Lower solar module costs also stimulate demand from consumer markets where the cost of solar compares very favourably to retail electric rates.
Cost of solar panels over time graph.
The solar industry today looks very different.
Panel prices increased about 20 in early 2018 about the same time that the us took steps to implement tariffs on imported solar panels but since then have resumed their downward trajectory.
This data has been stitched together from reports by seia and nrel.
The average cost of solar panels has gone from 76 67 watt in 1977 to just 0 698 watt today the second figure is according to pvinsights and is even lower than the 2013 projected price in the chart below.
How does system size impact the cost of solar.
The average cost of solar panels has fallen 65 from 7 34 per watt in 2010 to 2 53 per watt in 2019.
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.
National data september 2020.
Utility scale solar capacity grew by a factor of more than 30 over the same time period to more than 60 gw and is expected to more than double over the next five years.
Cost of solar panels over time.
With higher efficiency government incentives and improved technology the prices of residential solar panels continued to plummet particularly over the past decade.
In 2010 solar panels cost about 2 50 per watt but by early 2017 that had fallen to just 0 38 per watt.
Over a decade ago in 2009 the cost of a solar panel installation was 8 50 per watt.
A tale of falling prices.
Average solar panel cost.
Cost of solar panels over time.
This chart shows the average cost to install a residential solar power system for every year dating back to 1998.
Solar panel cost in 2020.
Lastly here s some context on the historical price of solar power systems over the past 20 years.
Solar panel costs for an average sized installation in the u s.
Solar cost decline.
In addition to solar panel efficiency increasing dramatically solar panel producers have significantly improved their manufacturing processes.
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.
Utility scale solar power could in 2011 be delivered in california at prices well below 100 mwh 0 10 kwh less than most other peak generators even those running on low cost natural gas.
What range of costs should you expect to see in quotes for a solar panel system.
Ten years ago a residential photovoltaic system could cost more than 50 000 00.