How Much Do Solar Panels Cost in Montana? (2023 Savings Guide)
By Karsten Neumeister /
In this guide to choosing the best solar panel installation company in Montana, you’ll learn:
Each product and or company featured here has been independently selected by the writer. You can learn more about our review methodology here. If you make a purchase using the links included, we may earn commission.
According to the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA), Montana is home to about 20 different solar installers.1 Although this pales in comparison to states like California and Texas, where solar adoption is far more prevalent, it still makes choosing a solar provider time-consuming.
To help you narrow down your options, we’ve reviewed the best solar installers available in your area and have ranked them based on the value they bring to Montanans, specifically. Below is a quick ranking of our top picks:
You can get more information about these companies to help you choose the best one for your purposes in the drop-down menus below.
Local Service
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We chose OnSite as one of our top providers in Montana for a few reasons, including its high-efficiency panel brands, lengthy warranties and positive impact on the local solar community.
OnSite carries some of the leading solar equipment brands that boast above-average panel durability and efficiency levels, such as REC. A high efficiency rating is massively beneficial in Montana, where residents see well below the average amount of sunshine per year.2 High-efficiency panels make the most of the sunlight that does hit the state, boosting savings.
OnSite also provides solar warranties that help protect systems from damages related to poor installation. It provides between 12 and 25 years of coverage for workmanship, equipment and panel performance. The workmanship warranty, in particular, is helpful in Montana, as above-average snowfall and rainfall can lead to roof leaks if installation isn’t done properly.
This company is also a certified B Corp that makes charitable donations to local conservation efforts and organizations. As such, it has a positive impact on the local solar industry and its surrounding community.
OnSite is a bit on the expensive side, but we believe the peace of mind you get from its quality makes it worth the investment.
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5 |
A+ |
$$$$ |
Solar Panels, Solar Batteries, EV Chargers, Off-Grid Solar Solutions, Community Solar, Maintenance & Repairs |
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SBS Solar is a smaller, local installer that’s based in Missoula. Despite being a local company, which are typically more expensive, SBS Solar maintains pricing that is well below the average for the area. Lower upfront costs mean a faster panel payback period, which is great in places like Montana, where the payback period is normally a bit above average.
SBS Solar carries a small selection of tier-one panel brands, but they should all provide plenty of efficiency to make maximum use of the available sunlight in Montana. These brands include options like Canadian Solar and Yingli.
SBS also offers a 25-year warranty for the equipment and panel production. While this doesn’t include a workmanship warranty, the production guarantee is great to have, as it ensures your panels continue to function as intended and provide value even though the available sunlight is minimal.
It’s a shame that SBS Solar doesn’t have a workmanship warranty, but we’re still comfortable recommending this company because of the affordable pricing and the 10+ years of local experience its technicians have.
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4.5 |
Not Rated |
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Solar Panels, Solar Batteries, EV Chargers, Maintenance & Repairs, Energy-Efficiency Audits |
Regional Service
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Solar IPS — which stands for Independent Power Systems — is one of our top choices in Montana primarily because of the panels it offers. It installs SunPower panels, which have the highest efficiency rating of any panel on the market. Efficiency is vital in Montana, as you want to make the most of the limited sunlight in the region.
SunPower panels from Solar IPS come with one of the best warranty packages in the solar industry. The warranty covers the equipment, the efficiency and the workmanship for the installation for 25 years.
The efficiency and workmanship warranties, in particular, are useful in Montana. The efficiency warranty helps maintain maximum power production to keep your energy savings up despite the lack of sunlight. The workmanship warranty helps prevent roof leaks, which are more common in Montana than in many other states due to the above-average snowfall.3
Solar IPS doesn’t have the best selection of services available, as it only offers panel and battery installations and system maintenance. However, since these offerings will suffice for most homeowners, we still feel confident in recommending this provider.
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Better Business Bureau (BBB) Rating |
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Solar Services |
4.5 |
A+ |
$ |
Solar Panels, Solar Batteries, Maintenance & Repairs |
Regional Service
Average cost
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Cons
Harvest Solar MT is a great option for Montana homeowners looking for outstanding customer service. This Bozeman-based installer provides constant communication throughout the installation process and takes an educational approach to solar sales. This is uncommon in an area like Montana, where the demand and competition are relatively low.
Harvest Solar carries some top-tier solar panel brands that should provide high enough efficiency to offset the lack of sunlight in Montana. These include Canadian Solar and SolarWorld, which also come with great product warranties.
As a smaller, local company, Harvest Solar MT is able to provide assistance for solar customers when taking advantage of local solar benefit programs. This can help bring down the cost of converting to clean energy even further, which is great news in an area like Montana, where the panel payback period takes longer than the average state.
Unfortunately, Harvest Solar only provides the manufacturer’s warranty for its solar equipment. However, the local experience this installer has means the installation is likely to be professional and shouldn’t lead to any major issues.
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Better Business Bureau (BBB) Rating |
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Solar Services |
4 |
A+ |
$$$ |
Solar Panels, Solar Batteries |
Local Service
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Big Sky Solar is an outstanding option for solar installations in Montana, in our opinion, primarily because it offers a lengthy 25-year warranty for workmanship. This is a rarity in the Big Sky State, but it’s great for extra protection against the elements.
Big Sky Solar carries just a handful of solar brands, so the selection is limited. However, the brands it does offer — including Panasonic, Tesla and LG — have above-average efficiency ratings. These options are ideal in Montana, as they can make use of the minimal sunlight that is available and still offset electric bills.
Big Sky Solar is a smaller, local company based in Missoula, MT. It has years of experience operating in Montana, specifically, so it understands the needs of local homeowners and can design a system that’s a perfect fit for your home.
This installer doesn’t offer any warranty for the panel efficiency (which degrades over time), so make sure you select a solar panel brand that does come with efficiency protection (like Panasonic).
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Better Business Bureau (BBB) Rating |
Average Cost ($-$$$$$) |
Solar Services |
3.5 |
Not Rated |
$$$ |
Solar Panels, Solar Batteries, EV Chargers |
Watch Below: Learn What To Know Before Going Solar in Montana
The average all-in cost to convert to solar in Montana is around $22,860, which doesn’t take any rebates or benefit programs into consideration. After the solar tax credit, the average cost is closer to $16,002. This total is based on the average per-watt cost for photovoltaic (PV) equipment in Montana — around $2.54, which is below the national average — and the typical system size required to offset energy bills in the state — around 9 kilowatts (kW).
While this total is right around the national average, it’s still too much for many residents to pay upfront in cash. Thankfully, there are a few things you can do to make your system a bit more affordable while maintaining your long-term savings. These include:
We’ll include some information on how these tips can save you money upfront and over time in the sections below.
Your most substantial short-term solar savings will likely come from taking advantage of solar benefit programs. Montana only has a few perks available, but they can still bring down your effective system costs by thousands. We’ll include a quick breakdown of the solar incentives available in Montana in the table below.
Solar Benefit Program | Program Description |
Federal Solar Investment Tax Credit (ITC) | This is a tax credit offered by the federal government to bring down your effective system costs. The credit amount is equal to 30% of your entire conversion cost, including labor, panels, inverters and batteries. In MT, the federal tax credit averages out to $6,858 and gets credited to your income taxes owed for the year you install your system. Any unused credit can be rolled over for five years. |
Renewable Energy Systems Exemption | This is a property tax exemption that prevents your taxes from increasing just because you install PV equipment. Most home improvements that boost your property value would drive up your taxes, but this exemption prevents that from happening with solar systems. |
Alternative Energy Revolving Loan Program | This is a solar financing program offered by the Montana Department of Environmental Quality. Using this program, you can finance up to $40,000 at below-average interest rates to keep your upfront costs and your long-term system costs to a minimum. |
Net Metering | Net energy metering is a massively beneficial solar perk that lets you overproduce energy with your system and credits you for all the excess. If you ever need to pull power from the electric grid, you can call on those credits instead to keep your costs down. Net energy metering is mandated for all utility companies in Montana, but the rate at which you’re credited for excess power varies by provider. |
For more information on how to save money on your MT solar system using incentives, you can check out our guide to solar benefit programs in Montana.
Next, we recommend choosing an installer that carries high-efficiency solar panels. Each PV panel brand has a different efficiency rating, which denotes the amount of available sunlight it can convert to electricity. Efficiency ratings over 20% are considered high-efficiency.
As we’ve mentioned, efficiency is key in Montana because the state receives well below the average amount of sunshine — 189 as compared to 205 throughout the rest of the country.4 Where sunlight is less prevalent, solar power production will naturally be below average as well.
A high-efficiency panel brand can make the most use of the available sunlight, which means it can maximize your energy savings each month, regardless of the weather conditions.
Panel brands like SunPower, Tesla, REC, Canadian Solar, Qcells and Panasonic all work well in lower-sunlight areas, as they provide above-average efficiency ratings that can help offset your energy bills.
Next, we suggest prioritizing installers that offer above-average warranty protection on their solar equipment and labor. The industry standards for warranty protection — which you can use to compare companies — are as follows:
In our opinion, the efficiency and workmanship warranties are the most crucial in the state. Efficiency warranties guarantee that your panels continue to produce power, even through the low-sun conditions in Montana.
Maximizing your production with high-efficiency panels also means you’re more likely to offset losses during snow coverage. This is a big deal in Montana, where the average annual snowfall is nearly double the national average.5
The workmanship warranty will help ensure you get a competent installer that won’t rush the installation process or make errors. Ultimately, this can save you from expensive roof leaks, given the above-average precipitation. You might pay more for warranty coverage upfront, but it can often save you money in the long run.
See Also: Calculate How Much You Can Save By Going Solar
Yes! Installing PV panels might be expensive upfront, but most solar customers see a significant bump in property value as a result, making conversion even more worthwhile.
Research from Zillow suggests that PV equipment will boost your property value by around 4.1%.6 In Montana, where the average home costs around $465,000, that’s a value increase of just over $19,000.7
Some cities are expected to see an even greater value increase due to local solar adoption rates and greater acceptance of PV equipment. For example, Missoula has partnered with the Department of Energy (DOE) and the Montana Renewable Energy Association to bring more awareness to renewable energy.8 This ultimately helps make solar more valuable in the area.
Since the cost to go solar via a professional is so costly, many aspiring solar customers wonder if a DIY panel installation is a good option. While installing your solar power system yourself is almost always cheaper — an average of $10,000 as compared to $22,000 — it’s not a great idea for most Montanans.
There are a few reasons for this, including:
We’ll explain why we believe these downsides aren’t worth the cost savings of a DIY installation in the sections below.
In our opinion, the most significant downside to installing your panels yourself is that you don’t get a warranty for the workmanship. Professionally-installed solar electric systems typically come with a 10-year warranty for the labor, and the best companies offer 25 years of coverage or more.
Montana homes, and the solar systems installed on them, are exposed to harsh elements year-round. You might save $10,000 or so installing your solar energy system yourself, but if you make an error that results in a roof leak, you could end up paying far more than that in repairs and system replacement.
In our opinion, it’s a much better idea to have a professional complete the installation properly the first time around. That can end up saving you money but also provides you with peace of mind for decades after your panels are installed.
In addition to DIY panels having less appealing warranty coverage, the panels themselves just aren’t as efficient. Most professionally-installed panel brands have efficiency ratings of over 20% and top out at around 22.7%. DIY panel brands usually average between 15% and 18%.
These seemingly minor differences in efficiency can mean major variances in power production in similar conditions. Maximizing your panel efficiency is important no matter where you live, but especially in Montana, where the available sunlight is already below average. High-quality brands can help save you more by offsetting more of your utility bills. In short, more efficient panels provide far more energy savings in the long run.
Finally, mistakes are more common among DIY solar projects because of the lack of experience on the part of the installer.
Issues with roof penetration and sealing during installation can lead to roof leaks, water damage or interior mold growth, all of which are expensive to fix. Paying a professional for high-quality service and years of experience leaves you less prone to roof leaks and other issues stemming from improper installation techniques.
Your roof is the most important aspect of your home — and the heavy snowfall in Montana will be more likely to expose leaks and other issues than in warmer states. Professional installations can help mitigate your risk and save you money over time.
Choosing the right solar installer means maximizing your energy savings and getting a system that fits into your budget and can offset your energy bills. There are a few things we recommend you look for in a solar provider in Montana, specifically. These include:
We’ll explain why we recommend prioritizing these characteristics in the sections below.
First off, we suggest choosing an installer that offers a lengthy workmanship warranty. Solar installations require roof penetrations, which naturally leave your home prone to roof leaks if performed improperly. This is more of a risk in Montana than in most other states because of the above-average amounts of rainfall and snowfall the state gets each year.
Choosing a company that offers a lengthy workmanship warranty — ten or more years — will help reduce the risk of a poor installation and property damage, saving you money and providing peace of mind.
Next, we suggest choosing an installer that provides access to highly-efficient, durable solar panel brands. A solar panel with a high efficiency rating will generate more electricity in all situations. This is beneficial for Montana residents for two primary reasons:
Finally, we recommend choosing a solar company that has at least five years of experience working in Montana. Solar adoption is just beginning to pick up in the area, so we’re seeing more and more inexperienced companies popping up to capitalize on the demand.
Less experienced companies are more likely to make mistakes and run into issues that can leave you more susceptible to property or system damage over time. Choosing an experienced installer helps avoid this risk.
Our goal in ranking solar providers in Montana is to provide you with the best installers in your area that are likely to meet your specific needs. In pursuit of that goal, we rate companies based on a few key criteria and evaluate each factor based on how important we believe it is in Montana, specifically.
Below are the factors we use and the weighting system we apply to rank Montana solar companies:
Most importantly, we never let our methodology get affected by commercial partnerships, and we tailor our rankings based on the state in which we’re rating installers. We’ll explain each of the criteria for Montana’s solar companies in the sections below.
First, we assess each installer based on the warranty coverage it offers and the customer support and response times to warranty claims it has. We prioritize workmanship warranties — due to the above-average rain and snow in the area — and efficiency warranties — due to the below-average sunlight in the area.
A company gets a perfect score if it provides the following:
Installers that provide lengthier warranty coverage — like Solar IPS — get ranked higher.
Montana is largely rural, which means the demand for solar conversions diminishes significantly as you move away from the larger cities. A good portion of the installers in the state serve only certain cities or sections of the state.
Naturally, companies that service the entire state will appeal to more of our readers, so we rank those installers higher.
The solar installation cost in Montana averages over $20,000 before any rebates or state tax credits, which is prohibitively expensive for many residents. To help connect you with companies that are more likely to fit into your budget, we rank installers higher if they manage to keep prices below average.
We also look at the financing options available from each installer. A company that only accepts cash purchases and third-party solar loans will naturally exclude customers who can only afford — or just prefer — a solar lease or PPA. Companies that offer flexible, numerous financing options will rank the highest in this category.
Experience in a solar installer is always beneficial, as a company that is accustomed to installing solar in your area is more likely to provide a system that suits your energy needs. Experience working in Montana’s climate helps set apart companies that are in tune with local weather conditions that make roof leaks and panel damage more prevalent.
Companies that have at least five years of experience in the solar industry and Montana get an average score in this category. Those with ten or more years get perfect scores.
Many Montana residents just install solar panels for grid-tied solar. Unfortunately, panels alone won’t let you maximize your returns in states like Montana, where net energy metering credits aren’t offered at the retail rate. Plus, installing only panels means you’ll still lose power during outages.
For these two reasons, many residents choose to install solar batteries as well. Companies that offer panel and battery installations, along with energy audits, score an average rating in this category.
Those that offer additional services — like solar water heaters, solar roof shingle installations and other energy efficiency upgrades will appeal to even more customers and get ranked higher.
Since the solar industry is just starting to pick up in Montana, we strive to differentiate companies that have sufficient experience to carry out a safe solar installation from those that may rush the process to turn a greater profit. To do that, we look for company qualifications and certifications above and beyond the requirements.
Some things we look for, in particular, include:
Additionally, we take points away from companies if they have a history of customer lawsuits or complaints with the BBB.
Finally, we look for evidence that the company is carrying out a mission statement that aligns with the progression of the solar industry as a whole. Some things we look for that suggest this include:
Below, we’ll answer some of the questions we get about choosing a solar company from other Montana residents like you.
Based on our reviews of the top solar companies in Montana, we have found that OnSite Energy is the most reputable. This company has a great range of products and installation services available at affordable prices, all of which are covered by the robust warranties Montana residents need. Best of all, OnSite is a certified B Corp and has an unblemished reputation for phenomenal customer service. Most homeowners who choose this installer are pleased that they went with such a reputable company.
There are many factors to consider when choosing a Montana solar installation company. Most residents agree that warranty coverage for power production is one of the most crucial things to think about. Additionally, you’ll want to consider the overall price, value for the cost, and the company’s commitment to customer service and communication before, during, and after installation.
The Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) reports that there are 28 solar companies based in Montana. Of these 28, 20 provide solar installation services.9
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