Regardless of the exact cost of installation there are many affordable financing options for solar panel systems.
Cost trend of solar panels.
In 2020 a 10 000 solar system will qualify for a 2 600 tax credit.
The cost of solar panels has fallen just 2 3 in 2019 and forbes foresees panel prices as bottoming out soon as the chinese market stabilizes.
This means that the incentive will be greater in 2020 than in subsequent years.
Currently the credit is set at 30 percent but starting in 2020 the solar itc will be worth 26 percent of the total solar system cost including installation.
Back in 1977 the price of solar photovoltaic cells was 77 for just one watt of power.
A standard 6 kw residential solar system has dropped from 44 000 down to 15 200 over the past decade not including the federal solar tax credit.
The solar industry today looks very different.
Welcome to our comprehensive solar panel cost guide updated for 2020.
In pennsylvania the average solar payback period is 10 66 years.
Today it s around 0 13 per watt or about 600 times less.
Over a decade ago in 2009 the cost of a solar panel installation was 8 50 per watt.
Labor costs to install solar panels.
Solar industry analysis firm gtm also predicts residential solar installation costs to bottom out around 2 50 per watt a number that tesla has already attained and other installers are likely trying to figure out as well.
A solar payback period is the amount of time it takes for property owners who install solar panels to recover their initial investment through electricity savings.
Estimates are based on the average rate of decline.
The easiest way to calculate the average cost of solar panels is to look at its price in dollars per watt w which is relatively consistent across the united states.
However solarreviews handles more than 1 000 quote requests per day and the current average price we see on our marketplace is 2 60 per watt.
This article was updated on 1 7 2020.
Check our solar panels page for current pricing.
Solar panel prices change on a regular basis.
Decline in price of residential solar since 2000.
The most recent official data from the doe funded lawrence berkeley labs published in september 2019 found that the median cost of residential solar panels is 3 70 watt.
The average cost of solar panels has fallen 65 from 7 34 per watt in 2010 to 2 53 per watt in 2019.