As of April 2026, the average solar panel system costs $2. 41/W including installation in San Jose, CA. 5 kW system (the average system size in San Jose, CA), this comes out to about $20,483 before any available incentives, though prices range from $17,411 to.
This is 1000 watts per square meter in solar irradiance with a cell temperature of 25°C and an air mass of 1. This testing is done in laboratories and, therefore, to compare panels, common benchmarks are considered.
The average cost of solar panels ranges from $2. 50 per watt installed, with most homeowners paying between $15,000 and $35,000 for a complete system before incentives.
305W panels are largely obsolete for new installations: With most manufacturers discontinuing production in favor of 400-700W alternatives, these panels now cost $0. 50 per watt compared to $0.
As of 2026, the average cost of residential solar panels in the U. is between $15,000 and $25,000 before incentives. This typically translates to about $2. 50 per watt of installed capacity (more on price per watt below).