Round 3: Minnesota Solar on Public Buildings Program

In 2023 the Minnesota Legislature established the Solar on Public Buildings (SPB) Grant Program (Minn. Stat. § 216C.377). The purpose of this program is to provide grants to stimulate the installation of solar energy systems on public buildings. The Department of Commerce will administer $4.3M in grants to local governments in Xcel Energy electric service territory through multiple funding rounds. Eligible applicants for this grant program are local units of government including a county, statutory or home rule charter city, town, or other local government jurisdiction, excluding a school district eligible to receive financial assistance under section 216C.375; or a federally recognized Indian Tribe in Minnesota. (Minn. Stat. § 216C.377, subd. 1). Grants will be awarded for up to 70% of the project costs (dependent on the government’s financial capacity) for a solar array that is built on or adjacent to a public building and is the lesser of 40kW system capacity or 120% of the building’s annual energy consumption. This process involves two steps: a Readiness Assessment and Full Grant Application. Please see the “Deadline” section below for the important dates. All responses to this RFP must be submitted through a single responder user account via the grant portal. See the RFP for details. Applications must be submitted by the deadline of each respective round. Late proposals will not be considered. Instructions and links for submitting bids are detailed in the RFP