Share a local solar garden. Get 10% off your solar credits. No panels, no sign-up fee.
For customers of these utilities
Neighbors share one local solar farm and get credit on the bill they already pay.
Local solar gardenLocal panels turn sunlight into clean energy.
It powers homes and businesses nearby.
Send your bill. We match you to a garden.
Pay 10% less than your credits are worth.
Nothing to buy. Nothing to install.
Your discountOff your solar credits, in both states.
10%Time to enrollWith a recent electric bill.
10 minGardens and programs14 in Minnesota, 3 in Maine.
17Invoice due dateInvoices go out at month end, due the 15th.
15thEither way, you pay less.
Credits land on your Xcel bill. Your invoice charges 10% less, due the 15th.
Two bills: your utility bill with credits, and your invoice at 10% off.
Amounts shown are examples. Your actual charges and credits will vary.
Spots are limited. Pick your state.
Also in Minnesota: Alexandria, Cold Spring, Dakota, Glenwood, Renville, Wabasha, Washington, Western MN and Winona.
View all gardens
Community solar for Xcel Energy customers in Minnesota and utility customers in Maine.
Billing and support by Visionary Strategic Solutions.
Learn about usNone. The panels stay at the solar garden.
No. Your electric company and service stay the same.
In Minnesota, your subscription moves with you within Xcel Energy's service area at no fee. More on moving
A recent electric bill. We handle the rest.
10% off your solar credits. Dollar amounts depend on how much the garden produces.
We match you to the garden that serves your address. Spots are limited.
Takes less than 10 minutes. Have a recent electric bill handy.
Prefer to talk it through? Call 651-347-1101.
Save on electricity from a local solar garden. No panels on your home.
No panels to buy, lease or maintain.
| Compare | Community solarWith Join Community Solar | Rooftop solarPanels on your home |
|---|---|---|
| Panels on your property | None needed | Installed on your roof |
| Cost to get started | No sign-up fee | Purchase or lease required |
| Maintenance | Nothing for you to maintain | Your responsibility |
| Your utility company | Stays the same | Stays the same |
| If you move | In Minnesota, moves with you within Xcel Energy's area | Panels stay with the house |
One shared solar farm. Many local members.
Local solar gardenClean local energyA local solar array feeds clean power into the grid. Members share what it produces.
Garden power flows to nearby homes and businesses. Your service doesn't change.
Enroll online with a recent electric bill. We match you to a garden and handle the paperwork.
Credits post to your utility account. Your invoice charges 10% less, and you keep the difference.
No site visits. No installers.
Online, in under 10 minutes.
We use it to find your garden.
The right garden for your utility.
Handled for you.
By Visionary Strategic Solutions.
Statements, payments and AutoPay.
Same electric company.
Same power, same service.
Nothing installed.
It goes down.
None. The panels stay at the solar garden.
No. Your service stays the same.
Your power doesn't change. Your credits reflect what the garden produced.
In Minnesota, your subscription moves with you within Xcel Energy's service area at no fee. More on moving
We match you to the garden that serves your address. Spots are limited.
Takes less than 10 minutes. Have a recent electric bill handy.
Prefer to talk it through? Call 651-347-1101.
Each garden serves nearby counties. Spots are limited.
Showing all 17 gardens and programs
Each garden serves a limited number of members. First come, first served.
Most Minnesota gardens are about 1.4 MW, serving 100 to 240 households.
Each garden serves customers in nearby counties.
10% off your solar credits in both states.
Your utility and county decide it. Use the finder above or send us your bill.
You need to be a customer of the garden's utility and live in one of the counties it serves. You do not need to live next to the garden itself.
We match you to the garden that serves your address. Spots are limited.
Takes less than 10 minutes. Have a recent electric bill handy.
Prefer to talk it through? Call 651-347-1101.
Your garden earns credits on your utility bill. You pay 10% less than they are worth. You keep the difference.
A credit posts, your invoice charges 10% less, and you keep the rest.
Lowers what you owe your utility.
Charged at 10% off on a later invoice.
10% off, in both states.
Utilities post credits after the fact, so invoices usually reflect production from about two months earlier.
Billing works a little differently in each state.
Credits appear on your Xcel Energy bill. Your invoice from VSS charges 10% less.
Two bills: your utility bill with credits, and your invoice from VSS at 10% off.
Statement amounts are illustrations. Your actual charges and credits will vary.
Visionary Strategic Solutions (VSS) handles billing and account support for Join Community Solar members, and members see VSS on their invoices.
Pay by AutoPay (bank draft), online through the member portal, or by check.
Sent the last day of each month, due the 15th of the next. With AutoPay, it is automatic.
Starting October 1, 2026, 1.5% a month on any balance more than 10 days past due. No sign-up fee.
Each invoice covers credits posted since your last one. You only pay for what the garden earned.
Limited time offer: enroll in AutoPay through your member portal and get 3% off your next bill, plus an additional 1% off for every month you stay enrolled. Enrolling takes less than two minutes: log in, go to Billing, and select Enroll in AutoPay.
More sun, bigger credits. Less sun, smaller credits and a smaller invoice.
A slow month can never cost you money.
Example member. Each invoice is always 90% of the credits it covers.
Households up to 150% of Area Median Income may get lower rates and priority access.
Your utility can take up to 60 days to process the change.
No cancellation fee. Give 2 months' written notice, or cancel within 5 business days of signing. Full terms
Within Xcel Energy's service area, your subscription moves with you at no fee. Moving out of the area
Cancellation and transfer terms are listed in your contract and Maine consumer disclosure form.
Need help with an invoice? Call subscriber support at 651-634-1452 or email info@visionarystrategicsolutions.com.
See all FAQsYou only pay for the energy that is produced. Lower production means smaller savings, but it never costs you money.
Visionary Strategic Solutions (VSS) handles billing and account support for Join Community Solar members, and members see VSS on their invoices.
No sign-up fee. Starting October 1, 2026, a 1.5% late fee applies each month to any balance more than 10 days past due. AutoPay is the easiest way to avoid it.
Limited time offer: enroll in AutoPay through your member portal and get 3% off your next bill, plus an additional 1% off for every month you stay enrolled. Enrolling takes less than two minutes: log in, go to Billing, and select Enroll in AutoPay.
Log in to your member portal to view statements and update your payment information at any time.
In Maine, solar credits apply to both the supply and delivery charges on your utility bill.
We match you to the garden that serves your address. Spots are limited.
Takes less than 10 minutes. Have a recent electric bill handy.
Prefer to talk it through? Call 651-347-1101.
Community solar for Xcel Energy customers in Minnesota, and Central Maine Power and Versant Power customers in Maine. 10% off your solar credits.
We connect local utility customers with nearby solar gardens.
Members share a garden's power, get solar credits and pay 10% less than they are worth. No equipment, no sign-up fee.
Billing and support by Visionary Strategic Solutions.
Each garden serves nearby counties.
Gardens for Xcel Energy customers, plus an income‑qualified program.
Programs for Central Maine Power, Versant Power (Bangor Hydro District) and Versant Power (Maine Public District) customers.
Billing and account support for every member.
Enroll in under 10 minutes.
Easy to join. Easy to understand. Fair to every member.
Your home, power and utility stay the same.
Rooftop solar does not work for about 80% of households. Community solar does.
Every garden supports local landowners and jobs.
Every invoice is 10% less than the credits it covers.
Visionary Strategic Solutions (VSS) handles billing and account support for Join Community Solar members, and members see VSS on their invoices.
We match you to the garden that serves your address. Spots are limited.
Takes less than 10 minutes. Have a recent electric bill handy.
Prefer to talk it through? Call 651-347-1101.
Joining, billing, savings and your account.
A community solar garden is a solar array that feeds electricity into the local power grid. Even though the garden is not on your property, you receive solar credits on your utility bill as a member. You support clean energy and get 10% off the value of your solar credits.
Reserve your spot by enrolling online. It takes less than 10 minutes.
To save money, reduce your environmental impact and move to cleaner energy with no installation costs or hassle. Every garden also supports local jobs and landowners.
No catch. Each garden has a limited number of spots, offered first come, first served, and you must live in an eligible area. Your contract lists the full terms of your subscription.
No. Community solar gives you the benefits of clean energy without any changes to your home.
No. Nothing changes about how you receive your electricity.
You get 10% off the value of the solar credits posted to your utility account. Your savings are the difference between those credits and your invoice. The dollar amount depends on your share of the garden and how much it produces, but every invoice is less than the value of the credits it covers.
You only pay for the energy that is actually produced. Lower production means lower savings, but it never costs you money.
Each member receives a share of panels based on their historical electricity use. Your share can be adjusted over time to make sure you get the most savings.
The power your share produces is posted to your utility account as solar credits. You then pay for those credits at a 10% discount. Each invoice covers the solar production posted to your utility account since your last invoice. Because utilities post credits after the fact, an invoice usually reflects production from about two months earlier. You only pay for credits the garden actually earned for you.
Your monthly solar credits lower or even eliminate your electric bill first. You then receive an invoice showing your credit amount and your discounted payment. Invoices are sent on the last day of each month and are due by the 15th of the following month. With AutoPay, your payment is made automatically.
Pay by AutoPay (bank draft), online through the member portal, or by check.
Credits post to your utility account each month. They show the kilowatt hours generated on your behalf and are applied to your total amount due.
Your monthly solar credits lower your electric bill first. You then receive a Join Community Solar invoice, sent by Visionary Strategic Solutions, showing the credit amount and your payment at a 10% discount.
Solar credits apply to both supply and delivery charges.
Visionary Strategic Solutions (VSS) handles billing and account support for Join Community Solar members, and members see VSS on their invoices.
For billing questions, email info@visionarystrategicsolutions.com.
Invoices are sent on the last day of each month and are due by the 15th of the following month. With AutoPay, your payment is made automatically.
Pay by AutoPay (bank draft), online through the member portal, or by check.
No sign-up fee. Starting October 1, 2026, a 1.5% late fee applies each month to any balance more than 10 days past due. AutoPay is the easiest way to avoid it.
Limited time offer: enroll in AutoPay through your member portal and get 3% off your next bill, plus an additional 1% off for every month you stay enrolled. Enrolling takes less than two minutes: log in, go to Billing, and select Enroll in AutoPay.
Minnesota: Your subscription runs for the length of the program. There is no cancellation fee. To cancel, give 2 months' written notice; your subscription ends when a replacement member is found or 2 months after notice, whichever comes first. You can also cancel without penalty within 5 business days of signing.
Moving in Minnesota: If you move within Xcel Energy's service area, your subscription moves with you at no fee. If you move outside it, give 2 months' notice and you're only charged for months you received credits.
Maine: Cancellation and transfer terms are listed in your contract and Maine consumer disclosure form.
Your utility can take up to 60 days to process the change.
The Low and Moderate-Income Accessible Community Solar Garden Program was launched by the Minnesota Department of Commerce. It gives lower and moderate-income households greater access to renewable energy.
Households earning up to 150% of their county's Area Median Income qualify. You may also qualify if you take part in an approved federal, state, municipal or utility program.
2024 Area Median Income table · Program eligibility criteria
Discounted rates on your energy costs and priority access to our community solar gardens.
Minnesota's community solar garden program started in 2013 with the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission. You can read Xcel Energy's own overview of the program.
Log in at any time from the Log in link at the top of every page, or go straight to the member portal.
You can update it anytime in your member portal.
All of your statements are available in your member portal.
It is on page 2 of your monthly utility bill, in the Electricity Service Details summary.
Call subscriber support at 651-634-1452. For billing questions, you can also email info@visionarystrategicsolutions.com.
Try a different word, or call us at 651-347-1101 and we will help.
Joining or already a member, we are happy to help.
Eligibility, gardens and how it works.
651-347-1101Statements, credits and payments.
651-634-1452We match you to the garden that serves your address. Spots are limited.
Takes less than 10 minutes. Have a recent electric bill handy.
Prefer to talk it through? Call 651-347-1101.