How Much Are Solar Panels In 2020 | DroneQuote

How Much Are Solar Panels?

As you might imagine, a common question about this topic is, “How much are solar panels in 2020?”. I will say that it is one of my most minor favorite questions because it’s just such an open-ended question. To put it in perspective, this question is like asking, “How much is a car?” and expecting an accurate answer. The good news is that the cost of solar only continues to decrease.

The cost to install solar panels is unique to each person and home. It would almost be a disservice to throw a number out for just answering the question. Especially because we’d be setting some incorrect expectations.

Sometimes, people are a little more specific with the question. They’ll ask something like, “How much are 15 solar panels?”. If I go back to the car example, that’s like asking how much is a four-door sedan. Again, it’s an open-ended question, and the price for that four-door sedan can vary dramatically, as you would imagine.

What Goes Into The Cost Of Solar Panels?

Many variables go into the cost of solar panels. A lot of those variables have to do with things that may be out of your control. Know some of the statements about how much are solar panels in 2020. Some of those things that go into a solar panel cost are things like:

Factors Affecting Solar Panel Installation Costs

1. Roof Age
   • New Roof vs. End-of-Life Roof
     • Implications of Solar Panel Installation Costs
2. Electrical Panel Amperage
   • Evaluating Electrical Service Panel Adequacy
     • Upgrading Electrical Panel and Associated Costs
3. Shading Issues
   • Neighbor’s Trees and Shading Impact
     • Need for Additional Panels vs. Cost of Tree Trimming
4. Roof Orientation
   • Optimal vs. Poor Roof Orientation
     • Effect on Required Number of Solar Panels
5. Roof Type
   • Ease of Installation and Material
     • Differences in Solar Panel Installation Costs
     • Composition Shingle vs. Clay Tile Roof
6. Home Electricity Usage
   • Impact of Usage on Solar Panel System Costs
7. Solar Panel Selection
   • Choosing Solar Panel Types and Efficiency
     • Cost Differences Between High-Efficiency Panels and Last Year’s Models
     • Premium Panels (Panasonic, Sunpower, LG) vs. Standard Panels (Canadian Solar, Hanwha Q-Cell)

How Much Are Solar Panels When Financed?

Besides the variables of site conditions and your selection of solar panels, another thing that may increase the solar panel cost is how you finance your solar. Moreover, you decide to invest with a solar loan. There are some solar loans with desirable low-interest rates starting at 2.99%. However, these low-interest rate loans are known as “buy-down rate” loans. This literally means you’re buying down the interest rate and rolling the cost of doing so into the principal.

What does this do to cost, you might ask? Buy-down solar loan options typically add anywhere from 12% to 20% to the total solar panel cost! This could take a cash price of $21,000 up to as high as $23,520. Buy-down rates add an eye-watering premium to the cost of solar panels. However, other options add zero fees to the cash price and still allow you to finance for up to 20 years. The drawback of these particular zero-fee solar loan options is that the interest rates are in the neighborhood of 6% to almost 8%, depending on your credit.

There is one way you can finance the solar system for up to 30 years with as low as a 4% interest rate. This is what we refer to as “the secret way to buy solar panels” . This is true since most solar salespeople don’t bother sharing it with you.

Cost To Install Solar Panels Based On Where You Live.

Quick, how much is a gallon of gasoline where you live? If the cost of gas where you live is higher than the national average, you can anticipate paying more for solar panels. In places like Texas, Arizona, or Florida (where the cost of living is lower) and other states where we help homeowners buy solar panels, it is not uncommon to get homeowners pricing in the $2.25 per watt range. In places like California, where even breathing is more expensive, we’re seeing average prices of solar panels in the $2.90 to $3 per watt range for non-premium solar panels. This is important in finding out how much are solar panels in 2020.

How To Know How Much Are Solar Panels in 2020

There’s only one way to know the exact cost of solar panels for your home, and that is with the process of getting solar quotes. The problem is that getting solar quotes can be daunting for many people because of the hassle it involves, the inconvenient meetings, the pushy salespeople, and the inflated prices of in-home sales. It’s not uncommon for people to not want  quotes

for solar panels even though they are interested in installing solar just because of this arduous process.

Process of DroneQuote in knowing how much are solar panels in 2020

This is precisely what led us to start DroneQuote. We understand that you have better things to do than to sit through the song and dance of in-home sales presentations. It’s for this reason that we made our process entirely online and without so much as a single salesperson visiting your house. Rather than inviting one salesperson per quote into your living room to talk your ear off for over an hour and a half and then ask you to sign a contract, we take a completely different approach.

Our process starts with a brief online request for information so we can have a good idea of what kind of quotes to put together for you. From there, we ask that you upload photographs of your home and a recent utility bill. With this information, we can put together accurate quotes and present them to you online, on your time and on your terms. Furthermore, we offer quotes from multiple installers in one fell swoop, and because they all know they’re going up against other installers, they offer razor-sharp pricing.

Conclusion

Because our process is entirely online and we’re not sending salespeople to your home, we save time and money that we could pass on to our customers. And suppose that wasn’t enough since we offer multiple quotes from different installers. In that case, we can afford to come in even lower on price because we’re not hoping to make it big with only one opportunity to earn your business, which further drives down the price and moves our model revenue more dependent on volume than I’m selling fewer deals at the highest possible price.

Finally, DroneQuote is the only company in the United States that has implemented drones into a solar and roofing marketplace so that you can have high-definition ultra before and after images of your roof for free with any of the installers you choose. This way, you know that your roof integrity is respected without having to pull out a ladder and climb on the roof.

Call to Action

See why Drone is the smart way to get solar and roofing quotes and why people love our process. Get started with us for free and see how much we could save you not only on your monthly utility bill but also on the cost of solar panels.