Looking for advice: is this a fair price?

[we0dx]

Hello, New to the forum and I'm looking advice for a new system. I'm considering going solar, and I got a quote for a 6kW DC solar system (with no battery backup) for $47k. That's before the tax credit and the goodies that they put on the paper to sweet the eye. I live in Kansas City, MO, and I know there are a lot of details to look for, but wonder if this is a high price or reasonable market price. Most I look around says it should be in the $16k range or $3-5 per watt, but this one falls in $7.96 per watt... and I still don't have the batteries which I would like include it... It seems is one of the best reviewed companies and seems is not one of the cheap ones, but Any opinions? Should I keep looking around?


Thanks!

[SunEagle]

Hello weodx and welcome to Solar Panel Talk

IMO that price is way too high but again depending on where you live and the installers available I would still shop around before I purchased a system.

[RichardCullip]

Like SunEagle, that price seems to be on the very high end. That being said, I have no idea about the current market conditions in your location. Get more bids before making a decision.

[J.P.M.]

Before you get any more bids or do anything else, get more informed about how you use energy and how to use less of it.
Your lack of energy education will cost you, both in $$'ss and system quality.
Download and read a free PDF of "Solar Power Your Home for Dummies".
Looks to me vendors are preying on your solar ignorance.
Like Richard and SunEagle, those prices seem high to me.
Get informed before you get more quotes and you may agree with us or you may find out that prices in MO are higher than we guess.
Either way, the self education will help you get a decent system at a fair price. Solar ignorance will not do either of those things.

[fraser]

If you are paying more than $3/w, installed, then you are paying too much. solar reviews and solar estimate.org, and similar online quoting services will get you under $3/w. If you want to buy the equipment and just pay for labor and the permitting, you should be closer to $2/w.

[GDunk]

Isn’t $/watt dependent on location? Won’t New England be a higher cost per watt than southern states?

[SunEagle]

Isn’t $/watt dependent on location? Won’t New England be a higher cost per watt than southern states?

I feel it comes down to what the installers are charging. Here in Florida I have seen costs above $3 per watt but since my cost of electricity is way below New England it makes it harder to justify any system installed by others.

[GDunk]

In my region $3.50 watt seems to be common.

[fraser]

I suppose you can spend whatever price they charge and say it’s reasonable, since essentially you are buying an asset and not paying for an expense. Buuuuut, I am actively pricing systems and when you get the installers to separate the labor/permits from the system cost, you see the big upcharge. The ones that don’t want to separate those costs, they are definitely overcharging. They know the costs for sure. I decided to change to a string inverter system with optimizers and using large bifacial panels, the total system cost is right about $1.2/w for a 10kw system. Labor and permitting should not be more than $1/w. Mine will be about .6-.7 based on the quote I received from my contractor, but I’ve shopped around a lot since I am using this as a test case. I’d like to get the cost of solar installation for everyone down to under $2/w. Really it should be about $1.5/w, before govt incentives. My quote above is buying through a U.S. intermediary, but buying panels and racking directly from the manufacturer would bring down the cost even more. I have found 2 manufacturers that offer sub .50/watt panels delivered to the US including customs. With transport costs coming down from the highs of the last 2 years, we should see better prices all around.

[SunEagle]

I suppose you can spend whatever price they charge and say it’s reasonable, since essentially you are buying an asset and not paying for an expense. Buuuuut, I am actively pricing systems and when you get the installers to separate the labor/permits from the system cost, you see the big upcharge. The ones that don’t want to separate those costs, they are definitely overcharging. They know the costs for sure. I decided to change to a string inverter system with optimizers and using large bifacial panels, the total system cost is right about $1.2/w for a 10kw system. Labor and permitting should not be more than $1/w. Mine will be about .6-.7 based on the quote I received from my contractor, but I’ve shopped around a lot since I am using this as a test case. I’d like to get the cost of solar installation for everyone down to under $2/w. Really it should be about $1.5/w, before govt incentives. My quote above is buying through a U.S. intermediary, but buying panels and racking directly from the manufacturer would bring down the cost even more. I have found 2 manufacturers that offer sub .50/watt panels delivered to the US including customs. With transport costs coming down from the highs of the last 2 years, we should see better prices all around.

The problem is unless you have ever owned a business it is always hard to justify the cost. Remember the workers want more then minimum wage and that unfortunately drives up the cost to do business. Add to that the cost of owners equipment that you want to pay off also increases what the system may cost someone.

It sucks but unless you can perform a safe DIY you will end up paying someone more then you think it is worth.

[GDunk]

Actually, I know that I will not install and I feel perfectly comfortable paying somebody to install our solar system. Looking at various quotes. I’ll have an idea of what is fair and whether I’m being scammed by some installers at least that’s my hope.

[SunEagle]

Actually, I know that I will not install and I feel perfectly comfortable paying somebody to install our solar system. Looking at various quotes. I’ll have an idea of what is fair and whether I’m being scammed by some installers at least that’s my hope.

I hope all goes well for you. Keep us informed on how it goes.

[GDunk]

At .11 kWh and .13 for the service provider (National Grid), we have to assess the ROI. I worry far less about the kWh, it’s National Grid rates I’m most concerned about. They keep raising them, 45% in January.

[SunEagle]

At .11 kWh and .13 for the service provider (National Grid), we have to assess the ROI. I worry far less about the kWh, it’s National Grid rates I’m most concerned about. They keep raising them, 45% in January.

Sounds like you have a good reason to install solar. I guess I am lucky my rates have gone up but only a fraction of a cent due to higher fuel costs. I am still paying about $0.10/kWh and it has been pretty stable for over 6 years.

[J.P.M.]

I decided to change to a string inverter system with optimizers and using large bifacial panels, the total system cost is right about $1.2/w for a 10kw system.

A bit off topic, but what's your planned panel layout ? I ask because for most residential projects with panels parallel to a flat (but tilted) roof with about a 15 cm or less separation distance roof to panel, the output gain of a bifacial panel over a monofacial panel is pretty close to zero.
My apologies for mansplaining if you already know this or are designing a tilted, sawtooth array in reflective surroundings.