Cost of PV Solar Systems Dropping in the U.S.

The installed cost of solar PV power systems in the United States fell quite a lot last year and then further into the first half of 2011, according to a report released on September 15 by the Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. The average installed cost of residential and commercial PV systems completed in 2010 fell by roughly 17% from 2009, and by an additional 11% within the first six months of 2011.

The reductions reflect the drop in both the cost of PV modules as well as non-module costs such as installation labor, marketing, overhead, inverters, and the balance of systems. According to the report, “Tracking the Sun IV: An Historical Summary of the Installed Cost of Photovoltaics in the United States from 1998 to 2010,” average non-module costs for residential and commercial systems declined by roughly 18% from 2009 to 2010.

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