Minnesota Solar on Public Buildings Program
The Minnesota Department of Commerce seeks proposals for the 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 or adjacent to public buildings. The Department of Commerce will administer $650,000 in grants to local governments and Tribal Nations in Xcel Energy electric service territory. This is the fifth round of funding requests.
Eligible applicants for this grant are local units of government owning and operating public buildings. This includes a county, city, town, or other local government jurisdiction, federally recognized Indian Tribes in Minnesota, excluding school districts eligible to receive financial assistance under the Solar for Schools program (Minn. Stat. § 216C.375) (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 40kWac system capacity or 120% of the building’s annual energy consumption.
Applications must be submitted by the deadline of June 30, 2026.
For questions about the program and application process, email Energy.Contracts@state.mn.us. All questions will be answered in the Solar on Public Buildings FAQ and made available on the Solar on Public Buildings webpage.
Please visit the Commerce RFP website for the posting: Request for Proposals (RFP) / Minnesota Department of Commerce - Business (mn.gov).
Commerce will hold a webinar to discuss this funding opportunity on Wednesday, May 6 at 9:00am. Please register here.