Dec. 12, 2013: Soft Costs Are Now Largest Piece of Total Solar Cost
Reports Provide a Comprehensive Look at the Full Cost of Installing Solar
GOLDEN, Colo. — Two reports from the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’) National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) find that non-hardware costs for solar — often referred to as soft costs — now comprise up to 64 percent of the total price of residential solar energy systems, reflecting how soft costs are becoming an increasingly larger fraction of the cost of installing solar.
“The two new reports, along with previous reports, provide a comprehensive look at the full cost of installing solar, while delineating and quantifying the various contributors to that final cost,” NREL analyst Barry Friedman said.