Ballpark Lab
Montana solar estimate

Solar Panel Cost in Montana (2026)

Installed solar in Montana runs about $2.70 per watt — roughly 5% above the national average of $2.58/W. With the federal residential tax credit (25D) gone as of 2026, payback here rests on a $0.14/kWh power price and 4.5 daily peak sun hours.

Worked example: a typical $150/month home in Montana

A $150/month electric bill in Montana works out to about 13,139 kWh a year. Sizing a cash-purchase system to cover 100% of that:

System size
10.0 kW
Panels
25
Annual offset
100%
Gross cost
$29,500
Federal credit (25D)
$0
Expired 12/31/2025 — $0
State incentive
$0
Net cost
$29,500
Payback
13.5 yr
25-year savings
$35,983

Last updated June 30, 2026

Montana solar numbers

Installed price
$2.70 / watt
Electricity price
$0.14 / kWh
Peak sun hours
4.5 hrs/day
State incentive
0%
Net-metering value
100% of retail

$/W: industry pricing surveys · electricity: U.S. EIA, 12-month average through April 2026 · sun hours: NREL.

Local context: Montana retains favorable net metering, partly offsetting cheap regional power.

Estimate your own Montana system

Adjust the bill, ownership, and battery options below — it's pre-set to Montana's pricing and sun hours.

Tell us about your home

Average monthly electric bill$210
Estimated system cost
$35,061$45,539
14.0 kW35 panels
Low $35kMost likely ~$40,300High $46k
Federal tax credit
— expired Dec 2025, we won't pretend otherwise
$0
State & utility incentives
$0
Est. annual savings
$2,520
Payback period
~13.3 yr
Net cost
$35k–$46k
25-year net savings
+$51,376
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D

Monthly shape modeled with NREL PVWatts® v8 (NSRDB 2020 TMY) — updated July 18, 2026.

Electricity 13.7¢/kWh — U.S. EIA, 12-month average through April 2026.

iA ballpark estimate for planning — not a final quote.

Data: U.S. EIA · OpenEI URDB · Google Solar · NREL PVWatts · DSIRE · IRS · ENERGY STAR · industry surveys see all sources

← Back to the national solar cost calculator