Where these prices come from
Prices come from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory's U.S. Distributed Solar and Storage Data, which tracks millions of real installations. The figures are for homeowner-owned systems installed in 2025, before any incentives: median $3.60/W, $3.00/W for cash purchases and $4.50/W for loan-financed systems. No free official source publishes a price table for each state, so the same national range is used everywhere — local labor costs and permitting can move your quote up or down. Last checked: October 2026.
Reading your quote against the range
Divide any quote's total by its size in watts. Near the cash median is a competitive price; well above the loan median deserves questions — ask for an itemized quote and the cash price. Then check the design itself with the quotation checker.
State incentives
State rebates, tax credits and utility programs change often. The most complete free listing is the Database of State Incentives for Renewables & Efficiency (DSIRE), run by the NC Clean Energy Technology Center — choose your state there to see current programs.
How much does a solar system cost in the US?
The median home system installed in 2025 cost about $3.60 per watt before incentives, according to Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. That is roughly $25,200 for a typical 7 kW system — about $21,000 if paid in cash and $31,500 if financed with a loan.
Why are loan-financed systems more expensive?
Solar loans often carry a dealer fee that is built into the system price in exchange for a low advertised interest rate. Comparing the cash price with the loan price on the same quote shows how large that fee is.
Is the 30% federal solar tax credit still available?
Not for homeowners buying their own system: the residential clean energy credit ended for systems installed after December 31, 2025. State, utility and local incentives may still apply — check the incentives database linked on this page.
How much does adding a battery cost?
For cash purchases, solar-plus-battery systems cost a median of about $2.10 more per solar watt than solar alone in 2025. The exact figure depends heavily on the battery size you choose.