Xcel Energy
The Twin Cities and much of the state, including Minneapolis, St Paul and Rochester. The largest utility in Minnesota and the administrator of the state’s community solar garden programme.
- Type
- Investor owned
- Accounts
- 1.3M
What they credit you
One for one up to 40 kW
Set by state ruleExports are credited one for one at the retail rate for systems up to 40 kW, carried month to month, with any positive balance eliminated at the end of the cycle ending the last day of February.
- Month to month
- Month to month within the twelve month cycle.
- Once a year
- None. The balance is cleared rather than paid.
Set by undefined · checked 2026-09-05 · source
What your installer should be telling you
Ask how your credit balance is tracked through the winter, and size the system against your own annual usage rather than your roof.
Xcel is investor owned, so Minn. Stat. § 216B.164 applies and these terms are set by the state rather than by a board that can revise them. That is the strongest position a homeowner can be in on net metering.
Applying to Xcel
What Xcel itself requires, as distinct from what the state rule requires. Read from its own published guidelines on the date shown.
- One for one at the retail rate, up to 40 kW
- Minn. Stat. § 216B.164 requires utilities to offer net metering for systems up to 40 kilowatts, credited at the same price you would have paid for the electricity. That threshold is far above what a house needs.
- The credit cycle ends on the last day of February
- A positive balance at the end of the twelve month cycle ending on the last day of February is eliminated, and the cycle restarts on 1 March. There is no payout for it.
- February is the worst possible month for that to happen
- A Minnesota solar house spends winter drawing its bank down and summer building it up. The rule clears the balance at the end of the winter, which is the design’s own answer to whether you should oversize.
- Above 40 kW the arrangement changes
- Systems over the threshold may fall under a Value of Solar rate rather than retail net metering. For a house that is rarely relevant, but it is worth knowing the line exists.
- Community solar runs on a different methodology
- Minnesota’s community solar garden programme, under § 216B.1641, credits subscribers using the state’s Value of Solar methodology rather than the retail rate. It is a different product from rooftop net metering.
From Xcel’s published guidelines · checked 2026-09-05 · source
Xcel net metering questions
- Does Xcel offer one for one net metering?
- Yes. Exports are credited one for one at the retail rate for systems up to 40 kW, carried month to month, with any positive balance eliminated at the end of the cycle ending the last day of February. Month to month within the twelve month cycle.
- What does Xcel pay for power sent back to the grid?
- One for one up to 40 kW. None. The balance is cleared rather than paid.
- Do I need a battery with Xcel?
- Not for the economics. Xcel credits exports at the retail rate, so power you send out during the day comes back at the same value after dark without storage. A battery is still worth considering for outages during hurricane season, but it is an upgrade here rather than a requirement.
- How do I find my Xcel bill?
- Sign in at xcelenergy.com. Open My Account, then Billing. Open the latest bill and save the PDF. Or screenshot the summary page. If you cannot get to it, a rough guess at your average monthly amount is enough to start.
- What is the catch with Xcel?
- Ask how your credit balance is tracked through the winter, and size the system against your own annual usage rather than your roof.
Installers serving Xcel customers
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