Typical home: Close call

Solar in West Fargo, ND

With Xcel Energy Minnesota's electricity at about 17.0¢ per kWh and 1,289 kWh of sun per kW, solar is a close call for a typical West Fargo home today: about a 15.1-year payback.

Payback, typical home
15.1 yrsNorth Dakota: 20.3 yrs
25-year net
$11,666after paying $15,000
Sun
1,289kWh per kW per year
Electricity
17.0¢5% below U.S. average

A typical West Fargo home, by the numbers

UtilityXcel Energy Minnesota
Electricity use767 kWh a month
Best-value system4.6 kW, about 11 panels, 5,931 kWh a year (64% of use)
Cost$15,000
First-year savings$1,009
Payback15.1 years
Exported powerFull retail net metering (Xcel Energy Minnesota)

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

Solar production per kW in West Fargo

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

Show as a table
PeriodValue
Jan61
Feb75
Mar117
Apr140
May140
Jun147
Jul162
Aug135
Sep106
Oct89
Nov63
Dec55

Homes in West Fargo

Owner-occupied homes
64%
Single-family detached
52%
Median home value
$322k
Median year built
2004
Population
40,094
Roofs suitable for solar†
90%

Census ACS 2020–2024. †Share of 8,754 buildings Google Project Sunroof rated technically suitable (2019 snapshot).

Installers working in West Fargo

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 West Fargo

Is solar worth it in West Fargo, ND?

For a typical home in West Fargo, solar is a close call at 2026 prices: a 4.6 kW system costs about $15,000 after state incentives, saves about $1,009 in year one and pays back in about 15.1 years. Enter your address for an estimate based on your roof and bill.

How much solar power does a system produce in West Fargo?

About 1,289 kWh per year for each kW of panels on a south-facing roof, based on PVWatts and local weather. That's 2% less than the North Dakota average. East- or west-facing roofs produce roughly 10–20% less.

Who is the electric utility in West Fargo?

Most homes in West Fargo are served by Xcel Energy Minnesota, at about 17.0¢ per kWh on average. Some areas are served by Cass County Electric Cooperative.

How much do solar panels cost in West Fargo?

A fair cash price is around $3.00 per watt before incentives, so about $15,000 for a 4.6 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.