Montana Solar Estimate

Montana

Solar in Glendive, Montana

A south-facing roof in Glendive makes about 1,323 kWh per kW each year, 5% above the Montana average; a typical home's net-zero system here is about 8.2 kW, costs as low as $20,546 installed, and pays back in about 14 years on Montana-Dakota Utilities rates.

See the numbers for your Glendive address

At a glance

Sunlight per kW
1,323
kWh a year, 5% above the Montana average
Typical system
8.2 kW
net zero for 900 kWh a month
Installed cost
as low as$20,546
up to $25,112
Payback
as low as12.6 yrs
12.6–16.7 yrs at 2.7%/yr

Typical gas-heated home, 900 kWh a month, best-case figures with the range shown. Sources.

Who sends your bill

At the center of Glendive the service-territory layer shows Montana-Dakota Utilities. Boundaries are coarse at town edges, so your bill is the final word; the utility finder checks any address.

What the sun does in Glendive

  • A south-facing roof at a 30° pitch makes about 1,391 kWh per kW a year before snow and 1,323 after a 5% snow allowance, 5% above the Montana average.
  • July is the best month at about 170 kWh per kW; December the worst at about 40. Net metering carries the summer surplus into winter, which is why the net-zero size and your utility’s bank reset month both matter.
  • Roof direction and pitch change the yield by a quarter or more; the estimate reads your actual roof from satellite imagery and fills south-facing planes first.
  • Electric heat roughly doubles a January bill compared with July, so a winter bill from an electrically heated house is annualized with a Montana heating profile rather than multiplied by twelve.

A typical Glendive home: 900 kWh a month, gas heat

Net-zero system
8.2 kW
1323 kWh per kW per year
Installed cost
as low as$20,546
up to $25,112
First-year savings
up to$1,436
at least $1,264
Payback
as low as12.6 yrs
12.6–16.7 yrs at 2.7%/yr

Valued at Montana-Dakota Utilities rates (12.7¢/kWh energy); no federal credit for homes in 2026. Your roof, usage and heating change every number.

Questions Glendive homeowners ask

How much do solar panels cost in Glendive?
For a gas-heated home using about 900 kWh a month, a net-zero system of about 8.2 kW costs roughly $20,546 to $25,112 installed at current Montana cash prices, before any incentive. Larger homes and electric heat need bigger systems; your address gives a real figure in about a minute.
How long does solar take to pay for itself in Glendive?
About 12.6 to 16.7 years for that typical home on Montana-Dakota Utilities rates, assuming electricity prices rise 2.7% a year. Montana-Dakota Utilities's own rules (fixed charge, net-metering credits) are built in.
Which utility serves Glendive?
At the city centre the service-territory layer shows Montana-Dakota Utilities. Boundaries are coarse at town edges, so your bill is the final word.
Does solar work in Glendive's winters?
Yes, with a seasonal shape: July makes about 170 kWh per kW and December about 40, after a 5% allowance for snow cover. Net metering banks summer surplus against winter use, which is why the net-zero size and the bank's reset month both matter.
What incentives apply in 2026?
The 30% homeowner credit (Section 25D) ended for systems completed after December 31, 2025. Business-owned systems, including ranches and rental property, still qualify for the 30% investment credit and bonus depreciation when placed in service by the end of 2027; tax-exempt owners receive the 30% as cash. No Montana state credit. Not tax advice.

On the map

NorthWestern EnergyLincoln Electric CooperativeLower Yellowstone Rural Electric CooperativeMarias River Electric CooperativeMcCone Electric CooperativeMid-Yellowstone Electric CooperativeMissoula Electric CooperativeNorVal Electric CooperativeBeartooth Electric CooperativePark Electric CooperativeBig Flat Electric CooperativeSheridan Electric CooperativeBig Horn County Electric CooperativeSoutheast Electric CooperativeSun River Electric CooperativeTongue River Electric CooperativeCity of Troy ElectricMission Valley PowerYellowstone Valley Electric CooperativeFergus Electric CooperativeVigilante Electric CooperativeRavalli Electric CooperativeFlathead Electric CooperativeGlacier Electric CooperativeHill County Electric CooperativeMontana-Dakota Utilities
Glendive (gold) and Montana-Dakota Utilities service territory. Hover a region to see its utility.

Nearby: Sidney, Miles City, Billings, Laurel, Lewistown, Red Lodge. All Montana cities.

Sources

Every figure on this page comes from the documents and models below, with the date each was produced or last checked.

  1. Sunlight and monthly production for Glendive
    Effective October 31, 2026 · Checked October 31, 2026 · Read from the primary source
  2. Montana-Dakota Utilities rates and net-metering rules (worked example)
    Effective April 1, 2026 · Checked November 1, 2026 · Read from the primary source
  3. Which utilities serve the area
    Checked October 31, 2026 · Read from the primary source
  4. Installed cost, savings and payback
    Checked November 1, 2026 · Read from the primary source

Spot an error? Email mtsolarestimate@gmail.com. How the estimate is built: methodology.

Your Glendive address, your numbers

The estimate reads your roof, takes your real usage and applies your utility’s rules. About a minute, no contact details asked.