Costs
What solar really costs and how to read a quote.
What US residential solar costs (LBNL data)
| Median installed price, stand-alone PV, cash | $3.5/W (pre-incentive; most common value under $3/W) |
|---|---|
| Median installed price, stand-alone PV, loan-financed | $4.7/W (pre-incentive) |
| Paired PV + storage vs stand-alone PV (cash median) | $1.7/W higher |
| Median residential system size | 7.2 kW |
| Median battery size | 13.5 kWh (most 10–20 kWh) |
| Median module efficiency | 20.9% |