Solar payback / By state / North Dakota
Solar panel cost in North Dakota, 2026
Electricity here costs 10.9 cents a kWh, below the national average of 17.1 cents. A kilowatt of panels makes about 1,300 kWh a year on a North Dakota roof. Put your own bill in below.
Your house
Pays for itself in
17 yr
At today's bill, rising
System you need
13.7 kW
about 35 panels
Cost after credits
$39,785
no federal credit in 2026
25 year net gain
$26,488
savings minus what it cost
What you have saved, year by year
Your monthly bill
On grid power you pay $180 a month, every month, for as long as you live there.
A 13.7 kW system in North Dakota makes about 17,835 kWh a year, which covers most of the 19,817 kWh your house uses. It costs $39,785 installed, and because the federal credit ended on 31 December 2025 that is also what you pay. Over 25 years you would otherwise hand the utility $78,752.
What these numbers mean in North Dakota
Two things decide whether solar pays here, and only one of them is sunshine. The first is what you are paying now: North Dakota sits 51 of 51 for residential electricity price, so every kWh the roof makes is worth 10.9 cents that stays in your pocket. The second is how much the roof makes, and North Dakota ranks 26 of 51 there.
A state with expensive power and moderate sun beats a sunny state with cheap power almost every time. That is why solar pays back faster in the northeast than in parts of the south, which surprises most people.
On a $180 a month bill, a North Dakota house uses roughly 19,817 kWh a year. Covering ninety percent of that needs about 13.7 kW of panels, which costs $39,785 installed at the national average price per watt, and produces about 17,835 kWh a year.
Those savings pass the cost of the system in year 17. Over 25 years you save $66,274 against a grid bill that would have totalled $78,752, leaving you $26,488 ahead. Panels are generally warranted for 25 years and keep working after that at reduced output.
One thing every figure above assumes: no federal tax credit. The 30 percent credit ended on December 31, 2025. If a salesperson or a calculator shows you a shorter payback, check whether they have quietly subtracted a credit that no longer exists.
Common questions
- How much do solar panels cost in North Dakota?
- A system big enough for a typical North Dakota home is around 13.7 kW, which is about 35 panels. At the national average of $2.90 a watt that is $39,785 installed. Because the 30 percent federal tax credit ended on December 31, 2025, that is also what you pay: there is no longer a credit to subtract.
- Is solar worth it in North Dakota in 2026?
- Yes, on these figures. Electricity in North Dakota costs 10.9 cents a kWh and a kilowatt of panels makes about 1,300 kWh a year here, so the system pays for itself in about 17 years and is ahead by $26,488 over 25. That is with no federal credit at all.
- Is there still a solar tax credit in North Dakota?
- Not a federal one. Section 25D, the 30 percent residential credit, ended on December 31, 2025 under the One Big Beautiful Bill, with no phase down. State and utility programs are separate and some still run, so check with your own utility before you sign. Any calculator still showing you 30 percent off is about three years optimistic on payback.
- How many solar panels does a North Dakota home need?
- About 35 panels, taking a modern 400 watt panel. That comes from a house using 19,817 kWh a year and each kilowatt of panels producing 1,300 kWh a year in North Dakota.