This document summarizes the growth of solar power in Minnesota and lessons learned. It finds that Minnesota has seen significant growth in solar installations since 2016, installing over 500 MW compared to just 37 MW previously. The state has also enabled community solar and expanded net metering limits. However, there is still potential for much more rooftop solar. The document recommends continuing to build community solar capacity, adding storage, making financing more inclusive to drive further adoption of solar in Minnesota.

1. A V I S I O N F O R
M I N N E S O TA S O L A R
L E S S O N S A N D B A R R I E R S F R O M T H E N O R T H S TA R S TAT E
John Farrell
Director of Energy DemocracyNovember 15, 2017
Presentation to the MnSEIA - Midwest Gateway to Solar

2. Installed solar capacity, Minnesota
37 MW
P R E - 2 0 1 6
N O W
???

3. Installed solar capacity, Minnesota
552 MW
37 MW
P R E - 2 0 1 6
N O W

4. T H E B I G P I C T U R E I S
J U S T A S E X C I T I N G

5. S O L A R G R O W T H D E S T R O Y S F O R E C A S T S
Source: https://twitter.com/
aukehoekstra/status/
866313289306963969

6. Solar PV could provide fully half of
global electricity by 2050
Source: http://bit.ly/2f6Anfk
S O L A R G R O W T H D E S T R O Y S F O R E C A S T S

7. 1 I N S TA L L
E V E RY 6 0
S E C O N D S
United States, 2016

8. I T ’ S G E T T I N G E V E N
B E T T E R

9. D O U B L E T H E R A N G E , S A M E P R I C E

10. I T ’ S C O M I N G F O R Y O U R F U R N A C E …

11. W H AT C O U L D S T O P U S ?

12. What game are we playing?
A B
C
D E

13. What game are we playing?

14. “There is one
great advantage
that must follow
regulation, and
that advantage is
protection"
Samuel Insull

15. F I R S T S TAT E O V E R S I G H T O F
M O N O P O LY U T I L I T I E S ( C . 1 9 0 5 )

16. M I D W E S T A N D M I D - AT L A N T I C
U T I L I T Y M O N O L I T H

18. S E E K I N G S U B S I D I E S

19. O V E R - R U L I N G R E G U L AT O R S

20. C U T T I N G C O M P E T I T I O N

21. P O L I T I C A L J I U - J I T S U

22. C H O I C E C A N W I N

23. D E F E AT E D

24. R E V E R S E D

25. C A N U T I L I T I E S L E A D ?

26. “We come to work each day to
do what we did the day before”

27. “An IOU
divided
cannot
stand”

29. D I S R U P T I O N
Photo credits:
Donnie Ray Jones and Billy Brown via Flickr

30. S M A RT P H O N E I M A G E
Raise your hand if
you got your
smartphone
from…

31. From your
landline phone
company?

32. C H A N G E I S C O M I N G …

34. B AT T E R I E S A R E G E T T I N G C H E A P FA S T
Actual

35. B AT T E R I E S G I V E C U S T O M E R S C H O I C E
Number of commercial electricity customers who can subscriber to tariffs with demand charges in excess of $15/kW
Source: http://bit.ly/2gK7fdO

36. B AT T E R I E S G I V E C U S T O M E R S C H O I C E
Number of commercial electricity customers who can subscriber to tariffs with demand charges in excess of $15/kW
Source: http://bit.ly/2gK7fdO

37. S O L A R + S T O R A G E I S G E T T I N G
C H E A P
E L E C T R I C I T Y
C O S T P E R K W H
0
10
20
30
40
Hawaii, 2016
Solar + storage
Utility electricity

38. V

39. W H AT M I N N E S O TA H A S
D O N E R I G H T

40. A S TA N D A R D T O J U M P S TA R T T H E
M A R K E T
NM
State
standards
NM
State
benchmarks
NV
AZ
NM
CO
NJ
DE
MDNJ
NM
CO
MD
AZ MN IL
Percent of sales from solar
0%
1%
2%
3%
4%
5%
6%
2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030
Installed solar

41. P R E S E R V E D FA I R P R I C I N G
M N VA L U E O F
S O L A R ( X C E L
0
0.03
0.06
0.09
0.12
0.15
Avoided Fuel Cost
Avoided Plant O&M Fixed
Avoided Plant O&M Fixed
Avoided Gen Capacity Cost
Avoided Reserve Capacity Cost
Avoided Trans Capacity Cost
Avoided Distribution Capacity Cost
Avoided Environmental Cost
12.3¢ per kWh

42. E X PA N D E D O N - S I T E G E N E R AT I O N
2012 2013
Net metering size limits (investor-owned utility territory)
4 0 K W 1 0 0 0 K W

43. E N A B L E D C O M M U N I T Y S O L A R
M N C S G C A PA C I T Y
( N O V 2 0 1 7 )
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
160
180
2015 2016 2017
Utility Type
- Cooperative
- Investor-Owned Utility
- Public Power
Available
Limited by tech or customer type
Utility option to offer
Virtual Net Metering Policy
Megawatts

44. E N A B L E D C O M M U N I T Y S O L A R
M N C S G C A PA C I T Y
( N O V 2 0 1 7 )
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
160
180
2015 2016 2017
Utility Type
- Cooperative
- Investor-Owned Utility
- Public Power
Available
Limited by tech or customer type
Utility option to offer
Virtual Net Metering Policy
Megawatts

45. S O L A R O N S C H O O L S
Credit: IPS Solar
$7.7 million over 25 years

46. W H AT M O R E C A N W E
D O ?

47. 30%
23%
49%
47%
34%
40%
32%
50%
31%
25%
35%
57%
26%
32%
39%
47%
35%
23%
74%
40%
34%
31%
27%
34%
26%
28%
14%
34%
44%
34%
44%
24%
39%
34%
42%
39%
36%
40%
33%
30%
37%
46%
30% 35%
37%
60%
53%
60%
All buildings
Source: http://www.nrel.gov/docs/fy16osti/65298.pdf
R O O F T O P S O L A R P O T E N T I A L
43%
43%
POTENTIAL PERCENT OF
POWER FROM LOCAL
ROOFTOP SOLAR
Over 50%
40 to 50%
25 to 40%
11 to 25%
2008 data

48. R I S I N G R E TA I L E L E C T R I C I T Y P R I C E S
(Residential, ¢ per kilowatt-hour)

49. K E E P O N B U I L D I N G
M N C O M M U N I T Y S O L A R C A PA C I T Y ( N O V 2 0 1 7 )
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
160
180
2015 2016 2017

50. A D D S T O R A G E

51. Some electricity sharing allowed
No electricity sharing
C O M M U N I T Y R E N E WA B L E E N E R G Y
Solar AND wind!

52. I N C L U S I V E
E N E R G Y
F I N A N C I N G
The utility (like Xcel or
Centerpoint) pays for the
insulation, windows, or solar
panels
I N C L U S I V E F I N A N C I N G
M A K I N G C L E A N E N E R G Y E A S I E R T H A N A C R E D I T C A R D S W I P E
You, the customer, sign up for
better insulation, windows, a
rooftop solar panels, or a share
of solar on a nearby building
H O W I T W O R K S
1
2
Part of the savings
reduces your energy bill
3
Part of the savings is
used to pay for the
improvements
Tariff-based

53. G E N E R AT I O N T R A N S M I S S I O N D I S T R I B U T I O N
3¢ 3¢ 4¢+ +
P U B L I C U T I L I T Y R E G U L AT O RY P O L I C I E S A C T
D E F E N D T H E R I G H T T O S E L L …
Utilities must buy electricity from “qualifying
facilities,” including wind and solar, at their
“avoided cost”
F E D E R A L L AW

54. G E N E R AT I O N T R A N S M I S S I O N D I S T R I B U T I O N
3¢ 3¢ 4¢+ +
Account for point of delivery
… AT A FA I R P R I C E
P U B L I C U T I L I T Y R E G U L AT O RY P O L I C I E S A C T

55. F R O M E N E R G Y M O N O P O LY
T O E N E R G Y D E M O C R A C Y
Before
After

56. T H A N K Y O U !
@johnffarrell
www.ilsr.org
C H A N G I N G
T H E R U L E S
P R O V I D I N G
T O O L S
1 0 0 % R E N E WA B L E
L O C A L E C O N O M Y
H U M A N
S C A L E
L O C A L
O W N E R S H I P
D E M O C R AT I C
A U T H O R I T Y
I L L U S T R AT I N G
T H E V I S I O N