Solar Panels

Solar Panel Costs Increase in 2022 – SEIA Solar Report (March, 2022)

The Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) publishes a quarterly report about the US solar industry, which is officially called the Solar Market Insight Report.

The latest edition was published on March 10, 2022, and it provides detailed information through the end of fourth quarter of 2021. The SMI report covers the installed PV capacity and average costs per market segment: residential, commercial, community, and utility-scale.

Along with Wood Mackenzie, a global consulting firm with ample experience in the renewables industry, the SEIA forecasts how the US solar industry could grow in the near future.

SEIA analyzes the potential impact of current opportunities and threats, such as the disruption of global supply chains, and how these factors could impact solar installations and their costs.

Here we will provide a summary of the main points in the latest Solar Market Insight Report, focusing on solar costs in the residential sector. We will also cover the installed capacity and number of installations in 2021, which was a record-breaking year for home solar power, despite COVID-19 and global supply chain issues.

What Is the Cost of Solar Power for Homes in 2022?

Each quarter, the SEIA estimates the average cost of solar power across the three main market segments: residential, commercial, and utility scale. To achieve this, they track the wholesale price of solar components, while conducting interviews. They also analyze the installed cost of standard mono-PERC solar panels and other high-efficiency modules.

According to the latest report from March 10, US homeowners can expect to pay $3.10 per watt of installed capacity. The following table summarizes the average prices you can expect for some common system sizes, based on this figure.

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Flexible Solar Panels vs. Traditional Solar Panels: Costs, Pros & Cons

The solar panels you see on rooftops normally have rigid photovoltaic cells and frames, which means they need flat surfaces. Solar panels are also larger and heavier than they may appear when seen from the ground.

Flexible solar panels – possible applications

source: HQ Solar Power

Their exact dimensions vary by brand and model, but most residential panels are close to 65” x 40”, while having a thickness of around 1.5”. They are also quite heavy, ranging from 40 to 50 pounds. However, flexible solar panels are a viable option in cases where the size and weight of traditional PV modules limit their use.

Flexible solar panels are less standardized than their rigid counterparts, which means you can find a much wider range of sizes, wattages, and prices. Unfortunately, this also means low quality products are very common, and you must be careful when comparing your options.

As a bare minimum, you should look for flexible solar panels with certification marks like UL and ETL to ensure safety. Electrical products that have not been properly tested are more likely to suffer faults or start a fire.

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Solar Powered Air Conditioning Basics: Costs & What You Need to Know

Solar panels can generate large amounts of electricity during the year. For example, a 10-kilowatt system produces well over 15,000 kWh per year with favorable sunlight conditions.

Solar-powered AC unit on a residential metal roof

Since central air conditioners have the highest energy consumption in most homes and commercial buildings, it makes sense to ask the question: “Can my air conditioner run with solar power?” The short answer is yes, but there are some technical details to consider.

First, we must keep in mind that solar panels have a variable output that depends on sunlight. They are most productive around noon, but their output is lower in the early morning and late afternoon when there is less sunlight. Solar panels also become much less productive with cloudy weather, and their output drops to zero at night.

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