GTM Report: How the US will get installed ground-mount prices under US$1/W

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Reddit
Email
 This 2020 projection would fall in line with the Department of Energy’s ambitious SunShot target of US$1.00 per watt by the end of this decade. Image: GTM Research

According to a new report from GTM Research, pricing for fixed-tilt ground mount PV systems are expected to hit US$0.99 per watt by 2020. 

The report, “US Solar PV Price Brief H1 2016: Pricing, Breakdowns and Forecasts”, notes that this would fall in line with the Department of Energy’s ambitious SunShot target of US$1.00 per watt by the end of this decade.

This article requires Premium SubscriptionBasic (FREE) Subscription

Try Premium for just $1

  • Full premium access for the first month at only $1
  • Converts to an annual rate after 30 days unless cancelled
  • Cancel anytime during the trial period

Premium Benefits

  • Expert industry analysis and interviews
  • Digital access to PV Tech Power journal
  • Exclusive event discounts

Or get the full Premium subscription right away

Or continue reading this article for free

Currently, GTM Research estimates the price for a utility-scale fixed-tilt ground mount PV system to be around US$1.25 per watt today. Modules are responsible for half of the cost, additional hardware like inverters and balance of system components represent 22%, while the remaining 28% is comprised of soft costs.

The report adds that soft costs stand as both the biggest opportunity and the largest challenge for future cost reductions — especially in the residential and commercial market segments where prices are much higher than utility-scale segments.

Residential PV projects in the US averaged US$3.00 as of the first half of 2016. According to GTM, soft costs make up 64% of residential system costs today. Average US commercial solar prices just dipped below US$2 per watt, but the report adds that there are plenty of other opportunities when it comes to finding further cost reductions.

Ben Gallagher, GTM Research solar analyst and lead author of the report, said: “Commercial PV installers need to find more ways to shorten the length of the project cycle and de-risk aspects of the project cycle in order to substantially reduce origination and overhead costs.”

21 October 2025
New York, USA
Returning for its 12th edition, Solar and Storage Finance USA Summit remains the annual event where decision-makers at the forefront of solar and storage projects across the United States and capital converge. Featuring the most active solar and storage transactors, join us for a packed two-days of deal-making, learning and networking.
16 June 2026
Napa, USA
PV Tech has been running PV ModuleTech Conferences since 2017. PV ModuleTech USA, on 16-17 June 2026, will be our fifth PV ModulelTech conference dedicated to the U.S. utility scale solar sector. The event will gather the key stakeholders from solar developers, solar asset owners and investors, PV manufacturing, policy-making and and all interested downstream channels and third-party entities. The goal is simple: to map out the PV module supply channels to the U.S. out to 2027 and beyond.

Read Next

October 10, 2025
US solar recycling firm OnePlanet has achieved the R2v3 certification from electronics sustainability non-profit SERI, which represents the “highest standards of traceability”.
October 9, 2025
Entergy Arkansas has announced plans to build a 600MW solar-plus-storage project to support a new data centre to be built by Google.
October 9, 2025
Chinese inverter and storage manufacturer Sungrow has revealed details of its planned flotation on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.
October 9, 2025
The retroactive collection of duties on historical solar imports to the US has been temporarily paused pending the outcome of an appeal.
October 8, 2025
US solar module prices jumped in Q3 2025 as developers scrambled to meet the 2 September 2025 safe harbour deadline for Investment Tax Credit (ITC) qualification, according to supply chain platform Anza.
October 8, 2025
Despite policy headwinds on the federal level, there is optimism for the future of the US solar and storage sector.

Subscribe to Newsletter

Upcoming Events

Solar Media Events
October 21, 2025
New York, USA
Solar Media Events
November 25, 2025
Warsaw, Poland
Solar Media Events
December 2, 2025
Málaga, Spain
Solar Media Events
February 3, 2026
London, UK