$4.72/watt
Solar panels have been just as cheap or cheaper than grid energy since 2013, in most places. Solar is unlikely to continue to get a lot cheaper, though, because the price of the panels has dropped so much that most of the system cost is now for installation, not for the panels themselves. Figuring out exactly how much your solar system will cost can take a little detective work. Electricity rates vary, and each state has different rebates that may affect the overall price of your system. The average system costs a little over $10,000. The bulk of the price of going solar is now the “soft costs” (installation, permitting, etc.) rather than the solar panel cost. Again referencing the latest US Solar Market Insight report, the average installed cost of a residential solar panel system was $4.72/watt. However, prices vary tremendously by region. “Common residential system prices ranged from less than $3.00/W to just above $7.00/W,” the Solar Energy Industries Association writes. The bulk of the price of going solar is now the “soft costs” (installation, permitting, etc.) rather than the solar panel cost. Again referencing the latest US Solar Market Insight report, the average installed cost of a residential solar panel system was $4.93/watt. However, prices vary tremendously by region. The solar panels themselves usually account for about 30% of total costs. Residential solar panels with a combined capacity of 3-8kW typically cost between $4,000-$16,000. The best solar panels are not necessarily the most expensive. The cost of a PV system depends on the system size, equipment options (panels and inverters), permitting costs, and labor costs. Prices vary depending on other factors as well, such as whether your home is new, where the system is installed on your premise, the PV manufacturer, and other factors. Our annual electrical usage each year is a miserly 4,800 kilowatt-hours, of which 75 percent is produced by the solar-electric array. The average cost across the country for a professionally installed system is about $8 to $9 per watt, with batteries adding an additional 20 to 30 percent to the cost. If you are a handy do-it-yourselfer, you can save around $2 per watt, but your system may be more difficult to certify for incentives.
http://michaelbluejay.com/electricity/solar.html http://www.wholesalesolar.com/solar-information/solar-cost http://cleantechnica.com/2014/02/04/current-cost-solar-panels/ http://costofsolar.com/how-much-do-solar-panels-cost/ http://energyinformative.org/solar-panels-cost/ http://www.gosolarcalifornia.ca.gov/solar_basics/pricing_financing.php http://www.motherearthnews.com/renewable-energy/solar-electric-system-cost-z10b0blon.aspx
average cost for solar panel system