*Prices are shown after applying the 30% federal tax credit.
As of Mar 2024, the average cost of solar panels in Richland is $2.6 per watt making a typical 6000 watt (6 kW) solar system $10,918 after claiming the 30% federal solar tax credit now available.
This is lower than the average price of residential solar power systems across the United States which is currently $3.00 per watt.
The size of a solar panel system also plays a role in how much the installation will cost.
Larger solar installations will typically have a lower cost per watt, because the panels can be purchased at a ‘bulk price’. However, these larger solar systems will still have a higher total cost, because they are made up of more individual panels.
System size* | Avg cost per watt |
Avg system cost
(After tax credit) show before tax |
---|---|---|
4kW | $2.84 | $7,945 |
5kW | $2.72 | $9,530 |
6kW | $2.60 | $10,918 |
7kW | $2.57 | $12,609 |
8kW | $2.61 | $14,629 |
9kW | $2.52 | $15,878 |
10kW | $2.49 | $17,458 |
Best unit price
$320.00 ($0.96 per watt)
Best system price
Installed 5.0kW system
$12,721.85
($2.53 p/w)
LG335N1K-V5 overview
Rated power
335 watts
Efficiency
19.6
Number of Cells
60
Cell type
Monocrystalline/N-type
Manufactured
KR
Best unit price
$562.50 ($1.50 per watt)
Best system price
Installed 4.9kW system
$12,120.18
($2.49 p/w)
LG375A1C-V5 overview
Rated power
375 watts
Efficiency
21.7
Number of Cells
60
Cell type
Monocrystalline/N-type
Manufactured
KR
Best unit price
$430.00 ($1.15 per watt)
Best system price
Installed 4.9kW system
$12,919.30
($2.65 p/w)
LG375Q1C-V5 overview
Rated power
375 watts
Efficiency
21.7
Number of Cells
60
Cell type
Monocrystalline/N-type
Manufactured
KR
Best unit price
$473.34 ($1.30 per watt)
Best system price
Installed 5.1kW system
$13,231.07
($2.59 p/w)
LG365Q1K-V5 overview
Rated power
365 watts
Efficiency
21.1
Number of Cells
60
Cell type
Monocrystalline/N-type
Manufactured
KR
Best unit price
$432.00 ($1.20 per watt)
Best system price
Installed 5.0kW system
$13,276.66
($2.63 p/w)
LG360Q1K-V5 overview
Rated power
360 watts
Efficiency
20.8
Number of Cells
60
Cell type
Monocrystalline/N-type
Manufactured
US
Best unit price
$530.85 ($1.50 per watt)
Best system price
Installed 5.0kW system
$12,386.87
($2.49 p/w)
LG355Q1K-V5 overview
Rated power
355 watts
Efficiency
20.6
Number of Cells
60
Cell type
Monocrystalline/N-type
Manufactured
US
Best unit price
$495.00 ($1.38 per watt)
Best system price
Installed 5.0kW system
$13,091.06
($2.60 p/w)
LG360Q1C-V5 overview
Rated power
360 watts
Efficiency
20.8
Number of Cells
60
Cell type
Monocrystalline/N-type
Manufactured
US
Best unit price
$407.97 ($1.10 per watt)
Best system price
Installed 5.2kW system
$13,159.30
($2.54 p/w)
LG370Q1C-V5 overview
Rated power
370 watts
Efficiency
21.4
Number of Cells
60
Cell type
Monocrystalline/N-type
Manufactured
US
Best unit price
$323.39 ($0.97 per watt)
Best system price
Installed 5.0kW system
$12,691.01
($2.53 p/w)
LG335N1C-V5 overview
Rated power
335 watts
Efficiency
19.6
Number of Cells
60
Cell type
Monocrystalline/N-type
Manufactured
US
Best unit price
$338.19 ($0.99 per watt)
Best system price
Installed 5.1kW system
$0.00
($0.00 p/w)
LG340N1C-V5 overview
Rated power
340 watts
Efficiency
19.8
Number of Cells
60
Cell type
Monocrystalline/N-type
Manufactured
US
Best unit price
$600.00 ($1.83 per watt)
Best system price
Installed 4.9kW system
$12,808.41
($2.61 p/w)
SPR-E20-327-COM overview
Rated power
327 watts
Efficiency
20.4
Number of Cells
96
Cell type
Monocrystalline
Manufactured
US
Best unit price
$800.00 ($2.22 per watt)
Best system price
Installed 5.0kW system
$13,201.67
($2.62 p/w)
SPR-X22-360 overview
Rated power
360 watts
Efficiency
22.2
Number of Cells
96
Cell type
Monocrystalline
Manufactured
US
Best unit price
$620.00 ($1.90 per watt)
Best system price
Installed 4.9kW system
$13,703.10
($2.79 p/w)
SPR-E20-327-D-AC overview
Rated power
327 watts
Efficiency
20.4
Number of Cells
96
Cell type
Monocrystalline
Manufactured
US
Best unit price
$620.00 ($1.90 per watt)
Best system price
Installed 4.9kW system
$13,610.59
($2.77 p/w)
SPR-E20-327 overview
Rated power
327 watts
Efficiency
20.4
Number of Cells
96
Cell type
Monocrystalline
Manufactured
US
Best unit price
$181.00 ($0.60 per watt)
Best system price
Installed 5.1kW system
$11,003.04
($2.16 p/w)
CS6K-300MS overview
Rated power
300 watts
Efficiency
18.33
Number of Cells
60
Cell type
Monocrystalline
Manufactured
CA
Best unit price
$196.11 ($0.65 per watt)
Best system price
Installed 5.1kW system
$9,948.02
($1.95 p/w)
LR6-60-HPB-300M overview
Rated power
300 watts
Efficiency
18.1
Number of Cells
120
Cell type
Mono PERC
Manufactured
CN
Best unit price
$172.00 ($0.56 per watt)
Best system price
Installed 4.9kW system
$9,568.53
($1.96 p/w)
LR6-60-HPB-305M overview
Rated power
305 watts
Efficiency
18.4
Number of Cells
120
Cell type
Mono PERC
Manufactured
CN
Best unit price
$165.00 ($0.53 per watt)
Best system price
Installed 5.0kW system
$9,761.72
($1.97 p/w)
LR6-60-HPB-310M overview
Rated power
310 watts
Efficiency
18.7
Number of Cells
120
Cell type
Mono PERC
Manufactured
CN
Best unit price
$228.00 ($0.60 per watt)
Best system price
Installed 4.9kW system
$9,579.65
($1.94 p/w)
LR4-60HPH-380M overview
Rated power
380 watts
Efficiency
20.9
Number of Cells
120
Cell type
Mono PERC
Manufactured
CN
Best unit price
$234.00 ($0.60 per watt)
Best system price
Installed 5.1kW system
$10,126.74
($2.00 p/w)
LR6-72HBD-390M overview
Rated power
390 watts
Efficiency
19.4
Number of Cells
144
Cell type
Mono PERC
Manufactured
CN
4.84 190 Reviews
Brian Lewton, 3 days ago
All facets of Stellar Solar's operation (sales, coordination, installation, and app/system assistance) were excellent. The sales folks are no-pressure, what's-best-for-your-situation type people. We have been operational for just over a year and we are very happy with the system. We received an overproduction check from SDG&E on our first annual true-up. We installed Q Cells [Q.PEAK DUO 400-DC (BLK)] panels and a Tesla Powerwall+, Gateway, and monitoring system. The Tesla app works great. We like having complete control over how much energy we are storing in the battery and how much we send off to the grid. Stellar is truly a great group to work with.
Read more
Brian Lewton, 3 days ago
All facets of Stellar Solar's operation (sales, coordination, installation, and app/system assistance) were excellent. The sales folks are no-pressure, what's-best-for-your-situation type people. We have been operational for just over a year and we are very happy with the system. We received an overproduction check from SDG&E on our first annual true-up. We installed Q Cells [Q.PEAK DUO 400-DC (BLK)] panels and a Tesla Powerwall+, Gateway, and monitoring system. The Tesla app works great. We like having complete control over how much energy we are storing in the battery and how much we send off to the grid. Stellar is truly a great group to work with.
4.55 27 Reviews
Valerie W, over 1 month
Michigan Solar Solutions has provided the best customer support! They listened to what the issue was and had someone on site in two days to fix the problem even though they didn't get the initial install work. My system was installed by Power Home Solar & Roofing, but whenever I had an issue, they were less than responsive. Michigan Solar Solutions stepped in and knocked the competitor out of the picture. Andrew and Tory fixed the issue with my system and also connected my system to the monitoring portal like it should have been done over two years ago when it was initially installed by the other company. I highly recommend working with the Michigan Solar Solutions team!! I'm so happy I have found them and look forward to continuing to work with them in the future.
Read more
Valerie W, over 1 month
Michigan Solar Solutions has provided the best customer support! They listened to what the issue was and had someone on site in two days to fix the problem even though they didn't get the initial install work. My system was installed by Power Home Solar & Roofing, but whenever I had an issue, they were less than responsive. Michigan Solar Solutions stepped in and knocked the competitor out of the picture. Andrew and Tory fixed the issue with my system and also connected my system to the monitoring portal like it should have been done over two years ago when it was initially installed by the other company. I highly recommend working with the Michigan Solar Solutions team!! I'm so happy I have found them and look forward to continuing to work with them in the future.
4.50 1,866 Reviews
Nichole K, 1 day ago
She went out of her way - at every turn - to ensure that I was happy and comfortable with such an huge investment. I issues with the roof installer and they were resolved quickly and to my satisfaction because of her perseverance. I strongly recommend using her for your sales associate. In fact, if it wasn’t for her I would have been more frustrated with how long it took to get everything up and running (DTE wasn’t exactly speedy on their inspection). She checked in with me, regularly, to see how things were progressing and to make sure that I understood the process. She is a gem!
Read more
Nichole K, 1 day ago
She went out of her way - at every turn - to ensure that I was happy and comfortable with such an huge investment. I issues with the roof installer and they were resolved quickly and to my satisfaction because of her perseverance. I strongly recommend using her for your sales associate. In fact, if it wasn’t for her I would have been more frustrated with how long it took to get everything up and running (DTE wasn’t exactly speedy on their inspection). She checked in with me, regularly, to see how things were progressing and to make sure that I understood the process. She is a gem!
4.42 22 Reviews
Anonymous, over 1 month
Midwest installed an 18.9 kw ground mounted system for us that was an especially challenging set of circumstances. Without going into all the details, let's just say they went above and beyond to do whatever it took to make this work, and stayed at their quoted amount even after a lot of challenges. Top notch organization!
Read more
Anonymous, over 1 month
Midwest installed an 18.9 kw ground mounted system for us that was an especially challenging set of circumstances. Without going into all the details, let's just say they went above and beyond to do whatever it took to make this work, and stayed at their quoted amount even after a lot of challenges. Top notch organization!
4.38 7 Reviews
Jerry Caviani, over 1 month
Mike Miller was great to work with and follow up support was excellent. We had one minor problem with DTE and Mike was there the next day to get things going.<br />
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Jerry Caviani, over 1 month
Mike Miller was great to work with and follow up support was excellent. We had one minor problem with DTE and Mike was there the next day to get things going.<br />
4.38 7 Reviews
Anonymous, over 1 month
Gary, the owner of Sunshine Solar and Wind was able to design a system that would meet our needs for an acceptable price. He did an impeccable installation of the system and connected it to our home via internet. On occasion, when there was a glitch with the power company, Gary solved the problem quickly. I will definitely chose Gary to do the expansion of the system or the install in our home in Colorado Springs!
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Anonymous, over 1 month
Gary, the owner of Sunshine Solar and Wind was able to design a system that would meet our needs for an acceptable price. He did an impeccable installation of the system and connected it to our home via internet. On occasion, when there was a glitch with the power company, Gary solved the problem quickly. I will definitely chose Gary to do the expansion of the system or the install in our home in Colorado Springs!
Jeremy Tabor, over 1 month
<br />
4.14 8 Reviews
Anonymous, over 1 month
We were fortunate to find these folks early in our search for a residential solar array. The Michigan connection was certainly a plus. Allan, Devon, Aaron, Pam, Tyson, and Lynda have been a pleasure to work with. They have been punctual, returned our calls quickly, and answered our questions and concerns. Installation went smoothly even though it was in middle of some of the worst days of this last winter. We have and will continue to recommend Contractors Building Supply Inc. to our family and friends.
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Anonymous, over 1 month
We were fortunate to find these folks early in our search for a residential solar array. The Michigan connection was certainly a plus. Allan, Devon, Aaron, Pam, Tyson, and Lynda have been a pleasure to work with. They have been punctual, returned our calls quickly, and answered our questions and concerns. Installation went smoothly even though it was in middle of some of the worst days of this last winter. We have and will continue to recommend Contractors Building Supply Inc. to our family and friends.
4.11 42 Reviews
Anonymous, over 1 month
MECHANICAL ENERGY SYSTEMS and in particular, Donna Nepalitano and Chaley McDonnell are NOT TO BE TRUSTED. They only want to close the sale and take your money.<br /><br />CHARLEY IS ONLY IBNTERESTED IN CLOSING THE DEAL AND GETTING HIS COMMISSION. I have sent regular mail and certified letters to Donna Nepalitano to try and get this resolved. She assured me during the ONE pnone contact I have received from them over the past 18 months that they are very concerned about this and want to make sure their customers are very satisfied." crap<br /><br />During the initial sales pitch I pointed out several inconsistencies in the prospectus and financial numbers they quoted. They appeared to be quite surprised that anyone actually read their stuff. They promised to make good on money that is owed to me and GUARANTEED by Charley. 18 months later, no phone calls and no response.<br /><br />When their 'engineer' came out to insttall the panels on my roof, he wanted to place the solar panels between two large trees ????? It was ME who told them to place it back on the garage where the SUN COULD GET TO IT.<br /><br />There is no follow up once they get your money you will never hear from them again.<br /><br />I have talked to their installers who say that Charley will tell the customer anything without haveing any idea of what it takes to install some of their products. This is an on-going problem with them. Ask the installers.<br /><br />They just don't care.
Read more
Anonymous, over 1 month
MECHANICAL ENERGY SYSTEMS and in particular, Donna Nepalitano and Chaley McDonnell are NOT TO BE TRUSTED. They only want to close the sale and take your money.<br /><br />CHARLEY IS ONLY IBNTERESTED IN CLOSING THE DEAL AND GETTING HIS COMMISSION. I have sent regular mail and certified letters to Donna Nepalitano to try and get this resolved. She assured me during the ONE pnone contact I have received from them over the past 18 months that they are very concerned about this and want to make sure their customers are very satisfied." crap<br /><br />During the initial sales pitch I pointed out several inconsistencies in the prospectus and financial numbers they quoted. They appeared to be quite surprised that anyone actually read their stuff. They promised to make good on money that is owed to me and GUARANTEED by Charley. 18 months later, no phone calls and no response.<br /><br />When their 'engineer' came out to insttall the panels on my roof, he wanted to place the solar panels between two large trees ????? It was ME who told them to place it back on the garage where the SUN COULD GET TO IT.<br /><br />There is no follow up once they get your money you will never hear from them again.<br /><br />I have talked to their installers who say that Charley will tell the customer anything without haveing any idea of what it takes to install some of their products. This is an on-going problem with them. Ask the installers.<br /><br />They just don't care.
3.93 2 Reviews
Alan Woelfel, over 1 month
They were outstanding in every way.<br />
Read more
Alan Woelfel, over 1 month
They were outstanding in every way.<br />
Where there is no specific pricing information available for a brand then we have used state pricing data for that brand.
Solar panel manufacturer | Avg. cost per watt |
---|---|
Canadian Solar | $2.42 |
LG Solar | $2.89 |
SunPower | $3.03 |
Panasonic | $2.92 |
LONGi Solar | $2.34 |
The most important difference between buying solar panels and any other purchase is that solar panels last 25-30 years. This is a long, long time and you will need customer service over all that time. The reviews below of the two largest corporate solar installation companies indicate larger corporate solar companies are not delivering this support to their customers.
We recommend you find a small or mid-size, local, family-owned solar company. These companies tend to care more about you and your specific job. You don't want to be on hold to a corporation's call center for the next 25 years!
The cost of solar doesn't just include the equipment and installation costs - it’s also made up of permitting costs, inspection costs, and installer profit margins.
These different components are what make the price of solar fluctuate between installations. Some of the factors that affect solar power system installation costs for specific homes include:
Homes that use more electricity will need more solar panels to cover their energy needs.
Although solar panels do get cheaper on a per-watt basis, the overall cost of the system will increase as more panels are added.
But, the higher a home’s energy usage, the more solar panels can save the homeowners on their energy bills.
The price of solar panels can vary depending on the type of solar panels you choose.
There are two main types of solar panels for residential solar installations: monocrystalline and polycrystalline. Monocrystalline solar panels tend to be more efficient and more expensive than other solar panels. Polycrystalline panels have a lower efficiency rating and come at a lower price point.
The type of inverter you buy will also influence the cost of your solar system.
You may see some solar quotes with prices that seem too good to be true.
If you get quoted for a ridiculously cheap price, the installer might be using low-quality equipment or an unsustainable pricing model. You want to use a solar installer that is charging enough so that they can stay in business - as you’ll be relying on them for the next 25 years!
It’s important to make sure that your installer is giving you the best quality at the best price possible. This is why getting multiple solar quotes is so important.
The overall cost of solar can be influenced by the solar incentives available.
Across the U.S., homeowners can apply for the federal solar tax credit. The solar tax credit makes installing solar more cost-effective by providing homeowners with a tax credit equal to 30% of the cost of their installed solar panel system.
Local solar tax incentives and rebates can end up saving homeowners thousands on a solar installation, especially when they’re used with the federal solar tax credit.
See what solar incentives are available in your area by using our solar panel calculator.
The cost of installing residential solar panels in Richland varies with the brand of solar panels and inverters you choose, the installation company you choose to install them, the relative ease or difficulty of installing solar panels on your home, and of course the amount of solar panels you need. The amount of solar panels you need is, in turn, related to your energy usage.
The table below shows the data extracted from a real life quote delivered through the SolarReviews marketplace recently for a fairly typical home in Richland.
As you can see the payback period is relatively short and equates to a much better return on investment than he historical returns that have been available from investing in things like shares or property.
System information | Value |
---|---|
System Size (for 100% usage offset) | 10.9 kW |
Annual power generation | 15,762 kWh |
Pay-back time (assuming Cash purchase) | 6.4 Years |
Internal rate of return (IRR) on investment | 13.1% |
Gross cost | $26,982 |
Total Upfront Incentives and Rebates | -$15,737 |
Net Cost of System after rebated and incentives | $11,247 |
Total Cost of Utility Power Avoided over 25 years | $59,238 |