What Is Price Per Watt?
Price per watt (PPW) is a commonly used metric in the solar industry that allows buyers to compare the cost efficiency of solar panels using a single standardized value. It makes it possible to compare panels with different wattages, quantities, and prices on an equal basis.
How Price Per Watt Is Calculated
Price per watt is calculated by dividing the total price of a solar panel listing by the total rated wattage included:
Total Price ÷ Total Watts = Price Per Watt
For example, if a listing costs $300 and includes 300 watts of total panel output, the price per watt is $1.00.
Why Price Per Watt Matters
Solar panels are often sold in different wattages and package sizes. Looking only at total price or individual panel wattage can make it difficult to determine which option offers better overall value.
Price per watt helps normalize these differences so buyers can focus on cost efficiency rather than manually comparing listings with varying specifications.
Price Per Watt Isn’t Shown Directly in Listings
Product listings typically display total price and panel wattage separately, but do not provide a built-in way to calculate or compare price per watt across multiple listings.
When listings vary in wattage, quantity, or bundle configuration, comparing cost efficiency often requires manual calculation.
The Solar Panel Price Tracker calculates price per watt automatically so buyers can compare panels more easily and make informed purchasing decisions without manual math.
How We Select Panels
To provide meaningful comparisons, this site applies strict criteria to the panels we track:
- Only panels with free shipping to the continental USA are included.
- Panels must have a 4-star rating or higher and be shipped by Amazon Prime to ensure quality and reliable delivery.
- We only track panels rated 100 watts or higher, as smaller panels typically have a much higher price per watt.
- Panels that are physically too small to produce their claimed wattage are filtered out to maintain accuracy and avoid misleading listings.
These criteria ensure that the panels displayed on this site are practical, high-quality, and relevant for real-world solar projects.
All calculations are based on publicly available product pricing and specifications.