Cost of Solar Panel is Coming Down

This article looks at the real Cost of Solar Panel and how you can significantly reduce these costs. Specifically, we will look at why globally the cost of solar panel is coming down, how government grants can reduce your costs and how you can significantly reduce the cost of providing solar power for your home by a huge 70%.

For some time, the manufacture of solar panels has been held back by a shortage of polysilicon.  However, recently more factories have started making solar panels, especially in China.  As the supply of solar panels increases we are seeing a corresponding reduction in solar panel prices.  With the increased supply, the cost of solar panel has come down by approximately 20% during the last year.  Although still not cheap, solar panels are gradually becoming more affordable.

Government Grants

Governments are very keen for folk to take up green renewable energy.  Most governments offer various grants and financial incentives to encourage the installation of domestic solar panels and wind turbines.  Depending on where you live, these grants can be very generous, in some places contributing more than a third of the overall cost.

Note: in most countries to qualify for the government incentives you must use approved products, in the US your panels must have UL approval.

Current Cost of Solar Panel

Although the cost of solar panel has come down by more than 20% in the last 12 months, solar panels cannot be considered cheap!  The best way to look at the cost of solar panel is the cost per watt.  Solar cells are used to make different sized solar panels and these panels typically produce 40, 50, 55, 60, 80, 130 or 180 watts.  The output is determined by the number of solar cells that make up the panel and the efficiency of the photovoltaic material used in each cell.

Although it is claimed by some people that  the current cost of solar panel is $3 – $4 per watt, it is still difficult to find many solar panels available that cheap.  Having spent many hours trawling through the Internet searching for solar panels and trying to find the cheapest available, based upon the offers currently available I estimate the the cost of solar panel is typically around $5 – $7 per watt.  Here is an example of some of the solar panels that are available at GoGreenSolar and Amazon:

The above solar panels have a cost per watt range of $5.10 to $7.50, with most panels costing just under $5.50 per watt.

The Real World Cost of Solar Panel

Realistically, apart from the exceptional bargains currently on offer at Amazon (see below), we expect to pay $300 – $450 or more for a commercially manufactured 60 watt solar panel.

If you want to reduce your dependence of mains electricity and burning fossil fuels, you will need a number of solar panels to provide sufficient power.  How many solar panels you need will depend on how much electricity you consume each year and where you live.  But, let us take an average US family and assume that you will need 3000 watts (3KW) of solar power, which equates to 50 x 60w solar panels.  For 3KW the total cost of solar panel will be $15,000 – $22,500.

So, although the cost of solar panel has come down, we are still looking at what most people would consider to be a large sum of money.

Is there a Realistic Do It Yourself Alternative?

One option that is promoted by many web sites is to go down the do it yourself route.  If you want just a couple of solar panels, to provide light and some power for a shed, workshop or garage, making them yourself could be a practical, enjoyable and satisfying project.  The DIY route should enable you to make a 60watt solar panel for around $175.  But if you want 3000 watts of solar energy, we strongly recommend you buy commercially manufactured solar panels. The DIY route takes too much time and effort, it is not cost effective and home made solar panels are very unlikely to qualify for the grants and rebates that many Governments offer (in the US, solar panels must have UL approval to qualify for grants and rebates).

If you are nevertheless attracted making a couple of solar panels as a DIY project, it is essential that you buy the right “how to make solar panels” guide / kit.  The good ones are excellent but the poor ones leave too many questions unanswered and fail to pay sufficient attention to safety.  Please take a look at our review of the leading “how to” manuals/guides.

Exceptional Bargains

However, during all this searching I did find a couple of well hidden real bargains on the Amazon site that are quite exceptional.  I readily admit that I had not expected to find factory made solar panels this cheap.  These panels are priced very competitively and merit your serious consideration:

We stated above that 3000 watts of commercially supplied solar panels will typically cost $15,000 – $22,500. However, if you were to use the Sunwatts 120 panels from Amazon, the cost for 3000 watts of solar panels will be 25 x £358 = $8950, which really is an amazingly low price.  This panel has UL 1703 and IEC 61215 certification.

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Conclusion

Solar panels are a very attractive alternative to burning fossil fuels and although they are still quite expensive for many of us, you can reduce the cost of solar panels by shopping around for the bargains.

Recommendation.  Buy the Sunwatts 120 watt. This Solar Panel is being sold on Amazon for $358 per panel, equivalent to 2 x 60 watt panels ($179 for 60 watts).  This is a seriously low price.

If you really want to make a couple of solar panels yourself expect to pay around $150 – $175 for materials per panel.  Make sure you choose the best guide/manuals/videos.  Our review recommends HomeMadeEnergy as the best all round package.

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Make Cheap Solar Panels and Cut Your Electricity Bill by 75%?

Phil Paine

Well – Yes and No!  – Let me explain.

YES. Yes you can build cheap solar panels and make a fully functioning 60watt solar panel for around $175.  NO.  You won’t cut your electricity bills with just a couple of solar panels.  You will need dozens of panels.

The best “how to make solar panels” guides / kits do a really excellent job of showing you how to do it.  But, not all the kits/manuals reviewed were that clear or helpful.  Some left too many questions unanswered, were confusing or did not pay enough attention to safety. After a very thorough assessment, one product stood out as being the most comprehensive and provided the most complete package: HomeMadeEnergy (see review below)

If you want 2 or 3 cheap solar panels to provide lighting and some power for an outbuilding or shed, then making your own cheap solar panels can be an enjoyable and satisfying science or DIY project to undertake.  Just remember that if you search, you should find cheap solar panels retail for the same cost of making them yourself.

These DIY guides / kits take you step by step through the complete build process.  The top 3 kits reviewed include excellent manuals/instructions and videos.  They clearly show you what to do and how to do it, and the techniques are easy to learn.  With the quality and thoroughness of the leading products even an outright DIY novice should be able to build their own cheap solar panels and make a good job of it.  Just take your time and become competent at soldering before starting soldering tab wires to solar cells.  (If you get stuck the leading suppliers provide customer support so you always have someone to turn to for advice).

After a very thorough assessment, one product stood out as being the most comprehensive and provided the most rounded package:

HomeMadeEnergy

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Two other products are also very good and are highly recommended:

GreenDIYenergy

Earth4Energy

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HomeMadeEnergy – No. 1 Choice

Price                                    $47.00

Instructions & Videos:	★★★★★
Renewable Energy Info:	★★★★★
How Easy to Build:	★★★★★
Value for Money:	★★★★☆
Attention to Safety:	★★★★★
Overall Verdict:	★★★★★

HomeMadeEnergy has produced an excellent package for making solar panels.  It does a very thorough job, covering all aspects of making cheap solar panels and does not assume any prior knowledge or expertise.  There is a good manual and seven videos (almost 3 hours) that go through in detail all the steps to making a solar panel.  In addition there are another 3 hours of video presentations that lay a foundation of knowledge covering solar energy systems, terminology, system components, system sizing, batteries, on grid / off grid configurations and the fundamentals of electricity. This kit is ideal for both the novice or experienced DIYer who wants to make their own solar panels.  At the time of review this HomeMadeEnergy product is the most complete and best instructional guide for making solar panels.  Our No. 1 choice.

Click here for our in-depth review of the HomeMadeEnergy package.

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GreenDIYenergy - Highly Recommended

Price                                $49.97

Instructions & Videos:	★★★★★
Renewable Energy Info:	★★★☆☆
How Easy to Build:	★★★★☆
Value for Money:	★★★★½
Attention to Safety:	★★★★★
Overall Verdict:	★★★★½

The GreenDIYenergy package is very impressive.  There are four good manuals and some really excellent quality videos.  The videos have been produced in high resolution and cover the making of cheap solar panels and the materials & tools used.  These are the best quality instructional videos we have reviewed.  As with Home Made Energy, the videos complement the manuals and together provide excellent step by step instructions.  Green DIY Energy gets edged into 2^nd place because it’s coverage of the additional background information on solar energy, on grid/off grid system configurations, batteries, etc. lacks dept and breadth.  The instructional videos are also aimed at those who have bought pre-tabbed solar cells, if you buy non-tabbed cells you will have to rely on the manual for an explanation of how to solder the tab wires to the front of the cells. However, all in all the GreenDIYenergy product is a first class instructional guide and would suit both the novice and experienced DIY person.  Highly Recommended.

Click here for our in-depth review of the GreenDIYenergy package.

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Earth4Energy - Highly Recommended

Price                                $49.97

Instructions & Videos:	★★★★☆
Renewable Energy Info:	★★★★☆
How Easy to Build:	★★★★½
Value for Money:	★★★★½
Attention to Safety:	★★★★★
Overall Verdict:	★★★★½

   

This is a very good product.  Earth4Energy has produced one of the best “how to make” cheap solar panels guides available.  The manuals are very good.  The only reason that this kit does not get top billing is that the instructional videos only cover some of the initial steps in building a solar panel.  Earth 4 Energy has recently produced four excellent videos (and more are in the pipeline) that cover the wider aspects of using and configuring solar panel systems, covering terminology, different types of on grid/off grid configurations, building codes/regulations etc.  As well as a a number of bonuses (all available free off the Internet) the package includes a manual for making bio-diesel from used cooking oil. Overall, this is a very good package on how to make cheap solar panels and a wind turbine, and one that is continually being improved.  Earth4Energy rightly deserves joint 2nd place with Green DIY Energy. Highly Recommended.

Click here for our in-depth review of the Earth4Energy package.

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For the full evaluation of all 5 DIY guides and comparison table, please see our in-depth review.

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Electric Solar Panels Cost and Benefit

Counting the Cost!

When folk look to creating their own solar panel home, even the committed environmentalist wants to know how much solar panels cost to install and will they pay for themselves. We may care a lot about our planet, but few of us can make this sort of investment in our solar panel home without being assured of the economic viability. This is also an area where some suppliers seem rather cagey and one suspects, are more than a little economical with the truth.

So let’s have a look at what electric solar panels cost and the expected payback. Rather than talk about vague averages, likely costs and possible savings, this article refers to real life examples presented by ReadySolar in September 2007.

Sizing and Selecting an Electric Solar Panels System

Before looking at what solar panels cost, let us go through the steps for selecting electric solar panels and creating your solar panel home:

1.  Find out if your home is a good candidate for installing electric solar panels. General guidelines are:

• your electric bill needs to be at least $75 a month – the higher the better. You will get the biggest benefit if you are on a tiered electricity tariff.
• the location of the electric solar panels should be south facing or between SE and SW. They can be sited in your yard if your roof is unsuitable.
• the electric solar panels need to be un-shaded for at least 4 hours a day, the longer the better. If there is a lot of shade, it is better to have a smaller panel that avoids the shade, rather than a bigger one that is partly in the shade.

2.  Set your budget and calculate the space available for your electric solar panels. These factors really determine how big your system can be.

3.  Evaluate the various solar ppower companies.  Get quotes, visit their previous installations, talk to the home owners they have worked for.  Be clear what your solar panels will cost and find out if there are any hidden extras.  Finally select the company that will carry out the work for you.

4.  Once you have chosen your contractor, arrange finance (if required).

5.  Get the whole electric solar panels system installed and working. This should take from 1 to 2 weeks.

6.  Once your solar panel home is working, submit your paperwork to get the financial rebate and tax credits.  These can reduce what your solar panels cost by a 1/3 or more, depending on where you live.

Solar Panels Cost and Benefits

Based upon real life examples (2007 prices) from California

These real life examples give a good indication of what solar panels cost and the expected return on investment.  You can see from these real world examples that homes that are on a tiered tariff and are high monthly consumers of electricity, can really benefit from electric solar panels. Homeowner C even makes a $14 a month profit after making the finance payment, pretty cool!

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