Solar panels come in a variety of configurations, sizes and price points. Perform an internet search for the phrase, “how much do solar panels cost?” and you will be presented with thousands of articles. Some of this information will be helpful, but to get an idea of what solar panels cost, run a query such as “residential grid-tied solar panels” through Google shopping. Ah, now we’re getting somewhere! Will any of these products be useful to you? Perhaps, perhaps not. Certainly, this information will familiarize you with the price of residential solar panels, though not the entire cost of solar panels for home use, since other expenses will be involved. It is a good place to start, however, as solar panel prices are integral to the total cost of a residential solar power system.
Solar Panel Prices
A single solar panel will not do you much good, but many systems allow for future expansion, so pricing individual units is not a bad idea. Since the prices vary by size and wattage, you will need to compare similar panels to get an idea of the average cost, which is usually based on a per-watt basis. Figuring out exactly how many panels you will need to power your entire household is fairly complex and will be covered in a later post. For now, just try to get a feel for how much you can expect to pay for one panel of a particular wattage. Also note that some manufacturers sell other items along with their panels, such as inverters and/or mounting kits. Then you will have some numbers to crunch when you have a better idea of how much power you will want your system to produce, at least to start.
Recent pricing information for June 2011 shows an approximate cost of $3 per watt, based on the cost of a single solar panel, exclusive of any add-ons or installations costs. Prices appear to be trending downward, which is good news to those seriously considering entering the solar-powered home market. Remember that installation costs will likely double any figure you come up with and that pricing varies by factors such as country of manufacture and the type of panel (conventional silicon or thin-film) being considered.
Most people buy several panels at a time, of course. Once you have determined the size array you will need to provide either a grid-tied supplemental power or an off-grid system, comparing an entire system across different vendors will give you your best cost estimate. Experts suggest that those considering going solar work to reduce their overall energy consumption by purchasing super-efficient appliances, using less power-hungry electronics (a laptop rather than a PC, for example) and/or making more use of battery-powered gadgets. Reducing household energy consumption before changing to solar energy production will help decrease the number of panels necessary, making the new system less expensive.
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