Solar for Rochester families, businesses & farms.
Local, family-owned solar, battery and EV charging for Rochester — 4.9 stars, 30-year warranty, the same crew start to finish.
Your neighbors in Rochester are going solar
Rochester is a different market than the Twin Cities, and we treat it that way. The housing here runs from hundred-year-old homes in Kutzky Park, Slatterly Park and up on Pill Hill to the waves of newer construction pushing out in every direction — ramblers and split-levels from the ’50s through the ’80s in Elton Hills and Country Club Manor, and big newer two-stories in places like Hart Farms, Century Hills and the Baihly neighborhoods southwest of town. That spread matters for solar: a 1920s roof near downtown and a 2015 roof in a new subdivision are two completely different design jobs. We quote both, and we’re honest about which roofs are worth putting panels on and which ones should get a new roof first.
Where solar produces best in Rochester
The newer subdivisions are where solar tends to pencil out fastest in Rochester — Hart Farms and the south-side developments, Century Hills and Cassidy Ridge in the northeast, Badger Ridge and Manor Woods in the northwest. Those areas have large, simple roof planes, young trees and modern electrical panels, which keeps installs clean and production high. Mid-century areas like Elton Hills and John Adams also do well when the main roof plane faces south or west; ramblers from that era usually have long, uncomplicated rooflines that take a tidy array.
The older core — Kutzky Park, Slatterly Park, Pill Hill, the Historic Southwest — takes more care. Mature trees, steeper pitches, dormers and older electrical services mean we design panel-by-panel with microinverters so one shaded corner doesn’t drag down the array, and we check the panel and service size before quoting. When a roof or tree line just doesn’t work, we say so, and on larger lots outside the core a ground-mount is sometimes the better answer.
Solar for every Rochester property.
Homeowners, businesses and farms in Rochester each get a system — and incentives — built for them.
Homeowners
Cut your electric bill, lock in your rate for decades, and back it with a 30-year warranty. Net metering banks your summer surplus for winter.
Businesses
Rochester-area businesses stack the 30% ITC, depreciation and demand-charge savings for fast payback — on the roof or on the ground.
Farms & acreage
Rochester-area farms cut costs on irrigation, drying, dairy and the shop with roof, barn or ground-mount solar — plus the 30% ITC, depreciation and current USDA REAP guidance.
Is your Rochester place a good fit?
We look at what actually drives production in Rochester (Olmsted County).
Homes & roofs
Rochester spans a full century of housing: 1900s–1940s homes near downtown and Pill Hill, mid-century ramblers and split-levels in Elton Hills and John Adams, and large newer two-stories in the subdivisions ringing the city. Each era gets a different design approach — and an honest opinion on roof condition first.
Trees & shading
Tree cover tracks age here. The historic core neighborhoods have big mature canopies that need real shading analysis, while the newer subdivisions on the city’s edges have young trees and mostly open sun. We map your actual tree line before finalizing panel placement.
Sun & seasons
Minnesota produces strong solar spring through fall, and cold, clear winter days are productive too. Snow slides off the smooth panels, and we size every Rochester system for the full year.
Local power & incentives
Rochester runs on Rochester Public Utilities, its own municipal utility — not Xcel. RPU handles solar interconnection through the NOVA Power Portal and buys back excess production under its own rate schedule. It’s a different process than the investor-owned utilities in the metro, and we file it correctly from day one.
Local design, honest numbers
We design each Rochester system around your roof, shading and real usage — premium Tier-1 panels and Enphase microinverters, installed clean and permitted by the same crew that starts the job. No subcontractors, no inflated production promises.
Battery backup in Rochester
Pairing storage with solar keeps your Rochester home or business powered through outages and banks your daytime production for the evening. We size it to what matters most to you.
Quality work, priced fairly.
You get the equipment, engineering and workmanship you'd expect from the big national installers — delivered by a local, family-owned crew that's here for the long haul. Every system is designed and installed by our own team, permitted and inspected, and backed by a 30-year warranty.
What Minnesotans say.
Real reviews from real iSolar customers — homes, farms and businesses across Minnesota.
“Dan and company at iSolar were great to work with throughout our solar project. Communication was top-notch throughout the planning and install process, and even…”
“10stars!! I am a Sr. Project Manager for Patriot Homes, LLC (a general contractor) The solar panels of a customer of mine needed to be removed and reinstalled to…”
“iSolar installed 15 panels on our home, which has a standing seam metal roof. We have been very pleased with their approach, communication, price and the Solar…”
“Professional and very thorough in follow-up and responses. Their electricians takes time to explain things well and very honest in their pricing. I got an EV…”
“Jon and everyone over at ISolar have been awesome to work with on getting my panels installed and getting me through the different programs offered to me. Jon also…”
“Our experience has been wonderful! We are so happy we made the shift to solar and iSolar was so great to work with at all stages of the process!”
Frequently asked.
Does solar still work through Minnesota winters in Rochester?
Yes. Panels actually run more efficiently in the cold, snow slides off the smooth glass, and our honest Rochester estimates already bake in winter losses. Strong spring-through-fall production more than makes up for the short December days.
Which utility serves Rochester, and do you handle the paperwork?
Rochester Public Utilities (RPU), the city’s municipal utility, serves Rochester — not Xcel Energy. RPU has its own interconnection process through the NOVA Power Portal and credits excess solar production under its own rate schedule. We handle the RPU application and paperwork for you as part of every Rochester install.
My Rochester roof has some shade — can I still go solar?
Often yes. Per-panel microinverters keep your unshaded panels producing even if a tree shades part of the roof, and we map your roof's sun before we design. If shade is heavy, we'll tell you straight and look at a ground-mount where there's room.
Do you do business and farm solar in Rochester too?
Yes — alongside home solar we install commercial systems (with the 30% ITC, depreciation and demand-charge savings) and agricultural or ground-mount solar for Rochester-area businesses, farms and acreage. Same local family crew.
How do I get a real number for my Rochester property?
Book a free, no-pressure assessment. We review your roof or land, your utility usage and your goals, then give you honest production and savings figures — for a home, business or farm. Call (651) 565-1140 or request your estimate online.
Does RPU pay me for the extra power my panels produce, like net metering with Xcel?
Yes, though the mechanics differ from Xcel’s program. When your system sends excess power to the grid, RPU buys it back under its current rate schedule based on average retail rate and average incremental cost. It’s a workable arrangement — we size your system against your real usage so you’re not banking on overproduction credits, and we walk you through exactly how RPU’s buyback math works for your home before you sign anything.
We install across 113 Minnesota cities beyond Rochester too — see all service areas →
Get your personalized Rochester solar estimate
Free, no-pressure numbers for your Rochester home, business or farm.