What is the solar score for Montana?

Montana has a solar score of 29/100 (Limited), ranking #24 of 51. The composite blends solar irradiance (5 kWh/m²/day, 40%), incentive density (30%), and modeled payback (30%).

How long does it take for solar panels to pay for themselves in Montana?

The estimated payback for a 6 kW system in Montana is 16.3 years, ranking #37 of 51 for speed to break-even. At a $16,800 system cost and $1,034/year modeled savings, that implies +$9,050 net over 25 years before rate escalation.

How much does a solar system cost in Montana?

A 6 kW residential system in Montana averages $16,800 before incentives, or $2.80 per watt. Montana has 3 tracked state and utility incentive programs that can lower net cost.

How much electricity do solar panels produce in Montana?

A 6 kW system in Montana produces an estimated 8,760 kWh/year, based on average irradiance of 5 kWh/m²/day. Actual output varies with roof orientation, shading, and panel efficiency.

What solar incentives are available in Montana?

Montana offers 3 solar incentive programs including tax exemption, net metering, tax credit. Net metering here is classified as full.

Does Montana have net metering for solar?

Montana's net-metering policy is classified as "full." Homeowners receive full retail credit for excess solar exported to the grid.

State solar profile · #24 of 51

Solar in Montana: slow payback despite sun

Name: Montana Solar Data, Cost, Incentives & ROI
Creator: PlainSolarData
Published: 2024-10-01
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/

Montana's 16.3-yr modeled payback (#37 of 51) is on the slow side of the corpus; rates (11.8¢/kWh) and 3 programs decide whether sun (5 kWh/m²/day) still pays.

5
kWh/m²/day irradiance: 11.8¢
avg electricity rate: 16.3 yr
payback (#37): 3
incentive programs

29 Limited

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NREL/EIA solar strip

Nameplate MT · Montana score #24/51

Montana | 29/100 | 16.3 yr payback | 179 MW

PROG 29/100
NEM #24/51
PHOTO 5 kWh
BOOK 11.8c/kWh
VS-AVG 16.3 yr
GW 179 MW
IRR 3 programs
STRIP near Maryland

Stamps derive from this state's NREL irradiance, EIA Form 860 / Electric Power Monthly nameplate, and DSIRE incentive row (score, rank, sun, rate, payback, capacity, programs, peer), not a quote or site assessment. Modeled figures use a typical 6 kW system; your roof, shading, and utility tariff decide the real return. See our disclaimer. Verify with EIA Form 860 → · Read with methodology → · Net-metering guide → · Personalized estimate → · All state rows → · States ranked → · Payback vs U.S. avg (14.2 yr): 2.1 yr slower

MN

16
MT

16
OH

16
NE

16
IA

17
TN

17

What this shows Montana sits at 16.3 years among nearest payback peers (2.1 yr slower vs the 14.2-yr U.S. average).

Slow-band 25-year ROI · Montana

$16,800

system cost

$1,034/yr

modeled savings

16.3 yr

break-even

+$9,050

25-year net

Slow-band math: $16,800 in vs $1,034/yr out. Check net-metering (full) and program stack before treating the 25-year net as settled. Run a personalized estimate →

Installed solar capacity in Montana, 2017–2024

Total solar nameplate capacity in Montana reported to the EIA, utility-scale and reported distributed systems. The number of reporting facilities grew 1.5x (6 to 9) between 2017 and 2024, and the average site size grew from 3 MW to 20 MW per site, a shift toward larger utility-scale installations.

Montana now has about 179 MW of installed solar capacity across 9 reported facilities.

Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, installed solar nameplate capacity As of 2024

Montana: sunny but slow to break even

Irradiance 5 kWh/m²/day (at/above the 4.8 national mean) vs 16.3-yr payback (slow band vs 14.2-yr mean). Crosshairs mark those means.

Montana (highlighted): 5 kWh/m²/day, 16.3-yr modeled payback - slower than the national average.

Source: PlainSolarData model, NREL irradiance + EIA rates As of 2024

Solar & grid details

Net-metering policy: full
Renewable portfolio standard: Mandatory (15% by 2015)
Installed cost / watt: $2.80/W
Annual production (6 kW): 8,760 kWh
Installed capacity (EIA 2024): 179 MW

Top incentive programs

3 programs available for Montana residents

Tax exemption MT Solar Property Tax Exemption · Full property tax exemption Net metering MT Net Metering · Retail rate credit Tax credit MT Residential Renewable Energy Tax Credit · Up to $500

All Montana solar incentives (3)

Tax exemption

MT Solar Property Tax Exemption

Full property tax exemption

Montana provides a full property tax exemption for qualifying solar energy systems.

Net metering

MT Net Metering

Retail rate credit

Montana utilities offer net metering at retail rates for systems up to 50 kW.

Tax credit

MT Residential Renewable Energy Tax Credit

Up to $500

Montana income tax credit for residential renewable energy installations.

Slower-payback neighbors for Montana

Two non-geographic peer sets for Montana: composite score neighbors and payback-year neighbors (deduped so each row links a distinct comparison).

Similar composite solar score

Nearest nationwide matches on the NREL/EIA/DSIRE blend (29/100 here).

Maryland · score 29/100
Oklahoma · score 29/100
Illinois · score 28/100
Wyoming · score 28/100

Similar modeled payback

Nearest payback-year peers nationwide (16.3 yr modeled here).

Ohio · 16.3 yr payback
Nebraska · 16.4 yr payback
Iowa · 16.7 yr payback
Tennessee · 16.7 yr payback

Peers are nearest-neighbor matches on published composite scores and modeled 6 kW payback years; rankings above use the same fields but sort the full corpus.

Solar resource from NREL; electricity rates and installed capacity from the U.S. EIA; incentive programs from DSIRE. See our methodology.

Compiled from official public sources by the publisher. · Updated July 2026