The burning question everyone wants to know the answer to is: how much do solar panels really cost?

As with most home renovations or additions, there is a multitude of factors that go into the final price. There’s also the customer’s preferences and lifestyle to consider as well. Adding solar panels to your home is no exception to this rule.

For instance, a 2,000 square foot household with two adults that turn up their thermostat seven degrees in the summer and down seven degrees in the winter will have much different energy costs than a family of six that keep the house at 72 degrees year-round.

Solar panel installers consider the household’s energy consumption to create a solution that will meet your family’s needs. This way, you don’t end up with either too many or too few solar panels.

Taking into account your household’s energy can provide you with a range of prices that you can expect to pay for solar panel installation. This way you can accurately budget for when you choose to go solar.

Solar Panel Pricing Breakdown

First, let’s take a look at what makes up the pricing for solar panels.

• Panels and Materials
• Labor
• Permits and Paperwork
• Incentives and Rebates

Each of these categories affects the final cost of solar panel installation but differ from household to household or state to state.

For the state of Texas, you can start by finding your annual kWh usage. Most bills show a graph on them or if you are in a deregulated area then you can go to www.smartmetertexas.com. Once you determine the annual kWh then you can divide that number by 1.5. This will give you an approximate estimate for the number of watts you will need to offset your bill.

The range of price per watt to install solar panels in Texas is $2.51-$3.31 (after tax credits). So, you can then multiply the 8,000 watts by the price per watt or $3.31 x 8,000 = $26,480.

If you don’t want to do all the math yourself, no problem. Check out our solar panel calculator for an accurate estimate.

Make sure to review the tax incentives for your city or county. Texas does not offer a state-wide tax incentive for solar panels, but there is a federal tax credit of 26% of the entire cost of your solar panel system. Check out the database for a complete list of state incentives here. Keep in mind that these are tax credits and won’t actually discount the upfront price.

Quality of Materials

Although solar panels might seem like a commodity, there are differences in the quality of materials used and installation practices. These variations are why there is such a large price range for solar panels.

As with most products, you get what you pay for, so finding the cheapest option is not always the best route.

How Can I Get an Estimate for Solar Panel Installation?

1. Panels and Materials
2. Labor
3. Permits and Paperwork
4. Incentives and Rebates

Each of these categories affects the final cost of solar panel installation but differ from household to household or state to state.

For the state of Texas, you can start by finding your annual kWh usage. Most bills show a graph on them or if you are in a deregulated area then you can go to www.smartmetertexas.com. Once you determine the annual kWh then you can divide that number by 1.5. This will give you an approximate estimate for the number of watts you will need to offset your bill.