The Sweet Grass Solar Program is brought to you by Cottonwood Resource Council. We are bringing together community members to bring more solar energy to Sweet Grass County. The Sweet Grass Solar Program is working to gather information and has selected an expert installer to streamline the solar process for folks interested in going solar on their home or business.
We have already completed the first phase of our program, but we expect additional phases to continue in the future. If you missed this first phase, have questions, or would like to learn more about going solar, contact Cottonwood Resource Council organizer Gusty at gusty@northernplains.org.
What we've already accomplished
During the first phase of our program, 35 individuals signed up to receive a property assessment to determine what solar project would best suit their property and what costs could be expected.
Highly qualified solar installers Harvest Solar and OnSite Energy were carefully chosen and recommended by Cottonwood Resource Council. These installers were vetted based on best price, quality, workmanship, reliability, and past project success.
Educational Resources
In early 2024, Cottonwood Resource Council members held an informational meeting at the Carnegie Library in Big Timber alongside solar installers.
You can watch a video of that meeting to learn more about Solarize Sweet Grass by clicking below:
Recent Sweet Grass Solar Projects
Sweet Grass Solar - Frequently Asked Questions
What is Sweet Grass Solar?
A local effort that brings together groups of potential solar customers through widespread outreach and education. This model helps customers access solar installation companies that are offering competitive, transparent pricing.
Who is eligible to join our Sweet Grass Solar Program?
If you live in Sweet Grass County and own your own roof or property for solar panels, you are eligible to sign up.
How much does Solar Cost?
The total cost for purchasing and installing a solar energy system is based on the size of system you require and the specific details of the layout of your property. An average household will need a 6 kW (kilowatt) system. We will get a clearer picture of the cost when we get price estimates from our preferred installer. The only way to really know your cost is to get a bid from a contractor as your building may need extra work including trenching or a ground mount racking system instead of installing on your roof, for example. Good news, there are incentive programs and financing options to help offset costs and make solar more affordable. These are explained in more detail below.
How do I know if my home or business is suitable for solar?
A south or southwest-facing roof is the most ideal location for a solar electric system. Some west and east facing roofs can work as well, with modification. Shading can cause a decrease in your system’s ability to function at its maximum capacity. To avoid this, ensure trees and other obstructions, current and future, do not compromise your system. When you schedule your at-home solar assessment, your solar installer will provide specific information on your roof’s viability.
How much will I save by installing solar?
The best way to answer this question is to calculate the return on investment (ROI) for your system or in other words, how well an investment in solar energy performs. The average ROI of solar panels in the U.S. is about 10-15%. That means you’ll make an average profit of $10-$15 for every $100 you spend on your solar power system. Over time, a 6.5-kilowatt solar power system can save the typical household about $1100 to $1700 per year.
What is the payback period for an average solar system?
The payback period for a 6 kW system would be between 8 and 15 years. Electric rates are increasing, so as the rates increase the payback period will decrease. Last year NorthWestern Energy raised their electric rates by 28%, so this would bring down your time to recover investment to 7 to 11.25 years. Solar Panel pricing, labor costs, and other costs are constantly changing and factor into the equation, so it is best to get a quote now instead of relying on average numbers that we have given in this FAQ report.
Is it good to get multiple bids for my solar system?
It is generally recommended that you get three reputable companies to bid your solar project. With the Sweet Grass Solar program, we are hoping that by aggregating multiple projects that one preferred installer whom we have vetted will give our participants the best price. Cottonwood Resource Council Solar Committee will support you with references to other reputable companies if you feel you need more bid for your project. That being said, since our preferred contractor will have completed lots of legwork for you, keep this in mind of that when you decide to get additional bids. If you do receive multiple bids, you will not be eligible for the group rate pricing that is provided by the preferred installer through the Sweet Grass Solar program. We have vetted 19 qualified installers and one of the major items we have chosen the installer on is that their price is the best per watt. In this way you will not have to do the work of comparing multiple bids and systems and also, we feel confident that the preferred installer will give you a competitive bid.
How does a solar photovoltaic (PV) system work?
A solar PV system generates electricity by converting sunlight into electricity that can be used in your home. This reduces the amount of electricity you need to purchase from your utility. Your utility keeps track of how much electricity you supply to the grid as well as how much you purchase and bills you only for your net electricity consumption.
How are solar PV systems sized?
Your system will be sized based on the amount of energy you use and the amount of usable space on your roof. There are two different meanings of size of a solar array. One means the kW rating of the solar array and the other is the physical area that the panels take.
The size of a solar PV system is often described in watts (W) or kilowatts (kW). 1,000 W = 1 kW. Watts are a unit of power, just like the horsepower of an engine. They express the maximum possible output of energy the system can produce at any point in time. For example, a 50 kW solar system, like the one installed at Sweet Grass High School, will produce a maximum of 50 kW at any point of time. When sunlight strikes solar PV panels, they produce electricity that is then measured in kilowatt hours (kWh). Kilowatt hours are the units of energy you buy from your utility and use in your home to run your appliances, lighting, and electronics.
To know the size of the solar system you require you need to know the amount of electricity your household consumes each year. To find this out you can look at your NorthWestern Energy or Park Electric bills for the past 12 months and total your electrical consumption. The average household in Montana uses 872 kWh of electricity per month or 10,464 kWh annually. The size of the array for this household would be 6.5 kW, which is about 18 panels. The average size of a solar panel is 5.4 feet by 3.25 feet. The surface area of this array would be about 315 square feet or about 18 feet x 18 feet. This is the physical area needed for the solar array.
How Do I Understand Price Per Watt?
Calculating the price per watt for a solar system is very straightforward — it’s simply the system cost divided by the number of watts in the system. A fully installed solar system typically costs $2-$3 per watt before cost incentives or financing options are applied.
However, the following factors may push your solar price per watt higher.
- Smaller system size
- Unusual roof material or layout
- Premium panel and inverter models
- Multiple arrays versus a single array
- Additional work like panel box upgrades, trenching, or roof repair
Will I still receive a monthly electric bill after installing a solar electric system?
Yes. You will receive a monthly bill from your utility company as you always have, but the amount owed will differ depending on your monthly electrical usage. Depending on how your system is sized, you may accrue credits in the more productive summer months, which can be carried over and used in the less productive winter months.
What is Net Metering?
Whenever your system is producing more energy than is needed on-site at your home, school, or business, that energy can flow back onto the grid for other customers to use. A bi-directional meter attached to your home, school, or business will measure the energy going from the grid to the home (the “usual” direction) as well as any of that excess energy going back out onto the grid. In this way the grid is acting like a “battery”.
Customers earn an on-bill credit for the excess energy they export to the grid. At the end of each month, the customer is billed for the net difference between the energy they purchased from the grid and the energy credits they earned. NorthWestern Energy will allow you to store those credits for use on future bills and annually the tally of the amount you used vs. the amount you produce.
Credits are good for a year, and a “true-up” date is the time at which your excess or “banked” credits from sharing energy to the grid are forfeited to your energy provider or paid out to you at the dollar value. At this time, you begin accruing credits again from zero.
Here is a link to NorthWestern Energy’s Net Metering page on their website if you would like to learn more: https://northwesternenergy.com/clean-energy/our-environmental-projects/private-generation
Do I need to install batteries for my system?
Without a battery backup, solar electric systems won’t operate when the power goes out. You can add a battery backup to your system to keep the lights on during a blackout or if you would like to solely rely on the energy you produce. Battery systems can be expensive, and their lifespans are somewhat short.
Are federal incentives available for my system?
Yes. The Income Tax Credit pays up to 30% of the total cost of installation for systems installed in 2023-2032. This tax credit is for solar systems on residential and commercial properties. If the credit amount exceeds the federal tax liability in the year of installation, the surplus tax credit can be carried forward to pay federal income tax for a period of 5 years or until it is used up. The US Department of Agriculture’s ‘Rural Energy for America Program’ (REAP) provides grants of 50% of the system’s total cost for qualifying agricultural and small businesses.
Are financing options available?
Yes. The Montana Department of Environmental Quality has an Alternative Energy Revolving Loan Program (AERLP) which provides low interest loans (3.25%) for renewable energy projects like installing a solar PV system. There are also credit unions that offer low interest loans for residential solar projects.
How does solar impact my property values?
Studies have shown that homes with solar energy systems sell for more than homes without them. However, your property value will only increase if you own, rather than lease, your solar panel system. In most parts of the country, going solar will actually increase your property value more than a kitchen renovation.
Will the system produce electricity on cloudy days?
Yes, just not as much. Under an overcast sky, panels will generate less electricity than they produce on a clear, sunny day.
What sort of maintenance is required?
Solar electric systems require very little maintenance. Rain showers will generally take care of the pollen and dust that fall on your solar panels. You may have to trim trees and maintain branches to protect your system from falling limbs, minimize shading and maximize electric production. Snow removal is not necessary or recommended unless proper precautions and tools are used to avoid personal injury or damage to the panels.
Will hail destroy my system?
Solar panels are very tough and will withstand hailstorms up to about golf ball size. The solar industry’s top solar panel manufacturers have long understood the need for solar panels that can withstand extreme weather conditions like high winds and hail. In fact, most manufacturers test and certify their solar panels to withstand hail up to one inch in diameter falling at 50 miles per hour.
What about snow on my solar array?
It is not necessary to wipe snow from your solar array. A dusting of snow has little impact on solar panels because the wind can easily blow it off. Light is able to forward scatter through a sparse coating, reaching the panel to produce electricity. It’s a different story when heavy snow accumulates, which prevents PV panels from generating power. Once the snow starts to slide, though, even if it only slightly exposes the panel, power generation is able to occur again. And as the snow melts away, the dirt on the glass will bind with the snow and help make the panels cleaner.
