Plummeting Solar Panel Prices Hardly Reduce Costs – Solar is Still Worth It

The cost of solar panels has dropped more than 65 percent over the past 15 years, making them far more affordable. The total cost of installing solar panels has actually risen a little, though, due to higher costs of labor and other components. Still, installing solar is worth it. 

Cost of Solar and Breakeven

Even though the cost per watt of solar panels has indeed dropped about 65 percent over the past 15 years, according to the Department of Energy, installing solar is not inexpensive. Solar panels are less than a third of the total cost of installation. So even though solar hardware costs have fallen in recent years, soft costs such as labor and overhead represent a growing share of total solar system costs, the US Department of Energy noted.

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Faster replacement of solar panels and the end of life of ones installed at the beginning of the solar panel boom are resulting in a growing glut of used panels. While recycling has been slow to take off, new solutions mean opportunities are growing. 

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AI is reshaping the solar industry for everyone from homeowners and installers to grid operators
and manufacturers. From producing solar panels and installing them to managing solar in
homes or on the grid, the changes AI delivers can save money, increase efficiency and increase
resilience.

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Across the country, growing numbers of storms and floods and fires are cutting off electricity and endangering communities. Solar-powered resilience is playing a key role in keeping communities safe, and key players here in Washington are ramping up new initiatives.

Source: https://www.kuka.com/en-us/industries/solutions-database/2025/12/automating-solar-panel-installation

Amidst a shortage of installers, increasingly heavy panels that can weigh 80 pounds and solar farms with hundreds of thousands of panels, robots are cutting labor costs and increasing speed. While they started out on solar farms, they’re now even going onto rooftops.