☀️ Part of the Estima Estimator

Solar Panel Cost Calculator

On-grid, hybrid, or fully off the grid — priced from real panel, inverter, mounting, and battery costs, not a flat rate per kW. Pick your setup below and see the split by component, converted to your currency.

Sun Panels Inverter Battery Grid Home
Grid-tied with battery backup — power flows from panels through the inverter, charges the battery, and covers the home; the grid stays connected as a backup and for net metering.
 Live regional pricing 0+ regions priced 3 system types Free — no signup
estima.app/calculators/solar Live Estimate
System Details
Set your system above, then price it.
Running the takeoff…
The Process

Priced by component, not by guess

The same takeoff logic behind every other Estima estimator, applied to solar.

01

Choose your system

System size in kW, on-grid / hybrid / off-grid, panel tier, and mounting — rooftop or ground-mount changes the structural cost meaningfully.

02

We price every component

Panels, inverter, mounting hardware, DC/AC cabling, labour, structural work, grid interconnection, and battery storage — each priced separately, then summed.

03

See it in your currency

Priced with region-specific material and labour multipliers, then converted live into USD, PKR, INR, and six other currencies.

Why It's Different

Cost per Watt isn't flat, and shouldn't be priced like it is

Three things most flat-rate calculators miss.

Scale changes the math

A 5kW rooftop system costs meaningfully more per Watt than a 200kW commercial array — permitting, design, and site mobilisation are roughly fixed costs, diluted across fewer Watts on smaller systems.

Hybrid inverters aren't a small upgrade

A hybrid or off-grid inverter carries battery-management electronics a plain grid-tie string inverter doesn't need — real-world pricing shows roughly 3-4x the per-unit cost, not a marginal add-on.

Region changes more than currency

Grid interconnection paperwork alone ranges from a simple utility fee in the US to a full DISCO net-metering application package in Pakistan — priced separately, region by region, not folded into one average.

Go Deeper

Understand the system, not just the price

Two reads from Estima's own library, if you want the engineering behind the numbers above.

📘 Learn: Electrical Works

The standards behind DB upgrades, cable sizing, and grid interconnection — the same technical ground this calculator's inverter and interconnection line items are priced against.

Read the guide →

📰 Insights

Engineering explainers on how real systems are actually built — from structural physics to power infrastructure, written the same way this calculator is priced.

Browse Insights →
Questions

Frequently asked

How much does a solar system actually cost?
It depends mainly on system size and type. Cost per Watt falls as systems get larger, because permitting, design, and mobilisation costs are roughly fixed per project, not per Watt. Hybrid and off-grid systems cost more than on-grid because of battery storage and a more complex inverter.
What's the difference between on-grid, hybrid, and off-grid?
On-grid systems connect to the utility grid and use net metering, with no battery — the cheapest option where grid power is reliable. Hybrid systems also connect to the grid but add battery backup for outages, the most common choice where loadshedding is a factor. Off-grid systems have no grid connection at all and size the battery for full autonomy — higher upfront cost, complete independence.
Does battery storage significantly increase the cost?
Yes, often the single largest addition on a hybrid or off-grid system. Estima prices lithium (LiFePO4) storage per usable kWh, sized by default to cover essential loads through a typical outage for hybrid systems, or full-day autonomy for off-grid — you can override the size manually in the calculator above.
Is this calculator accurate for my country?
Estima prices solar systems with region-specific material and labour multipliers across 10+ countries — the same regional pricing engine behind Estima's house, commercial, and electrical works estimators — rather than one flat global average.
What's included in the estimate?
PV modules, inverter, mounting structure, DC/AC cabling and protection, installation labour, structural assessment, grid interconnection (for on-grid/hybrid systems), and battery storage where applicable. Not included: government solar incentives or rebates, existing roof repair, and utility feed-in tariff applications beyond the base interconnection package.

Ready to price your solar system?

Panels, inverter, battery, and grid interconnection — broken down and converted to your currency in under a minute.

Price Your System