Solar in Great Falls, MT
With NorthWestern Energy's electricity at about 15.4¢ per kWh and 1,334 kWh of sun per kW, solar is a close call for a typical Great Falls home today: about a 15.5-year payback.
- Payback, typical home
- 15.5 yrsMontana: 19.6 yrs
- 25-year net
- $12,126after paying $17,180
- Sun
- 1,334kWh per kW per year
- Electricity
- 15.4¢15% below U.S. average
A typical Great Falls home, by the numbers
| Utility | NorthWestern Energy |
|---|---|
| Electricity use | 707 kWh a month |
| Best-value system | 5.7 kW, about 13 panels, 7,607 kWh a year (90% of use) |
| Cost | $17,180 |
| First-year savings | $1,168 |
| Payback | 15.5 years |
| Exported power | Full retail net metering (NorthWestern Energy) |
Cash purchase, no federal credit, 1.8% yearly rate increases. Run it with your own numbers.
Homes in Great Falls
- Owner-occupied homes
- 66%
- Single-family detached
- 65%
- Median home value
- $257k
- Median year built
- 1965
- Population
- 60,329
- Roofs suitable for solar†
- 77%
Census ACS 2020–2024. †Share of 18,798 buildings Google Project Sunroof rated technically suitable (2019 snapshot).
Older housing stock. Many homes here were built before 1975. Have the roof and electrical panel checked before signing; a roof or panel upgrade can add thousands. Roof first?
Installers working in Great Falls
Public installation records for Montana don't name installers, so we can't rank local companies here. Browse installers in Montana.
Always verify the license and get at least three quotes. Compare quotes side by side.
Questions about solar in Great Falls
Is solar worth it in Great Falls, MT?
For a typical home in Great Falls, solar is a close call at 2026 prices: a 5.7 kW system costs about $17,180 after state incentives, saves about $1,168 in year one and pays back in about 15.5 years. Enter your address for an estimate based on your roof and bill.
How much solar power does a system produce in Great Falls?
About 1,334 kWh per year for each kW of panels on a south-facing roof, based on PVWatts and local weather. That's 4% more than the Montana average. East- or west-facing roofs produce roughly 10–20% less.
Who is the electric utility in Great Falls?
Most homes in Great Falls are served by NorthWestern Energy, at about 15.4¢ per kWh on average.
How much do solar panels cost in Great Falls?
A fair cash price is around $2.90 per watt before incentives, so about $17,180 for a 5.7 kW system. There's no federal tax credit for homeowners who buy in 2026.
Nearby
- Helena 15.5 yrs
- Bozeman 16.3 yrs
- Butte-Silver Bow 15.7 yrs
- Missoula 17.3 yrs
- Kalispell no payback
- Billings 15.1 yrs
- All of Montana
Data: PVWatts (National Laboratory of the Rockies), EIA-861 2025 adjusted to 2026, U.S. Census ACS, LBNL Tracking the Sun, state policy research as of October 2026.