This essay is based in part on my book, Hope in a Jar: The Making of America's Beauty Culture (New York: Metropolitan Books/Henry Holt, 1998), as well as a reading of the innovative new scholarship on the history of American consumer culture.
Again referencing the latest US Solar Market Insight report, the average installed cost of a residential solar panel system was $4.72/watt. However, prices vary tremendously by region. âCommon residential system prices ranged from less than $3.00/W to just above $7.00/W,â the Solar Energy Industries Association writes.
The Cost of Solar Panels in California. 1  The average cost of residential solar installed in California in 2015 was $18,675. As you shown in the above graph, that price varies by several thousand dollars depending on the region. These prices are solar installations purchased with a loan or cash, they do NOT apply to leased systems.