Typical home: Not worth it

Solar in Dickinson, ND

With Montana-Dakota Utilities's electricity at about 12.0¢ per kWh and 1,378 kWh of sun per kW, solar is not worth it for a typical Dickinson home today: about a 21.5-year payback.

Payback, typical home
21.5 yrsNorth Dakota: 20.3 yrs
25-year net
$2,432after paying $12,500
Sun
1,378kWh per kW per year
Electricity
12.0¢33% below U.S. average

A typical Dickinson home, by the numbers

UtilityMontana-Dakota Utilities
Electricity use828 kWh a month
Best-value system3.6 kW, about 8 panels, 4,960 kWh a year (50% of use)
Cost$12,500
First-year savings$594
Payback21.5 years
Exported powerAvoided-cost export credit (North Dakota rule)

Cash purchase, no federal credit, 2.1% yearly rate increases. Run it with your own numbers.

Solar production per kW in Dickinson

kWh per kW each month, south-facing at 20° tilt. PVWatts v8 with local typical-year weather.

Show as a table
PeriodValue
Jan66
Feb86
Mar114
Apr135
May152
Jun154
Jul168
Aug157
Sep121
Oct100
Nov69
Dec56

Homes in Dickinson

Owner-occupied homes
61%
Single-family detached
54%
Median home value
$264k
Median year built
1987
Population
25,357

Census ACS 2020–2024.

Installers working in Dickinson

Public installation records for North Dakota don't name installers, so we can't rank local companies here. Browse installers in North Dakota.

Always verify the license and get at least three quotes. Compare quotes side by side.

Questions about solar in Dickinson

Is solar worth it in Dickinson, ND?

For a typical home in Dickinson, solar is not worth it at 2026 prices: a 3.6 kW system costs about $12,500 after state incentives, saves about $594 in year one and pays back in about 21.5 years. Enter your address for an estimate based on your roof and bill.

How much solar power does a system produce in Dickinson?

About 1,378 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 North Dakota average. East- or west-facing roofs produce roughly 10–20% less.

Who is the electric utility in Dickinson?

Most homes in Dickinson are served by Montana-Dakota Utilities, at about 12.0¢ per kWh on average. Some areas are served by Roughrider Electric Cooperativ.

How much do solar panels cost in Dickinson?

A fair cash price is around $3.00 per watt before incentives, so about $12,500 for a 3.6 kW system. There's no federal tax credit for homeowners who buy in 2026.

Nearby

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.