I just had another solar installer come by. Like usual, they refused to show me a fucking itemized bill of the total install cost. The math they presented was utter horseshit. But when I read between the lines, I was able to come out with a $3.50/W installed price (6KW system for ~$21k) and that let me do some calculations. In their idealized, guaranteed, projections the system would pay for itself after 7 or so years. Not the worst, tbh.
Anyways I think $3.50/W installed is… high. The panels are now bought in bulk for less than $0.3/W. Of course there’s the interconnection, inverters, wiring, panel mounts and brackets, labor, and profit.
But on my home with a projected 6KW system that comes to $1.8k in panels leaving $20k for the rest. I’ve got a feeling that will come down by necessity once the tax credit goes away.
Does anyone work for an installer? Where is all of that money going?
The U.S. has inflated solar costs compared to other countries. Even then, that’s a high cost per watt.
Most advice I’ve seen suggested that any quote above $3 a watt pre-subsidy is overpriced in the U.S. unless you live in a HCOL area.
It’s hard to say how much prices will come down after the subsidy is gone.