Photovoltaic solar panels continue to fall in price
A report from LevelTen Energy finds solar PPA prices in North America rose 3. 2% in Q4 2025, marking a nearly 9% year-over-year increase as developers and buyers navigate a complex “post-OBBBA” regulatory environment. From pv magazine USA. Average price of solar modules, expressed in US dollars per watt, adjusted for inflation. Data source: IRENA (2025); Nemet (2009); Farmer and Lafond (2016) – Learn more about this data Note: Costs are expressed in constant 2024 US$ per watt. Global estimates are used before 2010; European market. . NLR analyzes the total costs associated with installing photovoltaic (PV) systems for residential rooftop, commercial rooftop, and utility-scale ground-mount systems. [PDF Version]FAQs about Photovoltaic solar panels continue to fall in price
How much did solar panels cost in 2024?
Analyzing millions of transaction-level data points from homeowners on EnergySage, it highlighted a clear milestone for solar panels: The average price had dropped 30% year-over-year in 2024. According to the report, the median quoted price of solar decreased for the third year in a row, hitting its lowest in recorded data at $2.50 per watt.
How much does solar cost?
According to the report, the median quoted price of solar decreased for the third year in a row, hitting its lowest in recorded data at $2.50 per watt. "For a system at the median size of 11.5 kilowatts, that amounts to $28,750 before incentives," the report said. With incentives, you can save as much as 75% of installation costs.
Why do solar panels cost less?
One of the primary reasons for the decrease in solar panel costs is the increased efficiency in manufacturing processes. By streamlining production lines and adopting automation, manufacturers can produce panels more quickly and at a lower cost.
Where did photovoltaic cost data come from?
Photovoltaic cost data between 1975 and 2003 has been taken from Nemet (2009), between 2004 and 2009 from Farmer & Lafond (2016), and since 2010 from IRENA. Prices from Nemet (2009) and Farmer & Lafond (2016) have been converted to 2024 US$ using the US GDP deflator, to account for the effects of inflation.
