Solar installed-price trends
Median $/W (pre-incentive, nominal) across 2,988,711 priced systems — the reference series for what US homeowners actually paid.
Dataset updated . Sources: LBNL Tracking the Sun + city permit records + state programs + USGS/EIA utility-scale.
National series
Median installed price by year
| Year | Installs | Median $/W | Median system | Median price | Capacity added |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 227 | $8.66/W | 2.45 kW | $19,706 | 1.0 MW |
| 2001 | 1,236 | $8.35/W | 2.84 kW | $23,777 | 8.0 MW |
| 2002 | 2,475 | $8.48/W | 3 kW | $26,683 | 38.5 MW |
| 2003 | 3,379 | $7.85/W | 3.33 kW | $27,995 | 50.8 MW |
| 2004 | 5,793 | $7.46/W | 3.67 kW | $27,542 | 58.3 MW |
| 2005 | 6,043 | $7.31/W | 4.18 kW | $28,795 | 66.6 MW |
| 2006 | 9,373 | $7.65/W | 4.49 kW | $32,460 | 117.2 MW |
| 2007 | 14,600 | $8.06/W | 4.51 kW | $35,098 | 224.5 MW |
| 2008 | 17,988 | $8.00/W | 4.52 kW | $35,112 | 378.7 MW |
| 2009 | 31,258 | $7.62/W | 4.93 kW | $36,455 | 514.1 MW |
| 2010 | 45,961 | $6.59/W | 5.4 kW | $34,864 | 1.1 GW |
| 2011 | 59,414 | $6.16/W | 5.64 kW | $33,167 | 2.4 GW |
| 2012 | 81,954 | $5.21/W | 5.76 kW | $28,656 | 2.9 GW |
| 2013 | 124,677 | $4.90/W | 5.88 kW | $27,393 | 3.7 GW |
| 2014 | 178,725 | $4.68/W | 5.92 kW | $27,315 | 4.7 GW |
| 2015 | 279,573 | $4.50/W | 6.1 kW | $26,408 | 6.4 GW |
| 2016 | 327,245 | $4.34/W | 6.3 kW | $25,133 | 9.2 GW |
| 2017 | 262,415 | $4.00/W | 6.58 kW | $24,180 | 13.0 GW |
| 2018 | 274,255 | $3.88/W | 6.67 kW | $24,000 | 10.4 GW |
| 2019 | 303,360 | $3.83/W | 6.7 kW | $23,800 | 10.7 GW |
| 2020 | 319,079 | $3.87/W | 6.91 kW | $24,500 | 13.6 GW |
| 2021 | 406,023 | $3.98/W | 7.2 kW | $26,520 | 15.7 GW |
| 2022 | 523,933 | $4.12/W | 7.4 kW | $28,500 | 14.9 GW |
| 2023 | 565,200 | $4.19/W | 7.48 kW | $29,731 | 18.4 GW |
| 2024 | 358,912 | $4.27/W | 7.29 kW | $29,582 | 17.6 GW |
| 2025 | 333,171 | $4.33/W | 7.8 kW | $31,500 | 12.3 GW |
Prices are shown only for completed years with at least 100 priced systems; the current year is omitted until it closes. Install counts for the latest years fill in as programs report.
By state
Median $/W by state (all years)
| State | Median $/W | Installs | Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Hampshire | $3.40/W | 11,059 | 248.4 MW |
| Washington | $3.45/W | 9,288 | 367.9 MW |
| Wisconsin | $3.52/W | 22,775 | 1.5 GW |
| Maryland | $3.69/W | 110,800 | 2.2 GW |
| Florida | $3.70/W | 38,726 | 14.0 GW |
| Maine | $3.71/W | 22,412 | 2.8 GW |
| Connecticut | $3.79/W | 63,723 | 1.7 GW |
| Rhode Island | $3.82/W | 5,366 | 917.0 MW |
| Texas | $3.89/W | 350,060 | 7.7 GW |
| Minnesota | $3.95/W | 23,724 | 7.3 GW |
| Utah | $4.10/W | 48,517 | 2.2 GW |
| New York | $4.15/W | 223,104 | 22.2 GW |
| Massachusetts | $4.17/W | 159,700 | 8.6 GW |
| Arizona | $4.20/W | 375,232 | 6.2 GW |
| California | $4.26/W | 2,413,021 | 38.0 GW |
| Colorado | $4.35/W | 116,386 | 2.9 GW |
| Oregon | $4.35/W | 17,012 | 1.6 GW |
| Delaware | $4.38/W | 9,548 | 260.0 MW |
| New Mexico | $4.59/W | 68,499 | 2.1 GW |
| Vermont | $4.85/W | 35,393 | 1.6 GW |
| Arkansas | $5.78/W | 2,427 | 393.0 MW |
| Pennsylvania | $5.95/W | 24,310 | 2.2 GW |
| Illinois | $6.25/W | 115,105 | 6.5 GW |
Medians cover distributed (rooftop and commercial) systems from sources that report an installed price, within the 0.3–25 $/W sanity band; states with fewer than 100 priced systems are not listed. Third-party appraised values inflate some program prices — see methodology.
Frequently asked questions
How much does solar cost per watt right now?
In 2025, the median recorded installed price was $4.33/W pre-incentive (median system 7.8 kW ≈ $33,774). State medians range from $3.40/W (New Hampshire) to $6.25/W (Illinois).
Have solar prices gone down?
Yes — the recorded median peaked at $8.66/W in 2000 and stands at $4.33/W in 2025. Note these are nominal, pre-incentive prices as reported to state programs.