SolarRewards for Schools

Program Type: Statewide solar incentive program for K-12 schools and state colleges/universities

Geographic Scope: Xcel Energy service territory in Minnesota

Administrator: Xcel Energy

Eligibility:

• K-12 public schools in Xcel Energy territory
• State colleges and universities in Xcel Energy territory
• Schools with at least 50% of students eligible for free/reduced-price lunch are "income-qualified"

Focus Areas:

• Solar energy system installation on school buildings
• Curriculum integration of solar projects as visible learning tools
• Technical and financial assistance

Financial Assistance Structure:

• Performance-based incentive: $0.04/kilowatt-hour of energy produced for 10 years (applies to all schools regardless of system size or financial need)
• Up-front incentive:
  • Non-income qualified schools: $0.10/watt
  • Income-qualified schools: $0.70-$1.10/watt (depending on solar project size)
• Budget allocation: 40% of overall program budget reserved for income-qualified schools

Overall Budget: $8 million for K-12 public schools; $1,242,000 for state colleges and universities

Program Start Date: January 2022

Requirements:

• Schools must integrate solar project into curriculum
• Solar system must serve as visible learning tool for students and teachers

Benefits:

• Reduced energy bills for schools (saves taxpayer dollars)
• Growth in local renewable energy deployment and associated jobs
• Decreased emissions from polluting energy sources
• Increased awareness and understanding of renewable energy in communities
• Equity implications with dedicated funding for income-qualified schools

Application Process

No specific application details found in provided content. Applicants should:

• Contact Xcel Energy directly for program details and application procedures
• Work with school administrators to determine income-qualification status
• Calculate expected incentive using the tiered payment structure