Solar energy is a cost-effective way to reduce electrical costs in Rochester, Minnesota. Here in Olmsted County, energy rates are controlled by local electrical utilities like Rochester Public Utility and Peoples’ Energy Co-op. Solar power can be purchased by a residential homeowner to avoid having to pay variable rates determined by their utility. Owning a solar photovoltaic (pv) system is a way to fix electric prices at a much lower than market rate. Many homeowners report having their electric costs reduced to 1/3 or even 1/5 of their previous cost rates over a 30-year period here in Rochester, Minnesota. Olmsted county cities outside of Rochester also have a great deal of savings potential by cutting out the middle man and purchasing their own solar power. At Solar Connection, we believe that buying energy from a utility company is no different than renting a home. If a homeowner owns their own solar power production, the cost of electricity is set by the homeowner and not someone else.

This installation is a 6.14kw system installed by Solar Connection Inc. on a residential home here in Rochester, Minnesota. This size system is relatively average for a small family in a single residential home. Owning a solar energy system like this one is a great solution for energy needs, especially as energy prices continue to rise. Solar power is a smart investment for a local home due to the growing demand of energy in Rochester and outside of the city in Olmsted county. As demand rises and public pressure to reduce fossil fuels increase, it is expected and natural that energy prices will rise. If nothing else, the increase in inflation nationally will require utility companies to raise rates to meet their operational costs. By comparison, renewable energy is already cheaper than alternative and fossil fuels, and solar energy continues to outpace competition.

This project will save the homeowners upwards of twenty five thousand dollars over the warrantied life of the system. This level of energy savings is about average, but for larger homes or all electric homes, the return on investment only increases as a solar energy system increases in size. This system is facing south on the roof of the house, though not at all homes need to have a perfectly southern roof to provide high savings. Roof mounted solar energy systems are a good idea in Rochester, as they are cheaper to install compared to ground mounts. More importantly, many city regulations make ground mounts difficult for most home owners in Rochester city limits.

Rochester, Minnesota is an excellent city to consider going green. Unlike many older cities in Olmsted and the surrounding counties, the ongoing growth of the city means that many homes do not have tall trees that block out the sun in younger neighborhoods. While solar power is helping clean up the local environment, trees blocking good sun access are one of the biggest obstacles solar homeowners face. Making sure that a system is custom designed to suit a home site is the best way to ensure that permits aren’t a problem, costs remain low, and the solar energy system produces the most that it can in the long-term. Solar Connection is a solar installer that does solar installation on residential homes, agricultural properties, and general commercial sites here in southeastern Minnesota. Solar installation is complicated, so be sure to choose a solar contractor that will be there for you! Here at Solar Connection, we’re happy to help serve Rochester homeowners to the best of our ability.