Working with Third Party Providers

Many renewable energy options require working with, and signing a contract with, a third party provider. While we can't directly recommend specific providers, we're here to help you navigate through your options and provide helpful tips along the way.

Are you a solar developer or installer? Access our Renewable Developer Resource Center.

Third Party On-Site Solar Installers

These companies work with you to install solar on your home or business. If you are interested in an on-site solar energy system, you'll want to begin looking for an installer to work with. We recommend soliciting and assessing a minimum of three bids. Once you've found a provider, they can help you determine if your house is a good candidate for solar. Many installers will also help you understand and participate in our Solar*Rewards® for Residences or Solar*Rewards® for Businesses program, and will guide you through the process of interconnecting to our electric system.

Third Party Solar Garden Operators

Third party solar garden operators own and manage a solar garden. You can contract with these operators to purchase or lease a subscription to a solar garden. In return, you receive payment for your portion of the garden’s solar energy production through our Solar*Rewards Community® program. The contracts, terms, prices and agreements for subscriptions are directly between you and the solar garden operator. As when signing any contract, we recommend you compare offers and terms, and consider several options before making a decision.

Basic Information on Third Party Providers

Some third party providers sell renewable energy credits (RECs), often adding the cost for the RECs to your energy bill through a new, combined bill that the third party produces. These companies may request your private, online Xcel Energy account log-in information, promising to pay your Xcel Energy bill using credit card or banking information that you provide them. We strongly advise you to consider the following tips:

• Review the company’s Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy to ensure you are comfortable with how they do business and how they may share your information.
• Never share the password to your private online energy account with anyone. Through our My Account online service, you can set up delegates and give them access to your account information with varying levels of permission. As an online customer, you can set up a username for a delegate.  The delegate can then create their own password so there is no need for you to share your password with anyone else.
• Use caution if you grant a third party access to your online Xcel Energy account information believing they will pay your Xcel Energy bill. Late or insufficient payments can result in credit implications and collection actions, including discontinuance of service.
• We will not release any account or billing information to a third party without explicit permission from you, our customer. We require customers to complete and sign a form before we release any information. You do not need to disclose personal financial or account login information to anyone in order to provide access to your energy use. We have an online form that can be completed, signed, and submitted to enable the sharing of energy use data.

Additional Resources

Some helpful links in finding a developer/installer include:

Google Project Sunroof (external link)
How to interconnect