2026-01 Round 1: Minnesota Solar for Schools Program Application

The Minnesota Department of Commerce, Division of Energy Resources seeks applications from qualified Minnesota schools for theSolar for Schools Grant Program.Independent and Special School Districts, Tribal Contract Schools, Cooperative School Districts, and Minnesota State Colleges and Universities are eligible to apply for one or more grants valued up to 70-90% of the System’s purchase and installation cost. The cumulative value of grant(s) received by each district or college must not exceed $675,000 if within Xcel electric service territory, or $500,000 for all other electric utilities.This application is comprised of two steps. The Readiness Assessment demonstrates a school’s readiness to proceed to procurement. The total maximum grant is reserved at this stage for selected respondents and is calculated by multiplying the applicable grant rate by the nameplate capacity of the system specified in the Assessment. Grant rates are determined by school type, financial need, and system size and range from $0.84 to $2.70 per watt. Selected respondents will be invited to submit Full Applications. The final grant value is determined using project details submitted in the Full Application.