1 If the patent application was filed on or after June 8, 1995, the starting patent term is 20 years. 2  This accounts for the vast majority of patents in force today. 3  The 20 year term is calculated based upon the priority filing date, not counting provisional application or the original filing in a foreign country.
The report indicates that the median installed price of PV systems completed in 2012 was $5.30/W for residential and small commercial systems smaller than 10 kilowatts (kW) in size and was $4.60/W for commercial systems of 100 kW or more in size.
Why solar costs are falling. There are several factors for the price drop: Economies of scale is a big one. Global solar panel production (for rooftop and other markets) grew from 24,000 megawatts (MW) in 2010 to 40,000 MW in 2013 â a 67 percent increase in just three years. China has also come on the scene in a big way in recent years, which has lowered market prices.