Price Summary

The turn of the year is often a moment when prices are adjusted at the factory gate, dependent on market conditions. The factory gate is the first point of sale in an arms length transaction by the manufacturer of the module.

This retail price survey is downstream of the factory gate. In other words, there are often wholesalers (known as "distibutors") that often purchase direct from the module manufacturer, which then on-sell to online retailers among others. The retail price in this survey is then after mark-up by the retailer and represents the price of the purchase of a single module (discounts are usually available for more than one, but they are not factored in to this index).

This means there is usually a delay of at least one month between the time a manufacturer adjusts prices and when they first appear on online retailer sites. The February result, therefore, is typically the first moment when any factory gate moves by manufacturers at the turn of the year will be evident in this survey result.

The February result shows that retail prices are still falling. Infact, this month shows the largest number of reductions since September 2009. The peak number of reductions last year were in August. There were 99 price reductions in February, which compares with 102 back in September. The peak reduction rate in August showed 176 price declines.

At the same time that the rate of price declines increased, the number of price increases at 31 were at their highest for 12 months. In other words, price moves varied by manufacturer according to the demand for that company's product line.

The net effect of these price moves caused both the United States and European indices to drop again this month. Both are at historic lows.

Lowest Prices ($/Wp)

Now that overall price levels have reduced, the tracking of the lowest price band in the survey is measured against the number of prices below $4.00 per watt (previously, this page was tracking prices below $4.75 per watt).

As of February 2010, there are now 393 solar module prices below $4.00 per watt (€2.84 per watt) or 25.8% of the total survey. This compares with 362 price points below $4.00 per watt (€2.84 per watt) in January.

The lowest retail price for a multi-crystalline silicon solar module is $1.98 per watt (€1.39 per watt) from a US retailer. The lowest retail price for a mono-crystalline silicon module is also $2.37 per watt (€1.68 per watt), from an Asian retailer.

Note, however, that "not all models are equal." In other words, brand, technical attributes and certifications do matter.

The lowest thin film module price remains at $1.76 per watt (€1.25 per watt) from an Asian-based retailer. As a general rule, it is typical to expect thin film modules to be at a price discount to crystalline silicon (for like module powers). This thin film price is represented by a 130 watt module.

Note, once again, that these prices are based upon the purchase of a single solar module and prices are exclusive of sales taxes. Information on volume discounts, factory gate and PV system pricing is available as part of our consultancy services.

Price Index Context

The module cost represents around 50 - 60% of the total installed cost of a Solar Energy System. Therefore the solar module price is the key element in the total price of an installed solar system. All prices are exclusive of sales taxes, which depending on the country or region can add 8-20% to the prices, with generally highest sales tax rates in Europe.

Major Product Brands covered in the survey are listed below. Click on the underlined names to go to the Company Home Page websites or click here to go to names, addresses and contact details for the full list of Solar Cell Manufacturing Companies.

Companies with a light grey background manufacture modules only, the remainder manufacture Solar Cells and Modules.

* some manufacturers market under multiple brand names