US commercial solar got 5.6% dearer in a year, to $1.77 a watt, even as module prices fell
Q2 2026 system pricing: commercial up 5.6% year on year to $1.77/W; residential down 1.4% to $3.36/W; utility fixed-tilt $0.95/W and single-axis $1.06/W. Distributed-generation modules fell 16% to $0.37/W, but freight rose 15% and Section 232 metal tariffs kept other parts dear.
A commercial solar buyer in the US might expect cheaper panels to mean a cheaper job. This spring it did not.
pv magazine USA reported on 24 September 2026 that commercial system prices rose 5.6% year on year in the second quarter, to $1.77 per watt. Residential prices fell 1.4% to $3.36 per watt. Utility-scale fixed-tilt systems were $0.95 per watt, up 0.9%, and single-axis tracker systems $1.06, up 2.0%.
Modules for distributed projects fell 16% to $0.37 per watt, and utility modules 2% to $0.33. The rest of the bill went the other way: freight costs rose 15%, and Section 232 tariffs on metals kept racking and other steel and aluminium parts expensive.
Analogy: it is a restaurant where the price of potatoes fell, but the rent, the oil and the delivery van all went up. The chips still cost more.
Good: real, dated price points. A business buyer can test a quote against $1.77 per watt and ask what is driving the difference.
Bad: these are national averages. Local labour, permits and roof type move a single job far more.
Ugly: module prices are the only part going down, and the Section 232 floor arrives in December. The one piece getting cheaper may not stay cheap.
Source: pv magazine USA, 24 Sep 2026 - US solar system pricing rises for utility and commercial projects.