Price of solar panels for houses

Are you interested the price of solar panels for houses?

In this blog we will share some general factors that determine the price of solar panels for houses, why it differs between each one and approximate costs depending on the system.

Factor 1: Electricity Consumption

The electricity consumption of a house is one of the main factors that determines the size of the system the house requires. A house that consumes 50,000 colones per month is not the same as one that consumes 200,000 colones per month. The size of the house and the amount of people living in it, are not determining factors of the system the house needs.

There can be a 80m2 house that consumes 100,000 colones per month because it has 24/7 AC and only two people live in it. While there can be a 250m2 house that consumes 50,000 colones per month with four people living in it. The amount of appliances that the house has is also not a determining factor. Some of those appliances can be off 80% of the time. So therefore, what really matters, is the monthly consumption in kilowatts and kilowatts per hour.

Factor 2: Location of the house

Nowadays, the location of a house can make the installation cost a bit higher. A house located in the city is not the same as one located far from it. The transport of equipments and technical visits can sometimes make the project more expensive.

Factor 3: House infrastructure

There can be infrastructure factors that may cause the installation price to vary:

The conditions of the roof
The grid’s meter location
Any other thing that needs to be fixed or transfered

If everything is under the right conditions, it shouldn’t have additional costs. However, in case the installation needs it, there can be structural costs related.

Factor 4: Solar radiation

The solar radiation that a house receives determines the amount of equipment needed. If a house is located at a spot where a buildings shadow hits for 6 hours per day, that must be considered when designing the system. The location of the house is also important. A house located in Guanacaste, with same conditions as one located in the city, can receive up to 11% more solar radiation. This means that the house in Guanacaste invests 11% less in equipments, compared to the one located in the city. Systems will be more efficient where there is more solar radiation.

Factor 5: Technology required by the customer

The technology required by the customer to satisfy its energy needs will make the price to vary. There are customers that want a conventional on-grid system, while others that want a hybrid system (with batteries). There are also customers that have no access to the public grid and want to be 100% self-efficient.

A conventional on-grid system can cost $7.000-$8.000 approximately. While one with batteries can go up to $20.000 or more. This prices apply when the customer:

Has a monthly energy consumption of 50-60mil colones or more
Has optimal infrastructure and radiation conditions
It located at the GAM (city)

The Value Added Tax and due diligence costs must be considered.

Therefore, the price of solar panels for houses will depend on the above factors. Each case is carefully studied by our technicians to deliver a final, custom made offer. This is why each system will have its unique specifications and price.