HomeIncentives by StateMinnesota
Xcel Energy pays for networked lighting controls in Minnesota.
So does Otter Tail Power, for a sensor in every fixture. We design the system, ship it set up and labeled, and test it.
Programs as of October 2026. We confirm what your utility pays before you buy. Sources
Who pays in Minnesota.
Xcel Energy's Lighting Efficiency rebates have their own line for networked controls, in existing buildings and new ones, based on the watts the system controls. To qualify, full brightness is trimmed to 80% or less, the lights dim with daylight wherever there's daylight and turn off within 20 minutes of a room emptying, and the system gets commissioned. Commissioning is the part we do.
Otter Tail Power pays for fixture-level controls, a sensor and controller in every fixture, based on the load they control. Larger rebates need preapproval.
The state is behind this too. The Minnesota LLLC Initiative, run for the Department of Commerce, trains contractors on fixture-level controls and points owners to these rebates.
Programs as of October 2026. Amounts change every year, and your assessment has the current one for your building.
Upgrading lighting anyway?
Minnesota is on the ASHRAE 90.1-2019 energy code, since January 5, 2024, and it's one code for the whole state. It calls for lights that shut off when a room empties, a middle dimming setting in offices, daylight dimming near the windows and, in garages, lights that drop to half power after 10 minutes with nobody there. That garage rule is stricter than most states'. The code also calls for the controls to be tested, and we hand the test records to your engineer.
Altering more than a fifth of the lighting load in a space brings it under these rules. Even a one-for-one fixture swap needs automatic shutoff. State law moves the code to each new edition of the standard, and the next one is in review.
A sensor in every fixture is the simplest way we know to meet those rules.
See how a project runs- GaragesHalf power after 10 empty minutes, and dim near open sides in daylightCovered
- DaylightDim near the windows, all the way to 20%Covered
- DimmingOffices get a middle setting between 30% and 70%Covered
Benchmarking, statewide.
Buildings of 50,000 sq ft and up in the Twin Cities metro, and in cities over 50,000 people elsewhere, report their energy use to the state every year, and the results are made public. Minneapolis also asks low performers for an energy evaluation. Lighting controls cut electricity use, which shows up in the number you report.
Your building can be anywhere in the US.
We design remotely and ship the kit set up and labeled by room. A local electrician installs it, and we test on site or remotely.
Questions owners ask.
Do Minnesota utilities pay for networked lighting controls?
Yes. Xcel Energy pays for networked controls in its Lighting Efficiency rebates, and Otter Tail Power pays for fixture-level controls. As of October 2026. Amounts change every year, so your assessment has the current one.
What does Xcel's networked controls rebate need?
High-end trim to 80% or less, daylight dimming wherever there's daylight, occupancy timeouts of 20 minutes or less, LED fixtures, and a commissioned system. We design to all of it and do the commissioning.
When does the code apply to a retrofit?
When you alter more than 20% of the lighting load in a space, the space has to meet the control rules. A one-for-one fixture swap still needs automatic shutoff.
Does the benchmarking law cover my building?
It covers buildings of 50,000 sq ft and up in the seven-county metro area, and in cities over 50,000 people elsewhere in the state. Reports are due June 1 each year.
Can my city set stricter rules?
No. Minnesota has one energy code for the whole state.
Tell us about your building.
An address is enough. Your free Lighting Controls Assessment comes back within 48 hours.
Networked lighting controls, start to finish.