Written by MN Renewable Now staff
MN Renewable Now founded and is working with several partners to provide the Solstar Rooftop Solar Project in North Minneapolis. This project is for Northside property owners to receive solar panels for their property at no cost. By making solar panels more accessible, we will advance energy democracy in North Minneapolis while shifting our energy supply away from dirty fossil fuels. The work began in early 2021. We engaged with residents and took pre-qualifying applications throughout 2021. In 2022, we were able to install solar onto 18 properties. We are currently taking applications and scheduling solar assessments for 2023.
Think you might be a good fit? Great! While our first round of participants is closed and already underway, we are accepting applications for the next round, estimated to kick off soon in 2023. Contact 612-208-3896 or info@mnrenewablenow.org to receive an application.
In order to qualify for the program, applicants have to live in North Minneapolis. That is south of I-694, west of the Mississippi River, north of Bassett Creek, and east of Theodore Wirth Parkway. If you Identify as Black, Indigenous, Asian, or LatinX; receive government assistance or Social Security Income; are a veteran, physically disabled, or fall at or below the poverty line you will be put first in line to receive a solar assessment. There are some factors that could eliminate you from qualifying such as tree cover, which way your roof is facing, the material your roof is made of, or the condition it is in.
Tips to help you know if you qualify: Keep in mind the size of your roof. If you have very little roof or little roof space, you may not be chosen. We must be able to fit at least 5 KW on your roof however we will choose someone that can fit more (10KW is ideal)
Which way is your roof facing? In Minnesota, we see about 12 hours of sunlight in the summer. This means that the sun travels right above our heads in the summer which is great for solar panels. But…. in the colder months, we can see as little as 8 hours of sunlight. This means that the sun travels along the southern side of the sky. So if your roof faces the south, you are a good candidate. If not, it’s not impossible, but the cost will increase due to structural things we will need to do for the panels to face south.
How old is your roof? If your roof has not been replaced in the past 10-15 years, we will need to take a closer look. Depending on the materials your roof is made up of, you might need to update it first.
Northsider? Yep, we are working with just North Minneapolis properties now. But don’t be sad, because as we complete more rounds of participants, we plan to open it up to everyone in the North and South Minneapolis Green Zones.
Info: mnrenewablenow.org or info@mnrenewablenow.org.