How much does 2 megawatts of solar energy cost

As of publishing, the average cost per watt is $2.84. Most solar companies set the price according to the solar system's wattage. A solar installation's “cost per watt” is a little like the “price per square foot” when you buy a house. It helps compare the value of solar energy systems in different sizes.

Take control of your energy costs with solar power. Solar panels generate “free” electricity, but installing a system still costs money. A typical American household needs a 10-kilowatt (kW) system to adequately power their home, which costs $28,241 in 2025.

The price of solar panels changes depending on where you live, but the average for installation is just under $29,000 or $2.75 per watt. On the high end, we talked to a solar customer in Hawaii who spent $100,000 going solar. Dion in Nevada said their 10-kW system cost about $20,000, which is about the national average price for a 7-kW system.

According to NREL, solar energy systems have annual operation and maintenance costs of less than $15 per kilowatt or $15,000 per megawatt of installed capacity. This estimate means a 10 MW solar farm will have annual operating and maintenance costs of around $150,000.

According to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), solar farms cost $1.06 per watt, whereas residential solar systems cost $3.16 per watt. In other words, a 1 megawatt (MW) solar farm can cost upwards of $1 million. Read on to learn more about solar farm pricing, factors that influence cost and more.

On average, homeowners with a complete solar system save $41,000 to $62,000 on total avoided energy costs over 25 years. It all depends on what your local utility charges for electricity, according to Robert Flores, a solar expert at The University of California, Irvine's Clean Energy Institute.