Solar with Lincoln Electric Cooperative

At a glance

Residential schedule effective March 1, 2026; checked November 1, 2026. Sources.

What this means for solar

• Excess power is banked as kWh at the full retail rate and drawn down in later months. The bank resets in April, and anything left is forfeited to the utility.
• Every member pays a $2.80 per kW demand charge on the highest 15-minute average demand of the month, any hour. Rooftop solar rarely lowers a home's peak demand, so our estimates do not count it as savings.
• Systems up to 10 kW AC qualify for net metering; above that, capacity would run without export credit.

Questions members ask

Does Lincoln Electric Cooperative pay for excess solar power?

Excess power is banked as kWh at the full retail rate and drawn down in later months. The bank resets in April, and anything left is forfeited to the utility.

How big a solar system can I net-meter with Lincoln Electric Cooperative?

Systems up to 10 kW AC qualify for net metering.

Does solar reduce the Lincoln Electric Cooperative demand charge?

Every member pays a $2.80 per kW demand charge on the highest 15-minute average demand of the month, any hour. Rooftop solar rarely lowers a home's peak demand, so our estimates do not count it as savings.

What would solar cost and save for a typical Lincoln Electric Cooperative home?

For a gas-heated home using about 900 kWh a month, a net-zero system is about 9.8 kW, costs roughly $23,496 to $28,718 installed, saves $700 to $797 in the first year, and pays back in 23 to 29.6 years at 2.7% a year rate growth. Your address gives a real figure in about a minute.

What federal incentives apply in 2026?

The 30% homeowner credit (Section 25D) ended for systems completed after December 31, 2025. Business-owned systems, including ranches, farms and rental property, still qualify for the 30% investment credit (Section 48E) and bonus depreciation when placed in service by the end of 2027; tax-exempt owners receive the 30% as a cash payment. Not tax advice.

Where do these numbers come from?

The rate figures are read from Lincoln Electric Cooperative's own published schedule and net-metering policy (linked under Sources), last checked November 1, 2026. The worked example runs the same engine as the estimator, using a production reference for Whitefish and Montana installed-cost data. If you spot an error, email us and we will correct it.

Service area

Other Montana co-ops: Flathead Electric Cooperative, Missoula Electric Cooperative, Park Electric Cooperative, Yellowstone Valley Electric Cooperative, Ravalli Electric Cooperative, Fergus Electric Cooperative. All 26 utilities.