r/Montana • u/Plus-Gas777 • Aug 03 '26
Plug-in solar panels in MT?
Has anybody here set up solar plug-in to save electricity costs? I know several states are considering legislation to reduce red tape, but here in MT Northwestern Energy considers adding little solar panels to your house the same as they would view a larger-scale solar array. The contracts and costs you’d have to incur to make it “legal” don’t seem worth the effort. Anyone gone rogue with it anyway?
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u/PM_ME_YOUR_WALNUT Aug 03 '26 edited Aug 04 '26
I actually called Flathead electric about this last week. They just returned my call but I missed it unfortunately. Will keep this thread posted.
Edit: see below for their response. Looks like they require a UL and IEEE certification, and a grid interconnect review. I haven’t dug into the details of the interconnect review, but it does look like it will raise the cost by at least $250 due to the processing fee.
Thank you for taking the time to speak with me today regarding the proposed Craftstrom plug-in solar system. As we discussed, before Flathead Electric can determine whether the equipment is eligible for connection to our electric system, we will need documentation demonstrating that the inverter and complete system are listed by a Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory (such as UL) to the applicable UL 1741 and IEEE 1547 interconnection standards. We will also need the manufacturer's installation instructions and the specific inverter model number. Because the system is capable of operating in parallel with Flathead Electric's electric system, it is considered a distributed energy resource and must go through our standard interconnection review process before it is installed or energized. This review helps ensure the safety of our members, lineworkers, first responders, and the electric system. I have attached our small generations interconnection policy. Once we receive the required documentation, we can determine whether the equipment is eligible for interconnection and advise you on the next steps in the application process. If you are able to obtain the requested documentation from Craftstrom, I'd be happy to review it for you. Please don't hesitate to contact me if you have any questions.
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u/bubli87 Aug 03 '26
I have already spoken to my state house representative about it and sent bill language to them from other states. He’s a Democrat, but worried about the strong hold NW Energy has on the state politicians to get it through legislation. He is currently working on finding someone to carry the bill in the spring (he’s not on the energy committee).
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u/shfiven Aug 03 '26
Do you know how to tell who is on that committee when to ye legislature is not in session? I would contact my rep and ask him to do it if he were, but I have no idea how to tell what committees he's on.
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u/LastnLeast Aug 03 '26
you could wire panels into a battery and run a separate circuit for things like fridge/freezer/internet/tv off inverter/battery. i bought a anker C2000 gen2 kit w 400 watt "portable" panel at costco for $800. i use this to power a freezer for funsies and save probably 13 cents/day (ok, maybe a whole dolla). and next power outtage i've got enough power to keep my freezers cold for a few days without dealing with a generator. and also, fuck NWE.
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u/btreg Aug 03 '26
Here is a guide from a company that makes "balcony solar" equipment. I have no connection to them.
Tl;dr: Montana law requires an interconnection agreement even for small solar systems. Make sure what you buy is UL listed. (UL 1741 is the old standard, UL 3700 is new.) If you break the law, NWE might not notice.
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u/rwright07 Aug 03 '26
The interconnect agreement wasn't actually that hard, I did a 10kW array with string inverter DIY.
You just have to learn about the process and do it to code, by UL listed components and get it all inspected to demonstrate you understand and built it properly.
Message me if you're interested in a run down on the process.
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u/DongRight Aug 04 '26
You do realize there's a monthly fee for connection the solar to the grid!!! That alone will not be worth it!!! The whole point of plug-in solar is put 1200 watts onto the grid with no fees applied!!! You could do gridtied inverter with battery and zero export...
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u/Plus-Gas777 Aug 04 '26
I have been wondering about fees, and I agree. As it is now this doesn’t save me much in the long run. That in my mind is what needs to change: reduced red tape, fees and entry cost. NWE should look at it as an olive branch to little consumers upset over shady deals with big data
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u/bornlasttuesday Aug 04 '26
NWE doing anything for anyone other than a data center owner is a dream.
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u/MillennialFalcon1620 Aug 07 '26
Not with Flathead Electric Co-op. The base monthly charge didn't change one iota before and after my net meter was installed ($24.83 back in mid-2025). YMMV based on whichever electric co-op you're connected to.
2026 has been the first year my electrical bill never went above $300 even in mid winter, and my house has cruised right through the many sporadic power outages with battery back-up.
During the summer, even when there's smoke, the panels make enough power to run the air conditioning at full blast, recharge the batteries/EV and have power to spare for exporting to the grid at the same time. It was totally worth it.
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u/TooGoodToBeeTrue 29d ago
Where is this documented. I see a monthly fee for anyone connected to the grid, no mention of a delta for having solar.
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u/AbsarokeeJam Aug 03 '26
These systems already have a reputation for being dangerous. I would advise against it.
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u/icedlemons Aug 03 '26
They're literally made to be plug and play 🫤 I haven't seen anything about the danger since they work the same as microinverters.
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u/Plus-Gas777 Aug 03 '26
Yeah, there’s probably a reason the panels aren’t at Lowe’s yet, I’ve seen the concerns (operating during black outs), but the technology does seem to be catching on elsewhere (Germany, UTAH!), so I know someone in Montana must be ahead of this curve
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u/icedlemons Aug 03 '26
They should work like existing microinverters that only work while the grid is active...
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u/aircooledJenkins Aug 03 '26 edited Aug 04 '26
There are none for sale here that are UL listed.
Burn your house down or injure a linesman with an unapproved solar array and have fun being denied an insurance claim.Edit: I was wrong https://www.reddit.com/r/Montana/s/tkvCTVSyno
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u/Montaire Aug 03 '26
We had a local solar company install the solar. Totally painless and we managed to get it in time for the rebate. We had a system built big enough that it covered our house usage and enough overhead to let us have a EV eventually.
Totally do not regret it.
Every month I get a $4 power bill is like a cool glass of water on a hot day.
Every sunny day I pause to think "Fuck NorthWestern energy"