Solar panels remain the most critical component of a solar energy system, despite all the buzz around batteries. With solar panel prices dropping dramatically, they’ve essentially become commodities. These days, the bulk of solar system costs come from labour and mounting components. Batteries, of course, remain the priciest part, but this is likely to change as their prices drop and their installation requires comparatively less labour.

Let’s look at prices. The wholesale cost of most brands, like JA Solar, Jinko, Suntech, Longi, Aiko, Trina, and Risen, is around $100 per panel plus GST. Let’s look at prices. Ballarat is actually in a good zone for solar, despite the impression that the weather here isn’t ideal. In fact, it attracts more STCs per kW of panels than some other areas in Victoria. As a result, we can effectively say that solar panels are free. However, some brands come at a significantly higher cost. Premium panels, such as REC, LG, SunPower, Q-Cells, and Australian-made Tindo, can double the price, adding an extra $100 per panel to any installation.

What I would like to say is that I believe the price of solar panel systems is now as low as it can get. From here on, we shouldn’t expect the cost of solar energy systems to drop any further, as the remaining components—labor, aluminum frames, and copper cabling—are only increasing in cost. The only part likely to get cheaper in the future is the battery.