As of: April 2, 2024, 6:01 p.m
By: Benjamin Weigl
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Compare and save: Solar system on the roof of a house © IMAGO/H. Baesemann
Offers for photovoltaic systems are difficult to compare with each other. Because the prices are so far apart, the effort is even more worthwhile for you.
The prices for solar systems have fallen sharply recently. 2024 can therefore be a good time to tackle your photovoltaic project. Because this is a considerable investment that will generate electricity on your roof for 20, perhaps 30 years, the money guide Finanztip has always advised you to make a broad comparison of different providers.
The Handelsblatt recently reported on stark price differences: For PV systems with similar performance, expensive providers are said to charge 10,000 or even 15,000 euros more than inexpensive solar installers.
Do not buy a PV system without comparing prices
In fact, the consumer portal Finanztip observed similarly high differences in its practical test at the end of 2023. Providers with wide-reaching sales channels in particular rely on winning over customers directly - for example with ads on the web or on social media. If you jump on the deal too quickly and don't get any comparison offers, you'll quickly end up paying several thousand euros too much.
Where do the big price differences come from?
One reason why many providers have a lot of leeway when it comes to pricing is in the purchasing of the solar modules. Their wholesale prices have easily halved in the past twelve months. In return, this means that companies that previously purchased solar modules at high prices are currently doing everything they can to somehow get rid of the goods at a profit.
According to the solar trading platform pvXchange, high-efficiency modules cost 390 euros per kilowatt peak (kWp) of output in March 2023; today it is 210 euros/kWp. The price of mainstream modules has fallen from 300 to 130 euros/kWp.
How to find a cheap deal
You can take advantage of the complex market situation to get a cheap offer. At Selfmade-Energy, the comparison platform for solar systems, the cheapest offers for a turnkey PV system with around 5 kWp (12 solar modules), depending on the region, currently start at 1,400 to 1,800 euros/kWp. The most expensive offer is around 3,000 euros/kWp. The total price ranges from 7,000 to 15,000 euros.
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With a system twice as large with 10 kWp (24 solar modules), the price differences on the platform become somewhat smaller. The cheapest offers (without electricity storage) are below €15,000 everywhere.
This is what you should pay attention to when comparing
Please note that the prices displayed in the main Finanztip recommendation Selfmade Energy* are initially flat rates with often cheap components. If you want to go a little higher on the shelf, you have to expect additional costs.
The other Finanztip recommendations also provide you with several contacts to PV companies in one go: photovoltaic offer comparison* and solar system portal*. Additionally, ask a local PV company around the corner for a quote.
Be careful of additional costs
It's best to only get fixed-price offers where everything is included: In addition to the PV hardware, the scaffolding costs, tradesmen's services and the power grid connection, among other things. Clarify whether the meter box needs to be replaced in your case and what additional costs will arise for a nested roof.
Differences in the quality of the solar modules (highly efficient / standard) and their origin (China / Europe) as well as possible additional services (insurance / maintenance service) can of course justify higher prices.
With the Finanztip starter package for your own solar system, you are well prepared for sales discussions.
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This article is available to IPPEN.MEDIA as part of a cooperation with the non-profit money guide Finanztip - the original for this article "
€10,000 price difference for the same solar system?"
comes from the weekly Finanztip newsletter from March 28, 2024.
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