Solar Panel Cost In 2025: It May Be Lower Than You Think
Solar panels cost about $30,000 on average—but often pay for themselves several times over through 25-30 years of electricity savings. Why trust EnergySage?
As of 2025, the average cost of residential solar panels in the U.S. is between $15,000 and $25,000 before incentives. This typically translates to about $2.50 to $3.50 per watt of installed capacity (more on price per watt below). The total price depends on your system size, location, roof type, and installer.
For reference, the national average cost of solar panels is $3.03 per watt. Solar rebates help make solar more affordable by directly lowering the upfront cost of a solar installation. If you have access to solar rebates, consider yourself lucky! They are few and far between these days.
Your state's averages matter more than national numbers, and factors like shading, roof complexity, and local incentive programs all play a role in your final price. The average cost of a 12 kW solar panel installation on EnergySage is $29,649 before available incentives.
Another measure of the relative cost of solar energy is its price per kilowatt-hour (kWh). Whereas the price per watt considers the solar system's size, the price per kWh shows the price of the solar system per unit of energy it produces over a given period of time. Net cost of the system / lifetime output = cost per kilowatt hour
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