Solar Panel Cost Per Watt Chart

A tale of falling prices.
Solar panel cost per watt chart. As of sep 2020 the average cost of solar panels in california is 2 68 per watt making a typical 6000 watt 6 kw solar system 11 877 after claiming the 26 federal solar tax credit now available. When you look at more specialized panels that are manufactured in lower quantities the price climbs up above 2 watt. Solar panel cost per watt example. Cost of solar panels over time.
Commercial solar costs 1 83 per watt on average. This is higher than the average price of residential solar power systems across the united states which is currently 2 60 per watt. The good news is that prices have dropped significantly declining 61 percent since 2010 according to nrel. Residential solar panels cost 2 53 to 3 15 per watt with most homeowners spending 2 70 per watt on average before any tax credits or incentives.
Solar companies can typically get a single solar panel at a price of 0 75 per watt. For 5 000 watt systems if you re using a 300 watt panel 17 solar panels will be used to make up that 5 000 watt system. In addition to solar panel efficiency increasing dramatically solar panel producers have significantly improved their manufacturing processes. Three dollars per watt 3 w means that for a 5 kilowatt system a common solar system size the gross system cost will be 15 000.
Therefore if the solar panel output is 250 watts that single panel might cost you 187 50. If you re installing one panel high quality high output options are ideal. Kilowatts shouldn t be confused with kilowatt hours which is the metric to show you how much electricity your system produces. Cost per watt is used when talking about the relative value of residential solar systems rather than total cost because it allows us to compare systems of different sizes.
However if a homeowner is trying to buy one or two panels on their own for a small diy project they will likely pay closer to 1 per watt. Over a decade ago in 2009 the cost of a solar panel installation was 8 50 per watt. Here at solarreviews we are seeing homeowners who search for competitive quotes finding solar panel costs per watt as low as 2 00 in some states although the average remains at 2 60 per watt. The solar industry today looks very different.
However the cost of solar power changes depending on the size of the system required your eligibility for solar incentives the type of equipment used and even on the province that you live in. Solar panel cost data california 2020 updated. Solar panels normally retail for around 1 to 3 per watt and range between 150 and 350 watts per panel making the average cost of a single panel between 200 and 350. The cost per watt installed in the united states varies significantly by state customer type and system size with median prices ranging from 3 2 w to 4 5 w according to berkeley lab s tracking the sun report.
Standard solar panels cost anywhere from 70 cents to 1 20 per watt depending on their output quality and where they are manufactured.