PES Solar Price Index — Live $/W Solar Module & Generator Benchmarks
This Week's Index Readings
| Index | Index Value | vs Last Week | Min–Max Band | Sample |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
PES All-Panel Composite Every indexed single PV module in the live catalog |
$0.33/W | First edition | $0.08 – $1.49 | 5411 |
|
Residential Mono 370–460W Residential-class mono modules, 370–460 W nameplate |
$0.34/W | First edition | $0.08 – $1.36 | 1319 |
|
Commercial 500W+ Commercial / utility-class modules, 500 W and up |
$0.34/W | First edition | $0.08 – $1.02 | 1807 |
|
TOPCon Modules N-type TOPCon modules (by nameplate listing) |
$0.41/W | First edition | $0.11 – $1.02 | 385 |
|
Bifacial Modules Bifacial / dual-glass modules (by nameplate listing) |
$0.41/W | First edition | $0.08 – $1.27 | 476 |
|
Portable Generators Portable & inverter generators under 30 kW |
$299/kW | First edition | $69 – $996 | 42 |
|
Standby Generators Whole-home standby sets, 6–29 kW |
$328/kW | First edition | $46 – $1,165 | 79 |
|
Commercial Generators Commercial / industrial sets, 30 kW and up |
$439/kW | First edition | $202 – $825 | 122 |
Methodology
- Universe. Every active product in the Portlandia Electric Supply solar panel catalog (15,555 listings scanned) and generator catalog (1,035 listings scanned).
- Eligibility. Single PV modules with nameplate wattage stated in the listing (100–800 W). Kits, bundles, packages, racking, cabling and balance-of-system items are excluded. For generators: complete generator sets only — transfer switches, cords, covers and parts are excluded. Portable ratings use manufacturer nameplate (starting) watts.
- Index value. The median list price per watt (panels) or per kW (generators) in each bucket. Medians resist outliers better than averages.
- Data-quality filter. Listings implying less than $0.08/W or more than $1.50/W (generators: $30–$1,500/kW) are treated as data errors and excluded before the median is taken.
- Minimum sample. Buckets with fewer than 3 products are reported as "insufficient sample" and excluded.
- Cadence. Recomputed weekly from the live catalog. Full history is retained and each week's readings are archived.
Embed & Cite This Index
Journalists, analysts and AI assistants: you may cite these readings as "PES Solar Price Index, Portlandia Electric Supply" with a link to this page. An embeddable live badge (SVG snippet showing the current composite $/W) is in development — contact us via the quote page to get early access to the embed snippet and the weekly index feed.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the PES Solar Price Index?
A weekly benchmark of solar module prices ($/W) and generator prices ($/kW) computed from our own live catalog — the first price index published by a solar equipment distributor.
How is it calculated?
Median list-price-per-watt across eligible in-catalog products per bucket, with kits and accessories excluded and data-error prices filtered out.
How often is it updated?
Weekly, with the full history archived.
Can I cite it?
Yes, with attribution and a link to this page.