What Does A Solar System Cost

Additional Components To The System

If youre looking to install additional components while installing the solar panels, this will increase your cost of equipment but can decrease the installation costs. Whether youre planning to install a solar battery storage system or additional features like pigeon proofing your panels, it is best to club them with installing the panels, so that you can decrease the installation cost.

Average Solar Installation Cost By Location

While most people picture solar panels on the roof, this is not the only place they can be installed. They can also be mounted on the ground using a frame. This can be beneficial if your roof cannot support the panels or is predominately in the shade. Both installation types have several factors to consider, including installation costs.

How Much Solar Panel Do I Need For My Rv

Tips for Estimating RV Solar Panel Needs The general rule of thumb is that a 100-watt solar panel can produce about 30 amp-hours per day, so you can use this guideline to determine about how many panels you need. Another suggestion is to match your battery capacity in amp-hours with your solar output in watts.

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Thats Great But What About The Solar Panel Installation Cost For My Home

If you are curious about how much solar panels cost, it generally depends on a few factors. These include:

• The size of your home solar system
• Whether you buy or lease
• Whether you qualify for federal, state, or local incentives and Whether you install a battery

When installing solar on your homes roof, there are several factors to consider.

Electricity needs How much energy you currently consume will directly relate to how big of a solar system you need and how many panels you need to support your homes energy needs.

Where you live How much sun exposure your homes roof gets will directly correlate to how much energy your solar system can produce and will impact how many panels you need for your home. More sun means more energy produced and a greater potential to save with solar.

Choice of solar panels – Better panels produce more energy more efficiently. The efficiency of the solar panels directly impacts the savings you can experience.

Roof angle – In solar panel installation, it is important to angle the solar panels so they can get maximum exposure to the sun. This is not a problem when the roof is angled, but it can be if the roof is flat. Houses with irregular rooflines, skylights, and challenging angles can make installation more complicated.

Purchasing options and incentives The payment option you choose will affect your costs, as well as your eligibility for incentives.

Leasing Solar Panels Vs Buying

Sunnova offers several energy plans so youll have an easier time choosing an affordable, worry-free solar energy plan for your home. There are pros and cons for each from a cost perspective. See below for a breakdown and things to consider when choosing the right option for you.

• Easy Plan Power Purchase Agreement or Lease
• Overall, your solar lease or Power Purchase Agreement payments and remaining utility bill are typically lower than your previous electric bill.1
• Receive competitive pricing on your home solar system without the hassle of applying for federal and state incentives and rebates.
• Ability to transfer the agreement to the new homeowner so they can lock in a low kWh rate.
• Gain protection against theft or damage to your home solar system and battery. Sunnova obtains insurance coverage at no extra cost!

When choosing the right payment option, it is also important to consider the following:

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What Do Solar Panels Cost And Are They Worth It

Many or all of the products featured here are from our partners who compensate us. This may influence which products we write about and where and how the product appears on a page. However, this does not influence our evaluations. Our opinions are our own. Here is a list ofour partnersandhere’s how we make money.

The rising cost of electricity from traditional sources makes solar installation seem like a no-brainer for many homeowners.

But the true cost of solar panels, and whether they’ll help you save money, depends on a few key factors. On average, installation and the system together can run between $15,000 and $25,000, according to the Center for Sustainable Energy.

Location largely affects electricity rates. The national average is about 13 cents per kilowatt-hour, according to year-to-date 2021 data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

Before you make the leap, learn how your electric bill, location and incentives can impact your wallet over time. Here are six steps to take to determine whether youll save more than you spend on solar panels.

» MORE: Find ways to save with NerdWallet

Utility Bill Rate Design

Good electricity rate design allows you to save money when you save energy. This might sound intuitive but not all provinces are same. Superior designs have low fixed monthly fees and tiered electricity rates. Inferior designs have high fixed fees and flat electricity rates.

British Columbia scores in the front of the pack when it comes to these factors having tiered rates and fixed monthly fees of $12.

For example, reducing your electricity bill from 1,500 to 750 kWh per month will save you 54% on your electricity bill in British Columbia, 45% in Saskatchewan, but only 41% in Alberta!

Note that fixed monthly fees dont disappear even if you switch to solar youll pay them as long as you remain connected to the grid. But this isnt a bad thing $12/mo is a small price to pay for using the grid as your back-up energy source!

The only way to completely remove your fixed costs is to go off the grid, something most homeowners in British Columbia dont do because of high battery costs.

Disconnecting from the grid also means that you wont be able to participate in your utilitys net metering program.

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What Is The Right Price For A Solar Panel Installation

The SolarReviews Editorial team believes a fair price for a professionally-installed solar system in 2021 is between $2.60 per watt and $3.20 per watt.

If you are being charged more than that, there are probably better offers available. However, if you are paying less than $2.60 per watt, you may run the risk of getting a low-quality installation or sub-par customer service. Not only that, solar companies that charge such low prices probably wont be able to earn enough money off of their sales to offer you the customer support you need for the 25-year lifespan of your solar panels.

Above all, you want to go with a solar company that has a good reputation and will be around for the long haul.

What Are The Most Efficient Solar Panels

Remember that the adage, You get what you pay for, applies to home solar technology. Not all solar systems are alike. The quality of the technology matters in the long run. The durability, reliability and efficiency of solar panels can vary widely by manufacturer. If you settle for a conventional home solar system that might cost less out-of-pocket, you can expect to see average results and less savings over time. Watch these videos about the lifespan of SunPower® solar panels and their durability and reliability.

In short, SunPower panels are the most efficient home solar panels you can buy.* A higher quality panel like SunPowers might cost a little more upfront, but youll see a higherand quickerreturn on your investment in the long run. Our panels come with a 25-year Complete Confidence warranty and have an expected useful life of 40 years.* And since theyre more efficient than other panels on the market, youll need fewer of them on your roof. Our panels produce up to 55% more energy in the same space over 25-years than conventional panels,* ultimately saving you more money on your electric bill.

Industry measurements such as the Fraunhofer Center for Sustainable Energy Systems PV Durability Initiative can give you a better idea of a solar panels expected lifespana factor that can have a tremendous impact on the systems lifetime value.

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Theres More To The Solar Cost Story

Its great that weve arrived at the average cost of a solar system installation but as you may have guessed, there are many different factors that influence what the cost of solar would be for you.

Size of Your Solar System

5kW is the average size of a solar system, but many people choose to install bigger systems. A bigger system means more energy production and more energy savings over time. Some popular sizes are 6kW, 10kW and 15kW. Of course, it really depends on what your energy needs are. If you have 1500 square foot house and few appliances, your energy needs will be much different than someone who has a 3,000 square foot house with a hot tub!

The best thing you can do is run a simple analysis on your energy bill. How much energy do you use? Take that and you can easily decide what the size of your residential solar system should be.

Where You Live

The cost of solar installations varies from state to state, however the price of solar is actually fairly steady across the board. Almost all states tend to fall within 50 cents of the $2.96/watt average we discussed earlier.

Where you live certainly affects your solar savings but that is a topic for our aforementioned solar savings page.

Energy Sage also has a great breakdown of state by state solar installation costs!

Your Roof

The Installers

Boq For A 10kw Solar Power System

BOQ is a document used to itemize the materials you will use in constructing a project. Here, we will show you what a 10kW solar power system BOQ will look like.

From the table above, you will see the materials cost will be around $10,000 only. If you hire a contractor to build your system, additional labor charges, permit fees, and others are expected. On top of that, they might also add their margin for the materials. The final cost might go up to $20,000 or even more.

However, always look for professional solar contractors to do the job. This way, you will avoid headaches and delays on the project.

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Yes Your Solar Panels Can Make You Money Find Out When And How

Find out how long it will take for your solar panels to start making you money.

How many years will it take before your solar panels start making you money?

Solar panel installations are expected to increase by 30% in 2021, according to research firm IHS Markit. But before you decide to invest in solar for your home, it’s important to understand how long it will take to pay off the initial cost.

Residential solar electric systems cost an average of $20,000 between the panels, other related hardware, labor and more, although that number can fluctuate dramatically depending on location and the number of panels. So how long does it take to break even on that initial investment before you can start saving money for real? We’ll show you how to estimate the payback period for solar panels.

Read more: 5 things to consider before you buy solar panels

How Much Energy Will A 10kw Solar Power System Produce

The graph above shows an actual yield of a 10kW-peak solar PV system in the whole year of 2019. This system is installed on a residential rooftop located in the United Arab Emirates.

In a year, a 10kW system will produce 12,000 kWh up to 16,400 kWh. However, it all depends on the solar plant location, site condition, inclination angle, shading, and system maintenance.

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How Much Do The Solar Panels Themselves Cost

So how much does an actual solar panel cost? Well, it depends on a few things: how powerful the panel is and who is buying the panels.

If you are not a solar installer and are considering doing a DIY solar panel installation on your home, you will likely have to pay retail prices for each panel. The general rule of thumb is that installers who buy in bulk pay around $0.85 per watt, while retail consumers pay around $1 per watt.

A typical solar panel ranges from 150-350 watts, so for this example well cut right down the middle and use a 250 watt solar panel.

If you are going through an installer, youre looking at around $212.50 per panel . If youre going DIY and buying panels yourself, youre looking at around $250 per panel . Keep in mind that this is before tax rebates!

Average Cost Per 250 watt Solar Panel: $212.50

Solar Cost Is Lower Than It Has Ever Been

Solar panels are converting more and more of the energy from the sun into electricity for a home than ever before, meaning you need fewer panels to generate the same amount of energy.

The first silicon solar cell, introduced in 1941, was reported to have had less than 1% energy conversion efficiency. Due to the many recent advances in solar cell technology over the past five years, average panel conversion efficiency has increased from 15% to 20%!

The more energy that is converted by a single panel, the fewer panels a home will need.

The average nameplate power output of a standard 72-cell multi-silicon module was around 290 watts in 2010. Today, consumers can expect at least 345 watts, at one-tenth of the 2010 price.

The upshot is that an average-sized residential system has dropped from a pre-incentive price of $40,000 in 2010 to roughly $20,000 today!

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Solar Battery Storage System Cost By Type

There are three main types of batteries for solar battery storage systems. The most common types include lead-acid, lithium-ion, and lithium-iron-phosphate batteries. While lead-acid batteries have been around for longer and are tried and true, lithium-ion and lithium-iron-phosphate batteries are gaining in popularity due to their lower maintenance requirements.

Lets see how each stacks up in terms of cost:

What Is The Cost Of A Solar Panel Installation For An Average 2000 Square Foot Home Today

The average cost of a residential solar panel installation in 2021 ranges between $18,000 and $20,000, before applying tax credits or other incentives that may be available where you live. This works out to between $2.75 and $3.35 per watt of solar installed, depending on your location and the brands of solar equipment used.

Once you take the federal solar tax credit into account, the overall cost drops to an average of between $13,320 and $14,800 – thats almost 80% lower than the cost of solar 10 years ago! Our solar panel cost and savings calculator will show you local incentives you may be eligible for to help lower the upfront costs.

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Incentives For Installing A Solar Heating And Cooling System

Not only are solar heating and cooling systems easier on monthly energy bills and better for the environment, they may also qualify for tax breaks. The best incentive available at the time of publication is a 26 percent federal investment tax credit . It directly offsets owed taxes and may even come back in the form of a tax refund.

When you file your federal tax returns, the current tax credit gives back 26 percent of the amount you paid for qualified systems placed in service after December 31, 2019, and before January 1, 2023. For systems placed in service after December 31, 2022, and before January 1, 2024, the ITC drops to 22 percent.

Additionally, some states and municipalities offer a variety of tax incentives and rebates for energy-efficient home appliances. Its worth investigating if youre thinking about making the switch.

Tax Incentives Can Help A Lot

Homeowners can receive a one-time tax credit of 26% off the purchase price of a solar system. If the initial solar panel investment typically costs around $20,000 in your area, the tax credit would net you $5,200 when you next file taxes.

What’s more, some utilities offer incentives and rebates for installing solar power. Check with your local energy supplier to see if they offer any incentives.

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How Big Is A 15kw Solar System

Now on to solar installations. There are many ways to look at the size of a 15 kW solar installation:

What does 15 kW actually mean?

A 15 kW solar system can produce 15 kilowatts of power in a single instant. To understand how big this installation really is, consider that your laptop when its plugged in and running uses about 30 watts, so a 15-kilowatt system performing at its peak could power 500 laptops!

In the real world, weather, temperature, solar panel soiling, and your wiring and equipment all affect how much electricity your installation can actually produce. The National Renewable Energy Lab, in their online solar calculator PV Watts, recommends decreasing total electricity production by 14% to account for all these losses. So, in reality, a 15 kW installation really only produces around 12.9 kW.

Thats not to say a 15 kW installation doesnt produce a lot of power.

Case in point: in Colorado, a 15 kW installation produces about 12,907 kWh annually. With an average usage of 8,256 kWh per year in the state, a 15 kW system would cover almost 160% of the average homes electricity usage!

A quick note: Most utilities cap the size of solar installations to cover 100% to 120% of a homes total electricity usage, so a 160% offset probably would never happen in the real world. If you really did use about 8,256 kWh per year, a system much smaller than 15 kW would suit your needs better!

How many solar panels is that?

Heres an example of a 15kW solar system.