Defined term

Residential solar installed price

Residential solar installed price is the gross price paid for an installed residential photovoltaic system before incentives, subject to the inclusions and exclusions of the source dataset or quote.

Also known as gross installed price, residential PV installed price

economics · Concept code GS-CONCEPT-017 · Last verified August 20, 2026

Definition and boundaries

Definition

Residential solar installed price is the gross price paid for an installed residential photovoltaic system before incentives, subject to the inclusions and exclusions of the source dataset or quote.

Applicable jurisdiction: US; dataset inclusions and exclusions apply

Definition claim verification: Verified August 20, 2026

In plain language

Use installed price only after confirming what the dataset or quote includes. Keep PV-only and PV-plus-storage scopes separate before making a comparison.

What it is not

It is not automatically the same as modeled system cost, an unfinanced cash price, loan principal, net cost after incentives, or levelized cost of energy.

Decision context

Why it matters

Installed price is an input to owner-purchase economics, but it is not interchangeable with modeled system cost, cash price, loan principal, net cost after incentives, or levelized cost of energy. Some datasets may include financing fees or non-PV work passed through the installer.

Applicable jurisdiction: US; observed-price and modeled-cost methods differ

Decision-context claim verification: Verified August 20, 2026

Information boundary

This definition is general educational information, not individualized financial or legal advice. Contract terms, disclosures, incentives, and electricity-sale rules require transaction- and jurisdiction-specific review.

Concept relationships

Related concepts

  • Solar loanPublished conceptCompare a financed quote with the solar-loan contract
  • Solar-loan dealer feePublished conceptA dealer fee may be reflected in a financed system price

Affects

  • Payback periodPublished conceptInstalled price is an input to owner-purchase payback

Primary sources

What to do next

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