Solar Panel System Costs: June 2022 Update

If you like to follow solar energy news, you’re probably familiarized with the quarterly report published by the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA). The publication is officially called the Solar Market Insight Report, and the SEIA collaborates with consulting firm Wood Mackenzie to bring the latest data about the US solar industry. The latest edition was published on Tuesday June 7, 2022.

Panasonic solar panels on a hip roof
via Panasonic

The SMI report provides useful information such as the average cost of solar panels by market segment: residential, commercial, and utility scale.

If you’re considering solar power for your home or business, you can check the latest edition of the report to get an idea of typical costs.

Keep in mind that some price variation is normal depending on the equipment brands used, as well as your location and the solar installation company hired for the job. However, any offers that are significantly higher or lower than the average prices should be met with a healthy dose of skepticism.

According to the latest figures provided by the SEIA in June 2022, US homeowners can expect to pay around $3.07 per watt ($3,070 per kilowatt) when going solar. This means a 5-kW system will cost around $15,350, and a 10-kW system will cost around $30,700.

  • Consider that the SEIA analyzes traditional solar panel systems connected to the grid without energy storage. If you decide to add a home battery, the system price will normally increase by $10,000 or more.
  • The price figures in the SMI report also exclude the effect of solar incentive programs. This means your out-of-pocket cost can be much lower if your state or utility company offers financial incentives for going solar.

Here we will review the most relevant facts in the Q2 2022 SMI Report, focusing on current solar panel costs, and how they are expected to behave in the near future.

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Standing Seam Metal Roofing Installation – DIY Step by Step Guide!

Installing a standing seam metal roof is not as easy as it may seem at first. “Yeah”, you might think: “What is there to do? Just put up those panels!”.

standing-seam-panel-installation-finishing-touches

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Not so quick, now! Standing seam installation process can actually involve a lot of tedious work, so let’s cover it in a step-by-step fashion to see some of the challenges it may entail. Shall we?

| 1. Basic Prep Work Required |
| 2. Necessary Tools, Materials, and Supplies |
| 3. Installation Process |

1. Basic Preparation for the Job

The most important thing about installing standing seam, is to measure the roof correctly and precisely. Here is why; Each standing seam panel is cut to the exact size, and if your panels are too short, you will run the following costly issues:

A) If a panel is only 2″ short, you may not be able to use your ridge cap as it will not cover the ends of the panels. In this case you will have to get or make a wider cap. In this case it will go from 12 to 16″ wide cap (remember – panels are 2” off on each side, so we add 4″ to the ridge cap)

B) If panels are short by 4-6″ you may not be able to get a cap that wide, so now you have only two options: Ether panels are useless, or you splice them.

Splicing 6-inch metal panels, while sitting at the ridge of your roof is about as much fun as head-butting the curb! 😉 You would probably want to get at least 2-3 feet long panels for splicing. You will also need at least a foot of overlap on each panel.

In either case you will run into additional work and will likely have to spend a lot more money compared to what should have (and could have) been originally spent.

New Shingle Roof

$7,500
Average price
New Metal Roof

$14,500
Average price
New Flat Roof

$8,225
Average price

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Forward Solar Roof: Cost, Comparisons – The Ultimate Guide

Solar panels are one of the most common options for home and business owners who want to generate their own electricity. However, solar roofs are becoming a popular alternative: photovoltaic cells become part of the roof itself rather than having to install them as separate components held by a racking system.

Forward solar roof on a house

Some solar roof providers sell individual solar shingles or tiles you can use in specific areas of your roof, while other companies work exclusively with complete roof replacements.

Forward Solar can be compared with Tesla in terms of product offering. Both companies sell complete roofs, where the areas with photovoltaic cells have exactly the same appearance as non-generating roof sections.

The design makes the solar power system completely invisible, which is great for homeowners who prefer the appearance of an energy-efficient roof like standing seam but without the solar panels. The Forward Solar roof can be used in both residential and commercial applications.

Forward Solar is headquartered in Oakland, California, and they currently focus on the San Francisco Bay Area. However, the company has ambitious expansion plans nationally and internationally.

Sustainability is a high priority at Forward Solar: when an existing roof is removed, the asphalt shingles are recycled for road construction and other applications, instead of being sent to landfills like most other roofing materials.

One of the best features of the Forward Solar roof is the 40-year warranty. Solar panels, shingles, and tiles normally come with 25-year warranties, but Forward Solar exceeds the industry average by 15 years. If your home needs a roof replacement soon, Forward Solar offers a long-lasting product that also generates clean electricity.

Forward Solar Roof: Main Features, and Specifications

The anatomy of a Forward Solar Roof system

Currently, the official Forward Solar website does not provide a specification sheet. However, they have published general information about their product:

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