Rooftop solar installation prices drop as does payback time

The cost of rooftop solar installations continues to decline but not as quickly as it did in previous years, according to a report from the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.

National median installed prices in 2015 declined year-over-year by $0.2 per watt (/W), or 5%, for residential systems, by $0.3/W,  or 7% for non-residential systems of  less than 500 kW, and by $0.3/W, or 9%, for non-residential systems of more than 500 kW.

Solar installation price declines have been partially offset by falling state and utility rebate and tax incentives, according to the LBNL's Tracking the Sun IX solar market report. Rebates and performance-based incentives have declined from $3 to $8 per watt of installed solar power at their peak to less than $1/W (or zero) in most major markets.

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