Silicon Energy and TenkSolar heat up Mn with big Rebates MN MADE with Excel Energy

Well It didn't take me long at the Mn State fair to make my way to the Eco Building. It's right next to the Art building which is my favorite. 

As soon as I entered I noticed something I had not seen before. To the right I saw a solar garage that was powering solar motorcycles. I thought to myself how cool, that was before I realized the solar cells I was looking at were from Silicon Energy.

Not only are these cells made in Minnesota but they also boast an industry leading warranty and high power output. I personally think they are also very visually appealing. They can be installed on a roof, awning or as a stand alone car port. Man I want a Tesla roadster I can charge off these.

That's not really a Tesla its a gass guzzler but to my point I want a hot solar powered sports car. Another use for the  Silicon energy cells was as an entry cover, I thought this was a nifty use for a solar cell I have not seen before.

Next I saw the Tenksolar which I also thought was a neat idea. They are made so you can get a cheap solar system under $10K. They have the raised wave technology where reflectors feed solar energy back to the cell from any direction.

Both types are made in Minnesota and can come with a rebate up to 60% off from Excel through the Minnesota Made rebate, they are also eligible for a federal 30% off so you could come out with up to 90% off if you work it right. At the bottom of this blog there are some details on the program.


Of course I checked out the Mn Green roofs council booth where they had a great demo of a green roof and some educational material as well as free green roof seeds.

My daughter worked the booth with me for a couple hours and she thought the Target center having a green roof was pretty cool. Tonight we are going to the Target center to see the Lynx play she wants to see if we can see any roots growing from the under side of the roof =)

State: Minnesota Incentive Type: Utility Rebate Program Eligible Renewable/Other Technologies: Photovoltaics Applicable Sectors: Commercial, Residential, Nonprofit, Local Government Amount: REC Rebate Program:$2.25/W DC Minnesota Made:Up to an additional $2.75/W DC (paired with REC Rebate) Maximum Incentive: $90,000 (as determined by the incentive level and maximum system size) Incentive may not exceed 60% of project costs (assuming the applicant is not using federal depreciation tax benefits) Eligible System Size: Between 0.5 kW and 40 kW DC Equipment Requirements: Equipment must be new and have a minimum five-year warranty Inverters must be UL-1741 certified Minnesota Made: Systems must be manufactured in Minnesota Installation Requirements: Systems must be grid-connected and oriented to be free of shade from the center point of the solar array through a horizontal angle plus or minus 60 degrees and through a vertical angle between 15 degrees and 90 degrees above the horizontal plane Minnesota Made: Systems must be installed, or reviewed and approved, by a person certified as a solar photovoltaic installer by the North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners. Ownership of Renewable Energy Credits: Xcel Energy Start Date: 03/01/2010 Web Site: http://www.xcelenergy.com/Save_Money_&_Energy/For_Your_Business/R...