North Dakota
North Dakota solar in 2026
North Dakota is where a solar guide should know when to stop selling. The state's EnergySage cash figure is $4.01 per watt, its installer bench is extremely thin, and primary-source detail on the export rate was not available in the research. There are scenarios where solar can still make sense: a high-usage rural home, a transparent cooperative tariff, a durable roof, and a very disciplined cash bid. Most generic pitches do not clear that bar.
North Dakota needs price proof before it needs a production forecast
The central comparison is difficult: ordinary household electricity pricing beside the group's highest cash figure per watt. That puts solar in specialist territory. The solar row is a long-term production calculation, not evidence that any local proposal deserves its price.
| Energy source | Type | Average price | What that means |
|---|---|---|---|
| North Dakota residential electricity | Electricity | 13.61¢ per kWh | North Dakota's EIA household electricity average through May 2026. |
| Household gas benchmark | Natural gas | $11.39 per Mcf | A thermal kWh costs 3.7 cents on this comparison; a Mcf holds about 304 thermal kWh. |
| Purchased rooftop PV | Electricity | ~12.2¢ per kWh | The 25-year levelized result uses the North Dakota EnergySage cash value of $4.01 per watt and the PVGIS runs. It speaks to production cost, not to local export-credit rules. |
May 2026 electricity data comes from EIA Table 5.6.A. The gas number is based on EIA residential gas prices, and one Mcf is about 304 kWh of thermal energy. The solar calculation follows the methodology page.
North Dakota output is workable, not miraculous
Bismarck leads this four-city set, with Fargo and Grand Forks lower and Minot in between. Production is not the central weakness. The installed price, export treatment, long winters, and lack of local bidding pressure are.
| North Dakota place | Modeled annual production, kWh/kW | Expected annual kWh, 18.07 kW |
|---|---|---|
| Fargo | 1,276 | 23,065 kWh |
| Bismarck | 1,371 | 24,770 kWh |
| Grand Forks | 1,273 | 23,010 kWh |
| Minot | 1,340 | 24,205 kWh |
Method: PVGIS v5.2 model runs by Solar Learning Lab on August 18, 2026, using the NSRDB radiation database. Assumptions: fixed roof mount, south facing, 30 degree tilt, 14 percent losses. Your roof will differ. The 18.07 kW example matches the EnergySage North Dakota average system.
Net metering exists, but the detail must be verified locally
North Dakota has net metering in its program inventory for jurisdictional utilities, but the Public Service Commission consumer page returned a client error during the research. That means the credit rate, cap, and any scheduled change were not verified from a primary source. We will not make up a retail-credit rule just to make the calculator look better.
A large share of North Dakota load is served by cooperatives, which are not rate-regulated in the same way as investor-owned utilities. For an actual project, get the applicable tariff, interconnection form, export-credit method, and any standby or fixed-charge treatment from your named utility or cooperative. Until then, value exports conservatively and do not size beyond reliable self-consumption.
See the North Dakota program inventory and utility-service context, then obtain the named provider's current tariff before trusting an estimate.
Possible exemptions, but no verified homeowner dollar value
| Item | Value | Fine print |
|---|---|---|
| Renewable energy property-tax exemption | Listed, value not verified | DSIRE lists the exemption, but the research did not obtain a primary statute with an amount or homeowner eligibility detail. |
| Sales and use tax exemption | Listed for electrical generating facilities | The program inventory alone is not enough to promise a residential value. Confirm eligibility before putting it in a pro forma. |
| Statewide residential rebate or tax credit | No verified incentive | The research did not verify a statewide homeowner solar rebate or tax credit. |
| Federal 25D | Ended December 31, 2025 | For lease and PPA arrangements, the provider can claim 48E and may pass through value in the pricing noted by CRS. |
The available state-program reference is the cited program or statute.
A North Dakota project begins with the serving utility
Statewide labels do not settle a North Dakota solar proposal. The Public Service Commission has jurisdiction over interconnection for investor-owned utilities, while a substantial share of load is served by cooperatives that are not rate-regulated the same way. The named provider is the first fact to establish. Montana-Dakota Utilities, Northern States Power, and Otter Tail Power serve large residential volumes, but Mountrail-Williams and McKenzie Electric also serve meaningful cooperative load.
Net metering appears in the state program inventory for jurisdictional utilities. That is not enough to assign a value to a homeowner's exports. The PSC consumer page did not yield a primary-source confirmation of the credit rate, system cap, or any scheduled change. Until the actual tariff is available, a payback model has an open variable. The correct response is not to assume a friendly retail credit. It is to isolate on-site use and treat exports with restraint.
The scale data is a warning against false precision. North Dakota had 88 net-metered PV customers in 2024, including 81 residential customers. EIA reported zero utility-scale PV and 2.8 MW of small-scale PV in May 2026. SEIA placed the state 52nd in its ranking set. Those facts do not say a particular roof cannot work. They say an installer's confidence should be supported by documents, service plans, and a bid that can survive thin local competition.
The available incentive inventory lists a Renewable Energy Property Tax Exemption and a sales and use tax exemption for electrical generating facilities, but it does not establish a residential dollar value. Neither item belongs in savings math until eligibility is confirmed. North Dakota solar can be a sensible special case. It is not a place to fill unknowns with marketing assumptions.
North Dakota net-metering and utility-service references and the state incentive inventory.
Treat every assumption as something to prove
The calculator is most useful here as a stress test. Start with the utility rate, then reduce expected export value until you have the tariff in hand. If the project only works at retail export credit, it has not been established as a North Dakota deal.
Slider bounds come from four PVGIS runs across North Dakota. The range reflects location, not the shading, roof direction, snow cover, or equipment on your particular roof.
Cash quotes in North Dakota cluster near $4.01 per watt, against a $3.50 national 2024 median (LBNL). Use your quote.
Assumptions you can change
Use the rate on your actual lease or PPA quote. There is no published statewide average we trust enough to hardcode.
Cash purchase
$31,679 after state credit
- Year 1 benefit
- $118/mo
- Payback
- 19 years
- 20 year net position
- $2,632
No verified statewide residential cash or tax credit is modeled. Use a conservative export value until your utility or cooperative provides its tariff in writing.
Solar loan
$370/mo 15 yr payment
- Year 1 net
- -$252/mo
- Upfront
- $0
- 20 year net position
- -$32,280
We price loans at $5.21 per watt: the EnergySage cash figure plus the $1.20 national loan-over-cash spread LBNL documents, since dealer fees get built into loan pricing.
Lease / PPA
$0 down you buy the power
- Year 1 net
- -$90/mo
- Upfront
- $0
- 20 year net position
- -$23,285
A lease or PPA provider may claim the federal 48E business credit. In this market, compare every offer against doing nothing.
Estimates, not quotes. Inputs use the North Dakota average rate from EIA, our own PVGIS production runs, and EnergySage August 2026 cost data. We are a solar installer and we also partner with other solar companies. See our disclosures.
North Dakota buyer rules that protect against fantasy math
- Get at least one bid, then be frank about the thin installer bench. The research surfaced only a few relevant Google Business listings, including equipment and storage suppliers.
- Ask your cooperative or utility for the export-credit tariff before a site visit. Do not accept an avoided-cost or retail-credit assumption without the document.
- The $4.01 per watt cash figure means an overpriced loan can become unworkable quickly. Compare cash price, financing price, and dealer fees separately.
- High-usage rural homes may still have a case if they can use most production onsite and obtain a credible interconnection path. That is a narrower case than a statewide sales campaign.
- Do not promise a property-tax or sales-tax benefit until your tax adviser and local authority confirm the specific exemption applies.
North Dakota listings, with an important caveat
This is not a normal installer marketplace. The research identified only two clearly solar-focused local listings with ratings. It also surfaced equipment and storage suppliers, which we have deliberately not presented as installers. Use this short list to start calls, then widen the search to licensed regional firms that will stand behind service and winter access.
Holsen Solar
Fargo, ND
3.9(10 Google reviews)
Wind & Solar World
Upham, ND
5.0(1 Google reviews)
Google Maps ratings snapshot, August 2026, via the DataForSEO SERP feed. Zero companies paid us and none are endorsed by us. We could not verify a statewide solar contractor license authority. Confirm local permits, electrical credentials, and the utility or cooperative interconnection path before committing.
Get a North Dakota solar estimate
Answer four questions to see a scenario framed by this page's EIA and PVGIS data. We are a solar installer and we also partner with other solar companies. Details are available in our disclosures.
What does your monthly electric bill look like?
North Dakota average is $118 per month (EIA, 2024).