Due to high energy needs, the use of photovoltaics is becoming increasingly profitable. In general, the profitability of investing in a photovoltaic power plant depends on the price of the installation and the energy prices. The costs of photovoltaics largely consist of the costs of the installation itself, which are incurred on a one-off basis. The price of the installation kit also depends on where the panels will be installed. The cost of the installation is influenced by:

• photovoltaic panels,
• inverters,
• wiring,
• energy meters,
• electrical equipment with lightning protection,
• labor costs,
• additional components costs (especially relevant for tracker systems),
• maintenance costs for the period of operation,
• disposal costs after plant closure.

An example of the percentage distribution of costs for an installation company is shown in Fig. 1 – compiled on the basis of [1], [2].

The current average installation price in the United States by size is shown in Fig. 2. For 1kW we get a cost of $5/kW, and for i 74 kW the cost per 1kW is $3.
The average cost of installing solar photovoltaics worldwide from 2010 to 2019 has been falling for many years and is now $995/kW ( Fig. 2 – based on data from [3]).