems cost more per watt and larger ones less, although sizing beyond on-site consumption is not penalized, since exports earn 17.4¢.
| System size | 6 kW |
|---|---|
| Annual production | 7,998 kWh |
| Installed cost | $18,660 |
| Incentives | none |
| Net cost | $18,660 |
| Electricity rate | 17.4¢ / kWh |
| Export credit | 17.4¢ / kWh |
| Year-one saving | $1,636 |
| Break-even | 12.1 years |
| 25-year gain | $29,022 |
Of the 50 states published here, Minnesota ranks 19th for how quickly a bought system repays itself. Fastest right now: Hawaii, New York, Illinois, Massachusetts. Slowest: South Dakota, Louisiana, North Dakota, Tennessee. Compare them all on the map.
Solar economics change at state lines rather than at county lines, because the export tariff and the netting period do. These states share a border with Minnesota, and the figure each produces on the same assumptions.
About $18,660 installed for a 6 kW system at $3.11 a watt. No deduction applies in Minnesota: no state rebate, no state credit, and no federal credit following the expiry of Section 25D. Larger systems are not penalized here, since exports earn the full 17.4¢.
Only under favorable conditions. A 6 kW system breaks even in 12.1 years on the assumptions used here, following the expiry of the 30% federal tax credit on 31 December 2025.
Approximately $1,636 in the first year on a 7,998 kWh system, rising thereafter as Minnesota electricity rates increase. Exports are valued the same as self-consumption at 17.4¢, so the figure holds regardless of daytime occupancy.
A 6 kW array is about 14 modules at 430 W and generates 7,998 kWh a year here, which covers a household using roughly that much. Sizing above on-site use is not penalized here, since exports earn 17.4¢. The sizing calculator works it out from a bill.
Only under favorable conditions. The retail rate here is 17.4¢ against a national average of 16.5¢, exports earn 17.4¢, and a 6 kW system breaks even in 12.1 years. What separates Minnesota from states with similar sunshine is the rate and the export tariff, not the weather.
Minnesota operates full-retail net metering.
Generation is taken from NREL PVWatts v8 for the largest metropolitan area in Minnesota, south-facing at 20°. The retail rate is from the EIA and the export credit from the state's net metering rule. The break-even figure incorporates 0.5% annual panel degradation, 3% annual electricity price growth, $150 a year in maintenance and an inverter replacement in year 12. The federal credit is set to $0 — Section 25D expired 31 December 2025. Imports and exports are netted over the monthly billing period, so approximately 85% of generation offsets consumption at the full retail rate before any surplus is compensated at the export rate. This has a larger effect on the result than the export rate itself. Full method and sources. Privacy. Export terms checked against the state source in August 2026.
These are estimates for comparison between states, not quotations. Roof orientation, shading, consumption pattern and installer pricing all affect the result. At least three written quotations are advisable before purchase.