Solar panel costs plummeted from $6 per watt in 2000 to 12 cents today

Solar panels have dropped in price from $5–6 per watt in 2000 to about 12 cents, largely due to expanded production in China. By the end of 2025, global small-scale solar capacity reached nearly 1.2 TW—about three times the world's nuclear fleet.

• Solar panel price fell from $5–6 per watt in 2000 to ~12 cents
• China's solar panel production capacity estimated at 1.36 TW
• Global small-scale solar reached nearly 1.2 TW by end of 2025
• In India, panels installed on over 5M homes, adding 500K per month