A 1MW station with 1000kWh storage costs $520,000–$560,000 today vs. Payback periods? Down to 4–7 years from 8–12 years pre-pandemic. As one installer joked: “Solar's the only thing cheaper than yesterday's avocado toast. Department of Energy (DOE) Solar Energy Technologies Office (SETO) and its national laboratory partners analyze cost data for U. solar photovoltaic (PV) systems to develop cost benchmarks. These benchmarks help measure progress toward goals for reducing solar electricity costs. . The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) publishes benchmark reports that disaggregate photovoltaic (PV) and energy storage (battery) system installation costs to inform SETO's R&D investment decisions. 2 million per megawatt-hour (MWh), depending on: Battery chemistry (lithium-ion vs. flow b. . As of 2025, prices range from $0. But wait—why the wild variation? Let's dive deeper.
