Solar Choice

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Residential solar system prices

Residential Solar PV Price Index – June 2017

June 21, 2017

This month saw one of the sharpest drops to average system prices since Solar Choice first began keeping track in August 2012. Between May and June, the average system price dropped 23c from $1.57 per watt ($1.57/W) to $1.34/W. This sudden decrease stands in sharp contrast to the very gradual changes that we’ve seen over […]

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3kW vs 5kW solar system: Which is a better investment?

May 15, 2017

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One of the first decisions a household considering solar will need to make is the capacity (in kilowatts, kW) of the system to be installed. Two of the most popular residential solar PV system sizes in Australia are 3kW and 5kW. Which system size is the better investment – and why? You’ll save the most […]

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Residential Solar PV Price Index – May 2017

May 11, 2017

Average solar system installation prices for May 2017 hover at the same level as April‘s – $1.57 per watt ($1.57/W). 5kW solar systems continue to offer the best value for money at an average of $1.25/W – or about $7,100 installed. Average solar PV system prices for May 2017 Prices in the table below include both the […]

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Residential Solar PV Price Index – April 2017

April 10, 2017

Average residential solar system prices for April 2017 have crept to a fresh low of $1.57 per watt ($1.57/W) – slightly lower than March‘s average of $1.58/W but in keeping with the (very) gradual decline that we’ve been witnessing since the beginning of 2017. Average prices for 3kW, 4kW and 5kW solar systems also hit […]

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Residential Solar PV Price Index – March 2017

March 22, 2017

Average residential solar PV system prices in Australia crept down to $1.58 per watt ($1.58/W) from $1.60 in February, according to data from Solar Choice’s installer network database. Although so slight as to be inconsequential, the drop represents a new low, with $1.59/W (in Sept 2016 and Dec 2015) being the next lowest since we […]

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Is home solar power still worth it in Australia in 2017?

February 16, 2017

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Rooftop solar on its own is already affordable enough to be a smart choice for virtually any Australian home with an unshaded roof and some daytime electricity usage. This is true even in the absence of generous, state-backed solar feed-in tariffs and the (slight) reduction of the up-front incentive for solar available through the federal Renewable […]

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Residential Solar PV Price Index – February 2017

February 14, 2017

Despite the decrease in the incentive available under the federal Renewable Energy Target that came in effect from last month, average solar PV system prices have moved little, according to our data. Although this month did see a slight reduction in prices (down to $1.60 per watt from $1.62/W in February), this is mainly attributable to changes in […]

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Residential Solar PV Price Index – January 2017

January 12, 2017

Average solar system prices for the new year continue to hover around $1.62/W, as they have for the past six months or so. Smaller systems (1.5kW – 2kW) continue to be the dearest on a $/W basis, while larger systems (5kW – 10kW) offer the greatest value in terms of peak output capacity. By our […]

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Residential Solar PV Price Index – December 2016

December 15, 2016

Average solar PV system prices for December sit at roughly $1.62 per watt ($1.62/W). Average system prices in Australia have hovered around this price point since about July of 2016, although there have been some changes on a city-by-city and size-by-size basis. Average solar PV system prices for December 2016 Prices in the table below include […]

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Is a solar lease or solar PPA right for you?

December 12, 2016

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‘Solar leasing’ deals have been the main facilitator of residential solar panel uptake in the United States, with the majority of systems being installed under such arrangements. Although solar leasing schemes have been on offer in Australia for some time now, they have not proven to be an overwhelmingly popular option. Is a solar lease right for […]

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Commercial Solar PV Price Index: November 2016

November 16, 2016

The average price of a commercial solar PV system dropped very slightly between October and November 2016 (from about $1.26 per watt to about $1.25/W) according to figures from the Solar Choice installer network database. Commercial solar system prices (10kW-100kW) All prices in the tables below include incentives available through the federal Renewable Energy Target […]

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Residential Solar PV Price Index – November 2016

November 15, 2016

Average solar PV system prices for Australia’s capital cities changed little between October and November of 2016, according to data from Solar Choice’s installer network database. Currently, the average price for a solar PV system in Australia sits at about $1.63 per watt. Average solar PV system prices for November 2016 Prices in the table below […]

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Residential Solar PV Price Index – October 2016

October 12, 2016

Average solar system prices for Australia’s capital cities rose slightly (to $1.63/W) between September and October. Price increases were seen primarily among smaller systems (1.5kW – 5kW) in a handful of cities, while 10kW system prices remained steady. Average solar PV system prices for October 2016 Prices in the table below include both the up-front incentive […]

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Residential Solar PV Price Index – September 2016

September 19, 2016

Average residential solar system prices for September 2016 have matched the all-time low seen in December of last year, when prices dipped just below $1.60 per watt ($1.60/W). In other news, for the first time we have colour-coded our pricing tables to make it easier to tell at a glance which locations and system sizes […]

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1.5kW solar PV systems: Pricing, outputs and payback

August 17, 2016

1.5kW solar systems were once the most popular system size in Australia. As solar technology prices have come down in recent years, however, most homes are now tending to opt for larger systems – in the 2kW to 5kW range. This article takes a look at the case for installing a 1.5kW solar system in current […]

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Four years of tracking residential solar system prices: What’s changed?

August 16, 2016

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August 2016 marked four years since Solar Choice published our first Solar PV Price Index. What are some of the noteworthy trends we’ve seen over this period? What is the Solar PV Price Index? Solar Choice’s PV Price Index is a barometer of residential and commercial solar system pricing trends in Australia’s capital cities (with the exception […]

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Residential Solar PV Price Index – August 2016

August 8, 2016

This month marks a full four years of our publishing of the Solar PV Price Index. When we first started keeping track of average system prices back in 2012, it cost roughly 70c more per watt to install a solar PV system in Australia than it does today. The going average rate for a solar […]

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Residential Solar PV Price Index – July 2016

July 13, 2016

Average residential solar system prices dipped down to $1.63/W this month – on par with the low seen in April this year and close to the all-time low of $1.59/W seen in December of 2015. The price drop occurred across all system sizes. Interestingly, system price ‘highs’ have not come down much, low-end prices of […]

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Residential Solar PV Price Index – June 2016

June 15, 2016

Average solar PV system installation prices in Australia’s capital cities increased very slightly between May and June to approach $1.68 per watt. With the exception of 10kW systems, prices were lowest in Perth and highest in Hobart – in keeping with the long-term trend. Average solar PV system prices for June 2016 Prices in the table below […]

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How much does a 5kW solar system cost in Melbourne, Victoria?

May 19, 2016

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Solar power is still a great investment option for Melbourne homes & businesses, even after a number of changes to state and federal government incentives. 5kW solar systems have proven to be one of the most popular system sizes in not only Melbourne, but also the rest of Victoria and Australia as a whole. But how […]

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Residential Solar PV Price Index – May 2016

May 10, 2016

Based on data from Solar Choice’s installer network database, the average price of per watt of a fully installed residential solar system in Australia as of May 2016 is about $1.66 (including GST, after STCs) – up slightly from last month. For the first time, in this month’s Index we have included (somewhat limited) pricing data […]

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Residential solar PV price index – April 2016

April 6, 2016

Average solar PV system prices dropped slightly between March and April of 2016, following a downward trend that started in February. Based on data from Solar Choice’s installer network database, the average price of per watt of a fully installed residential solar system in Australia is about $1.63 (including GST, after STCs). Average solar PV […]

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Residential solar PV price index – March 2016

March 10, 2016

After two consecutive months of increases, average solar PV system prices have dropped slightly for the first time in the new year, currently sitting at about $1.65/W. Average solar PV system prices for March 2016 Prices in the table below are net of the federal Renewable Energy Target’s STC incentive and include GST. Solar system […]

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Residential solar PV price index – February 2016

February 17, 2016

Average solar PV system installation prices for Australia have risen for the 2rd month running, according to data from Solar Choice’s installer network database. The average price per watt for a fully installed residential solar system in Australia currently sits at about $1.67, up from $1.59 in December. Average solar PV system prices for February […]

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Residential solar PV price index – January 2016

January 22, 2016

After about 5 months of steady declines since about August of 2015, the average price of solar PV system prices rose slightly (approximately 5c/W) between December of 2015 and January of 2016. The increases occurred in nearly all capital cities and across nearly all system sizes. Average solar PV system prices for January 2016 All prices in […]

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Residential solar PV price index – December 2015

December 17, 2015

On average solar PV system prices dropped for the month of December 2015 were lower across all capital cities for all system sizes than those from November 2015. The drop was due at least in part to a new calculation method: The ‘Solar Choice discount’ offered by installers in the Solar Choice network – hitherto excluded from […]

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Residential solar PV price index – November 2015

November 13, 2015

Average solar system prices have sunk for the fourth month in a row, reaching a new all-time low since Solar Choice began publishing system prices in August 2012. For the first time, overall average system prices dipped down to $1.70/W, with 1.5kW, 2kW, 3kW, 4kW and 5kW systems hitting record lows. (The data in this article […]

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Residential solar PV price index – October 2015

October 28, 2015

Average solar PV system prices edged down to $1.79 per watt this month, coming close to the all-time low of $1.76/W reached in March of this year. Average solar PV system prices for October 2015 All prices in the table below include the federal STC incentive which installers ordinarily include in final system prices. GST […]

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Residential solar PV price index – September 2015

September 11, 2015

Solar system prices fell on average between August and September, but there was significant variation between cities, especially among the smaller system sizes (1.5kW and 2kW). The rise in average system prices in Brisbane was due to an increase at the premium end of the market, while system prices on the low end changed little. […]

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Residential Solar PV Price Index: August 2015

August 3, 2015

Average solar system prices rose for most system sizes in Sydney and Tasmania between July and August, while dropping or staying flat for all other cities and system sizes. The overall effect is a slight increase in overall prices nationally. Prices are highest in Tasmania; Perth is homes to the lowest prices on average. Average […]

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Residential Solar PV Price Index: July 2015

July 17, 2015

The average solar PV system price nationally continues to sit at about $1.85 per watt for the third month in a row, with prices for specific system sizes also remaining largely unchanged between the months of May, June and July. Average solar PV system prices for July 2015 All prices in the table below include […]

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