Most homeowners spend between $12,600 and $33,376 to install a complete residential solar system in 2026, with the national average at $19,873 before incentives. Your actual cost depends on your home's energy needs, roof characteristics, location and other factors, all of which we'll break down in. Solar panel costs range from $16,600 to $20,500 for the average 6. To find the most up-to-date solar panel costs in 2025, we compared research from the U. Department of. How much you pay to go solar will depend on six factors, including your electricity usage, how many solar panels you install, the incentives you use, and the installer you choose. Use this calculator to find out how much solar panels cost for your specific home How much do solar panels cost in. System purchases offer dramatic savings: Buying panels as part of a complete solar system costs 40-65% less per panel ($0. This typically translates to about $2. 50 per watt of installed capacity (more on price per watt below). solar photovoltaic (PV) systems to develop cost benchmarks.