I'm in the Bay Area. Bids (without significant negotiation) for SunPower prices tend to be $5.50+, non-SunPower tend to be around $4.20-$4.40. I've found one contractor whose bid is closer to $3.90. One of the $4.40 contractors mentioned in the past that he's been able to do closer to $4 if a bunch of neighbors band together; another indicated that each system is custom designed and there really isn't a lot of economy of scale here.
Clearly labor is expensive here, and the demand must not be too soft if they're able to still command these prices...
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Mythical $3.50/watt installation?
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It's called negotiating.Leave a comment:
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It also may have to do with bigger pay checks in CA, but I am totally guessing on that one.Leave a comment:
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Amazing how much more expensive California solar is. Here in AZ we are doing cash purchase deals at $3.10/watt installed.Leave a comment:
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Mythical $3.50/watt installation?
I say "mythical" because I have gotten six bids and all are over $4.30/watt. I live in the Sacramento, CA area. The cost of the systems on a per watt basis range from a high of $4.59/watt with Sunpower panels to a low of $4.31/watt with Canadian Solar panels. I don't want to put junk on my roof and I want to go with a panel manufacturer and contractor who have a proven track record of dependable and quality work and who was here before the solar boom and will be here after the solar bust.
I would love to hear from anyone in the Sacramento, CA area or Northern California area who has come close to the $3.50/watt standard and find out what panels, inverters, etc. they used and who their contractor was.
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