SYSTEM COST
The cost of your system will primarily depend on how much of your electricity usage you want the system to provide. Most residential photovoltaic system owners have chosen to make between 50 to 100% of their own electricity rather than paying the local utility company. Your budget should determine if offsetting your electricity usage from the grid by 100% is an option for your home. Many customers start with a smaller system and add on to it at a later date, once they see how much they've begun saving on electricity bills.
Presently, there are federal and state tax incentives available when purchasing a photovoltaic system. The federal tax credit is equal to 30% of the cost of the products and installation, with no maximum limit. The Hawaii state tax credit is equal to 35%, capped at $5,000 per system installed. The tax credits can be taken EACH time a system is installed or when upgrading your system.
The table below illustrates industry standard prices and credits for respective system sizes on a typical home that receives approximately 5 peak sun hours per day. The installed cost of the system is the cost to offset 100% of the daily KWH usage. Universolar offers custom system design and Solmetric SunEye site analysis to fit your electricity needs and your budget.
| Your daily KWH usage | 10 | 15 | 20 | 25 | 30 |
| Installed cost of system* | $20,000 | $30,000 | $40,000 | $50,000 | $60,000 |
| 30% Federal tax credit | $6,000 | $9,000 | $12,000 | $15,000 | $18,000 |
| 35% State tax credit | $5,000 | $5,000 | $5,000 | $5,000 | $5,000 |
| Net cost of system after credits | $9,000 | $16,000 | $23,000 | $30,000 | $37,000 |
*Actual cost may be lower