One of the biggest barriers to getting solar panels is the high upfront cost. As of , the average cost of home solar installations is between $18,000 and $23,000.
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Cutting corners can save you money, but you don't want to sacrifice quality when it comes to an investment like solar. We've compiled a list of reliable, low-cost solar panels that produce great results to provide the best of both worlds. Our top picks for cheap solar panels are:
Brand
Model
Average cost per watt
LONGi
Hi-MO5 LR8-48HPB
$2.40
Canadian Solar
HiKu 6 CS6R-400
$2.60
Qcells
Q.PEAK DUO ML-G10+
$2.63
JA Solar
JAM54S30/MR
$2.80
Trina Solar
TSM-DE09C.05
$2.80
Find out how much solar panels will cost for your specific homeOur experts reviewed solar panels from reliable brands to find which ones have the best value. Keep in mind, cheap doesn&#;t always mean good! There may be cheaper modules out there, but the quality would likely be low.
Why we chose them: LONGi solar panels are not only the cheapest solar panels on this list at $2.40 per watt, but they also hold their value. LONGi&#;s solar panels are built with PERC technology, which allows for high efficiency ratings.
These high-quality panels are backed by a 12-year product and 25-year performance warranty that guarantees its panels will retain at least 84.8% of their output by the end of the term.
There are other panels out there with better warranty coverage. However, LONGi panels still check off all the boxes for being a reliable brand at a great value. LONGi solar panels are the best option for cheap solar panels that still produce great results.
Why we chose them: Canadian Solar is a highly admired brand by SolarReviews. As one of the top five solar manufacturers in the world, there&#;s a good chance the installer you work with will recommend these panels. This brand offers several high-efficiency models that come at a great value.
Most models from Canadian Solar have a standard 12-year product warranty and a 25-year performance warranty, with a degradation rate of 0.55% per year. Warranty coverage for this manufacturer falls within industry standards, but other brands are out there with better coverage.
Why we chose them: Qcells is an extremely reliable solar panel brand. With all that Qcells has to offer, it landed the #1 spot on our best solar panels of list.
Qcells warranty offers a 25-year product and 25-year performance warranty, promising the panels will operate at 86% of total output by the end of the warranty period, with a 0.5% degradation rate.
As for affordability, Qcells residential panels cost roughly $2.63 per watt, which is below the national average for solar panels. Qcells has a great reputation among installers and homeowners alike, so you can trust that you&#;re getting quality solar panels without breaking the bank.
Why we chose them: JA Solar is a Chinese manufacturer with several global offices, including one in San Jose, California. Like others on this list, JA panels offer half-cut cells and PERC technology to boost efficiency.
JA Solar&#;s warranty offers a 12-year product replacement warranty and a 30-year performance warrant, guaranteeing no less than 82.5% at the end of the 30-year period.
JA panels are also one of the pricier options on this list, costing an average of $2.80 per watt. Despite this, they still come in under the average cost of solar, and JA has proven to be a fan-favorite on the SolarReviews website, with no ratings under four stars!
Why we chose them: This China-based manufacturer is a well-established solar panel brand offering cutting-edge technology. Trina Solar provides a 25-year product and performance warranty. The performance warranty promises at least 84.8% output after the 25-year warranty period.
While we&#;d like to see Trina Solar get its ratings up and higher efficiency rates &#; the excellent warranty coverage makes up for it. This brand averages $2.80 per watt installed, which is below the national average of $3.03 per watt, so you&#;re still seeing a great value.
The table below outlines how much you can expect to pay for the average 6 kilowatt (kW) installation when using each of these brands.
Solar panel brand
Cost per watt
Installation cost (6 kW)*
LONGi
$2.40
$14,400
Canadian Solar
$2.60
$15,600
Qcells
$2.63
$15,780
JA Solar
$2.80
$16,800
Trina Solar
$2.80
$16,800
*before incentives
It&#;s important to note that everyone&#;s installation cost will vary. Factors such as location, how many solar panels you install, and what installation company you use will impact the total price.
Through incentives, rebates, and other unconventional methods &#; there&#;s a few ways you can save some money on a solar panel installation.
Right now, the best incentive for going solar is the 30% federal solar tax credit, which equals 30% of installation costs and reduces what you owe in federal income taxes by thousands of dollars.
The average solar installation costs around $20,000, meaning you&#;ll receive a tax credit of $6,000.
Different states, municipalities, or utility companies may offer incentives for going solar that can help reduce the solar installation cost. This can come as a tax credit, an upfront rebate, or a performance-based incentive.
Local incentives are also available to those who install battery storage with their solar installation, and low-income solar programs to help qualifying households go solar.
You can install solar panels yourself to cut installation costs by purchasing a DIY solar panel kit. Saving money is always a plus, but we do not recommend DIY installations for rooftop solar.
Installing solar panels yourself is risky for most homeowners unless you have experience with construction and electrical work.
Also, some utility companies may not even allow you to interconnect your solar system to the grid unless installed by a professional installer &#; meaning you&#;ll lose out on net metering or other available utility incentives.
Want more information on what is a solar cell? Feel free to contact us.
Installing panels yourself also risks voiding the solar panel or roofing warranty. So, you&#;ll save a bit of money on installation but risk a poorly installed solar system that may not be covered under any warranties. Take our advice and hire a professional to avoid any headaches.
You can find cheap solar panels from private sellers online that can save you hundreds on materials. If you want to utilize solar technology, used solar panels can be a solid option for small-scale projects.
We do not recommend purchasing used solar panels on a rooftop home solar installation. Instead, consider looking into refurbished solar panels because they have been restored to an acceptable working condition. If you want the best results for residential solar, consult a professional who uses reliable solar panel brands (like the ones in this article!).
Net metering is the utility billing practice of recording the excess energy generated by a solar panel system and applying that excess energy on the customer&#;s bill as a credit towards energy drawn from the grid.
In other words, if your solar system generates more energy than your home consumes, you can sell that excess energy to your utility provider instead of letting it go to waste. In turn, you save additional money on your electricity bills through these credits.
Net metering policies differ depending on where you live and your utility. To learn more about the net metering benefits you can take advantage of, visit your local utility&#;s website.
Comparing solar quotes is a great way to educate yourself and help save money on your solar installation.
We recommend obtaining at least three solar quotes from local installers to compare the best price for your budget. Looking at fewer solar quotes could mean paying more for a service that another company could charge less for!
Use this solar calculator to compare solar panel quotes and save thousandsIf you cannot entirely pay for your solar system out of pocket, you have the option to finance your project through a solar loan, lease, or power-purchase agreement (PPA).
Solar loan: Loans are a great way to pay for a solar installation in monthly payments rather than in one lump sum, while also saving money on your electric bills. However, financing through a loan will make your solar installation more expensive with interest rates and dealer fees.
Solar lease/PPA: Through leases and PPAs, you can install solar panels for $0 down. The solar company owns your panels for a contracted period of time, meaning the company is entitled to any incentives and rebates. By choosing these options, your savings will be less than if you were to own the solar panels directly.
Our solar experts analyzed top solar brands to find the brands that offer the best price without sacrificing quality or reliability.
We looked at four scoring criteria: Value, Module quality, warranty, and company financial performance.
Value (15 points): We looked at the average wholesale selling price of the panels in container volumes landed in the United States. The lower the wholesale price, the higher they scored.
Module quality (10 points): We considered each module&#;s specifications, including efficiency, temperature coefficient, and bonus points if the modules were listed on the PVEL scorecard. The better each panel performs, the higher the score.
Warranty (5 points): We looked at the product and performance warranties to ensure the panels recommended come protected and built to last. Panels scored higher if they had a product warranty greater than 15 years. For performance, the lower the degradation rate, the higher the score.
Company financial performance (5 points): To be sure that the manufactures we recommend are also in good standing, we reviewed the financial performance of each company. Points were awarded for revenue, revenue growth, and a positive net profit margin. A bonus point was also given to publicly traded companies, and companies with financial statements available.Cheap solar panel FAQ
Cheap solar panels can be good quality, if you seek out the right brand. When it comes to performance and overall quality, there are plenty of solar panels out there that come at a lower price than the national average but still perform well.
If you plan on choosing a full-service installer for your solar system, you might find that sometimes the only difference between the &#;cheap&#; option and the &#;industry standard&#; option is only about a 5% to 10% price increase.
If you aren&#;t sure about solar panels for your specific home, put your information into our solar calculator to learn more about solar costs and savings to make an informed decision.
Curious about buying low-cost solar panels and beginning your solar journey? Here are some frequently asked questions you might want to know.
There are many good reasons to go solar, but everyone wants to save money.
Getting the most savings from home solar panels and the clean, cheap, renewable energy they provide takes a little planning. Palmetto&#;s solar experts can guide you through the long- and short-term considerations of your potential solar savings, but we&#;ll go over those important factors here.
If you've looked into going solar, you likely know solar panel systems can be relatively expensive. So, you might wonder how investing in a solar panel system will help you save money.
Essentially, the power you get from your home solar panels replaces some or all of the power you buy from your electricity provider. When you break down the monthly cost of your solar panels and compare that to how much power they produce, the cost per kWh for electricity from your solar panels is often lower than that offered by your electric utility.
How you calculate those savings depends on whether you get your solar panels through a loan or by paying upfront. Understanding your financing options is an important step of going solar with Palmetto or any other company.
At first glance, it might seem like you would be paying more if you invest in solar panels, because you still have an electric bill in addition to a monthly payment toward your solar panel loan.
While it&#;s true you will have a second bill when going solar with a loan, the amount of electricity you produce with your solar panels should offset your electricity bill significantly. The combined cost should be less than your original non-solar electricity bill on its own.
The goal is to find a balance where you have enough solar panels to produce the energy you need to power your home, but not so many that it isn't worth the extra cost. (To calculate this for yourself, check out, &#;How Many Solar Panels Do I Need On My Roof?&#;) By reducing the amount of power you get from electricity provider, you can lower your electricity bill by an amount that offsets the payments you are making on your solar panel system.
Essentially, you have to look at the payment toward your solar panel system as an electricity payment. You can then compare how much you are paying for electricity from your utility company with what you spend each month paying off your solar system.
Here is an example of how you can save money by installing a solar panel system:
Another option is to buy your solar panel system upfront with cash. This can be beneficial because you know the system is already paid for, and you&#;re not paying any additional amount to finance the system over time.
Unfortunately, it can be harder to see how much you are saving when you don't have a monthly loan payment to compare your electric bill to. However, you can do some calculations ahead of time to estimate how much you are saving each month.
Let&#;s look at an example that can give you an idea of the savings with solar panels you can have if you buy your solar power system outright:
As an added bonus, your savings will typically increase over time, because the cost of electricity generally goes up over time. The amount you paid for the system is fixed, and the amount of electricity you save each month will be about the same, but the value of that saved electricity will increase over time. (And you won&#;t be impacted as much by rising electricity rates.)
The savings you get by installing solar panels aren't limited to what you are saving on your utility bill. There are several other ways to save money when you start using solar panels.
The less electricity you use overall, the more likely it can come from your solar panels and not from your utility, which you have to pay for. To use less electricity, you can go room-by-room through your home and find ways to be more energy efficient. This could mean doing things like:
More efficient appliances, smart devices, and solar power can be part of electrifying your whole home. Home electrification is the process of replacing everything that uses natural gas, oil, propane, or another fossil fuel with electric appliances.
On the surface, using more electricity and little or no other fuels will increase your electric bill even if you have high-efficiency appliances and take steps to save energy. But if your solar panels cover the higher electricity usage, it adds to your savings.
You can also invest in battery storage which stores any excess electricity your panels generate that isn&#;t immediately used by your home. Then, if your panels aren't producing enough electricity at any point, you can use electricity from your battery instead of drawing power from the utility grid.
It increases your upfront cost to get battery storage installed, but if your panels can regularly produce more power than you need, you can save money by not paying your utility for that electricity.
In places without 1-to-1 net metering, where credits are worth less than the retail rate of electricity, batteries are most valuable.
If you want to ensure your solar panels produce enough electricity to run all your appliances and other electrical needs, it is best to use your electricity during hours with plenty of sunlight.
Net metering (if available in your state or locality) allows you to take the extra electricity your solar panels generate and add it to the electric grid. You then receive a credit from your utility company for that extra electricity, which can help lower your monthly electricity payment in the future.
A time-of-use electricity plan means you can get lower rates for your electricity by aligning your energy usage with peak and off-peak hours.
For instance, you can:
Peak and off-peak hours will vary based on your location, the season, and your electric company. However, peak hours are usually when electricity demand is highest, and off-peak hours are when demand is the lowest.
Going solar can be a great way to reduce your electricity bill from your local utility company.
When looking at investing in solar panels, it&#;s important to consider your long-term savings. You may start seeing some savings immediately, but your savings will often increase as the years go by.
If you choose to invest in a solar power system, you can also take additional steps to take full advantage of your potential savings. This includes being as energy efficient as possible by doing things like upgrading to Energy Star appliances when yours need to be replaced or adjusting your HVAC and water heater settings.
Investing in battery storage can let you store solar electricity to use when your panels can meet your homes energy demand. This stored electricity means you can avoid even more utility power.
You can also maximize the value you get from your panels by shifting your electricity use to daylight hours when your solar panels are making electricity.
Two other ways you can save money are net metering and time-of-use plans. Net metering allows you to send any excess energy your panels produce to the utility company for a credit on your electricity bill. Time-of-use plans give you the chance to get lower rates for shifting your energy usage to off-peak hours with cheaper rates.
If you're ready to install solar panels to save on your electric bills with renewable energy, talk to Palmetto today. You can get started with our Free Solar Design and Savings Estimate Tool to see how much you could save by going solar.
How do solar panels save money?
Home solar panels can save you money by allowing you letting you avoid buying all your electricity from your electricity provider. In areas with net metering or net billing plans, you can also earn bill credits for electricity your system sends to the grid.
What is the solar payback period?
A solar payback period is the time it takes for your savings from going solar to match your costs. Installing solar panels can cost you thousands of dollars, but can save you more over their lifespan which should be 25 or more years.
How do I calculate my solar payback period?
The simplest version of the payback period calculation is total costs divided by annual savings, which will give you the approximate time in years.
Where should I start?
Solar energy can feel complex, especially if you're researching providers, technologies, incentives, municipal requirements, permits, and more. From financing and design to installation, tracking, and maintenance, Palmetto&#;s dedicated customer service team is here to answer questions, address concerns, and guide you through every step of going solar.
About the AuthorAndrew GiermakWriter and EditorAndrew joined Palmetto in Charlotte in August . He&#;s been a writer in journalism, then in business, going back to almost the 20th century. He&#;s lived in Indiana, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Virginia again, and now North Carolina for the last 12 years. He likes golf. Is he good at it? Not so much.