You may be looking for the cheapest solar panels available in 2016 in order to really cash in on solar power. And sure, when you install solar on your home or business, you can save thousands on your electricity bills. But going solar isn’t automatically cheap: buying solar panels to install on your roof typically costs thousands of dollars. It’s no wonder that the cost of solar is among the most important considerations for today’s homeowners. If you’re thinking about going solar and worried about prices, you’re probably wondering: what are the cheapest places to buy solar panels and will solar get even cheaper?
The cheapest places to buy solar panels : price in dollars per watt
For anyone wondering where they’ll be able to get solar energy cheap, there are a number of ways to evaluate the expense of solar based on location. Chinese solar panels are known for being one of the most inexpensive markets in the world but nations like Germany and the U.S. aren’t far behind and each hold their own benefit for having solar brands that offer world record performance. Certain markets may be more favorable than others in the U.S. (such as California and Texas) and certain solar panel brands are known for being the most efficient and the cheapest dollars per watt (SunPower is very efficient while Canadian Solar tends to be very cheap). But regardless, many solar installers are willing to work with your solar preferences and thus if you request a certain brand of panels, you should be able to get the best solar module prices available in the U.S. Regardless of your zip code, if you do the research and look at the data it’s possible to find a cheap solar offer anywhere in the United States.
In 2016, the average solar energy price is around $3.70 per watt. That’s 12 percent lower than it was a year ago, and prices continue to fall. So there’s no doubt that, regardless of how you finance your solar panel system, going solar will be an economical process with strong returns. However, if you know where to look and compare all of your options ahead of time, you can bring the costs of your solar power installation down even lower.
EnergySage compiled a list of the cheapest solar power systems offered to shoppers who compared solar quotes in the EnergySage Solar Marketplace. We’ve included information on solar module prices, location, system size (in kilowatts), and the solar panel and inverter brands included in the quote. (Note: because solar panel systems are different sizes, the best way to compare solar prices across different states is to look at the dollars per watt, or $/W.)
Cheapest solar panels: lowest price per watt by state
| State | Price ($/W) | System Size (kW) | Brand (Panel) | Brand (Inverter) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | $1.82 | 5.7 | SolarWorld | Fronius USA, LLC. |
| Massachusetts | $2.01 | 12.3 | LG | Solar Bridge |
| Arizona | $2.16 | 6.6 | Centrosolar America Inc. | Enphase Energy |
| Wisconsin | $2.21 | 19.2 | Peimar Group | Fronius USA, LLC. |
| Arizona | $2.27 | 12.0 | Hanwha | SMA America |
| Florida | $2.30 | 10.0 | Axitec | Fronius USA, LLC. |
| Texas | $2.37 | 10.1 | REC Solar ASA | Fronius USA, LLC. |
| North Carolina | $2.42 | 11.8 | Trina Solar Energy co Ltd | SMA America |
| Ohio | $2.42 | 19.9 | Kyocera Solar, Inc. | Fronius USA, LLC. |
| Florida | $2.44 | 15.9 | Canadian Solar Inc. | Fronius USA, LLC.‘ |
With these solar energy prices in mind, here are the key takeaways from our pricing data:
- You can find inexpensive solar power no matter where you live. Solar shoppers in California, Massachusetts, and everywhere in between saw low cost solar options for their homes.
- There are many affordable solar panel and inverter types. You don’t have to choose between only 2 brands to get the cheapest solar cell or price per watt, which is great news.
- A bigger solar panel system means a better solar bargain. While the average system size in the U.S. is around 5 kilowatts (kW), all but two of these solar panel deals have 10kW systems or larger – that’s pretty big!
For more information about the average cost to go solar in different states across the U.S., compare prices and installers across the country for 3.5kW, 4.5kW, 5kW, 6kW, 7 kW, 8 kW and 10kW solar systems.
If you want to find the cheapest solar panels on the market in your state, get started by joining the EnergySage Solar Marketplace today. With EnergySage, you can compare multiple offers from qualified solar companies to find the best solar panel deals for your home.
Will solar panels get cheaper? What to expect for solar energy prices
Finding the lowest possible price tag for your solar panel installation might sound like the best way to save money when you go solar. However, cutting your purchase price is only one way to maximize the cash back in your pocket.Solar is a big investment. If you want to maximize your long-term solar savings, it’s important to take the quality of your equipment into consideration. Not all solar panels are created equal – a more expensive panel might have a better warranty, or might be able to generate more electricity than a low cost option. You may hear suggestions to order the cheapest solar cells available on sites like Ebay but in taking that approach, you will lose quality and the real benefit of solar energy lies in it’s ability to convert sunlight into available power effectively. In short, perhaps you could make your purchase entirely focused around cutting costs in the short term but the pay back period of your solar panel system will take twice as long and your panels may never earn the return you expected.
Furthermore, many homeowners have noticed the plummeting cost of solar and are thus wondering if solar panels will get cheaper after they install a solar power system. For those wondering if they should go solar now or wait for a lower price, the simple frame of thinking is that solar is quickly entering mainstream adoption as an ecofriendly way to save money, improve home value and lower carbon footprint. Therefore, as adoption of solar grows, cost will stabilize and data is already supporting this trend so it’s important that people take advantage of awesome solar incentives like the solar tax credit before they expire.
Long Term Benefits Trump the Thrift Shop Solar Mentality
While cheap solar panels can be a good value, they don’t always save you the most money over the long term. Therefore, it’s a good idea to think about panel performance and efficiency rather than just searching for the most discounted solar price – solar is certainly about long term sustainable savings and not about finding a steal as a primary priority. Luckily, you don’t need to pay serious cash out of pocket to get the best solar panel deal. With most solar loans today, you don’t have to pay any money down. In many cases, your new monthly solar loan payments will be lower than your old electricity bill costs, so you’ll start seeing the financial benefits of solar as soon as you install.
Find low cost solar panels on the EnergySage Solar Marketplace
At EnergySage, we always recommend comparing multiple offers with different equipment and financing options to ensure that you’re getting the most out of your solar investment. Every property is different – to get started, find out how much solar can save you with EnergySage’s Solar Panel Calculator.
Once you’re ready to start exploring your options, join the EnergySage Solar Marketplace to receive competitive offers from solar installers in your area. Since these installers are competing for your business, you can save 20 percent or more off your installation costs. When you use EnergySage to evaluate all of your solar options, you can easily understand which offer provides you the cheapest and fairest solar quote.
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