Rise in solar module prices comes to a halt

Solar panel prices have leveled off for the second month in a row, with most panel types seeing little to no price change and better availability. The one exception is back-contact panels, a newer, more efficient design with an almost all-black look that's popular for rooftop solar. These remain in short supply, with demand outpacing what manufacturers can produce, so their prices are staying flat or ticking up slightly. Because back-contact panels are still a small slice of the market, this shortage isn't dragging overall prices up.

That's likely to change soon. Nearly every major Asian solar manufacturer is now developing back-contact technology, and it was a centerpiece at this year's Intersolar trade show in Munich. More companies entering the space should eventually widen availability, though patent disputes and the cost of retooling factories are slowing things down for now.

Looking further out, manufacturers are already eyeing the next technology jump: perovskite solar cells, which promise higher efficiency and could enable see-through panels for building surfaces. One European company, Oxford PV, is already field-testing early versions. But the material's long-term durability outdoors is still unproven, and mass-market products aren't expected until late 2027 or 2028 at the earliest.

For now, the practical takeaway is that mainstream panel prices have stabilized and may drift slightly lower this year, while the newer, more efficient black panels favored for home rooftops could stay pricier or firm up further due to limited supply.