Some time ago we took stock of the real price of a photovoltaic installation, many installers offering prohibitive rates, greatly impacting the profitability of the solar installation. Sunethic, a very committed player in the field, had thus provided many explanations and very interesting rates, allowing us to shed light on the issue. Today it is Hello Watt who provides us with very interesting information.
We have known Hello Watt for a long time, in particular for its application, based on data from Linky and Gazpar communicating meters, which allows you to monitor and understand your energy consumption. An Alexa skill is also available to monitor this closely on your voice assistant.
It also allows you to control it, by identifying and sizing the most relevant work for a home, by measuring the energy savings made, and by checking that the energy offer is the most suited to consumption.
And to go all the way, Hello Watt also carries out energy renovation work (insulation, heating, solar) for individuals by providing them with a dedicated expert, affordable prices, aid deducted from the quote, and quality work.
In short, Hello Watt is a player very committed to energy savings, determined to accelerate the energy transition!
The price of solar installations is falling
The price of electricity has increased by 38% in one year. At the same time, the price of solar panels has fallen by 25% since January 2023. Combined, these two trends have made installing solar panels particularly profitable. Hello Watt has analyzed the gain for different situations.
The more expensive electricity is, the more profitable it is to install solar panels. Today, investing in solar power is really interesting for many households, not just for houses in the south. To carefully study the profitability of the installation, it is not only the amount of sunshine on the roof to consider, but also its rate of self-consumption of solar energy and compare quotes to be sure to have a competitive offer..
Sylvain Le Falher, co-founder of Hello Watt
In the profitability analyzes below, the prices of the equipment indicated (including installation) are those charged by Hello Watt. They do not necessarily reflect market prices, which are generally higher. These higher market prices naturally lead to slower profitability.
Example of a 3 kWp installation
Assumptions:
- 50m2 house, in Lyon
- Heating system: gas
- 2 people
- Annual household electricity consumption: 4000 kWh
- Annual power produced by solar panels: 3800 kWh
- Self-consumption rate: 40%
| January 2023 | February 2024 | |
| Material cost + installation | €9,000 | €7,600 |
| Self-consumption bonus | 1,320€ | 1,110€ |
| Remains payable | €7,680 | €6,490 |
| Price per kWh (TRVE) | 0.18€ | 0.25€ |
| Estimated gain over 25 years* | ~€20,000 | ~€25,000 |
| Profitable in… | 11 years old | 8.5 years |
Example of a 6 kWp installation
Assumptions:
- 100m2 house, in Marseille
- Heating system: heat pump
- 3 people
- Annual household electricity consumption: 6500 kWh
- Annual power produced by solar panels: 9100 kWh
- Self-consumption rate: 50%
| January 2023 | February 2024 | |
| Material cost + installation | 15,000€ | 10,500€ |
| Self-consumption bonus | €1,980 | 1,680€ |
| Remains payable | €13,020 | €8,820 |
| Price per kWh (TRVE) | €0.18 | €0.25 |
| Estimated gain over 25 years* | ~€43,000 | ~€53,000 |
| Profitable in… | 8.5 years | 5 years |
Example of a 9 kWc installation
Assumptions:
- 250m2 house, in Toulon
- Heating system: electric
- Air conditioning
- 5 people
- Annual electricity consumption of the household: 10,000 kWh
- Annual power produced by solar panels: 13,700 kWh
- Self-consumption rate: 55%
| January 2023 | February 2024 | |
| Material cost + installation | €20,500 | €13,700 |
| Self-consumption bonus | €2,970 | €2,520 |
| Remaining charge | €17,530 | €11,180 |
| Price per kWh (TRVE) | €0.18 | €0.25 € |
| Estimated gain over 25 years* | ~70,000€ | ~85,000€ |
| Payback in… | 8 years | 5 years |
Conclusion
As we can see from these figures, between the surge in the price of electricity (which is not over!) and the drop in the price of solar installations, profitability is there, and is now very fast! Photovoltaics gain 3 years of profitability on average. In some cases (installations of 6 kWc or more, significant self-consumption share, etc.), the investment can be profitable in just 5 years, compared to 8 years a year ago, or even ten years three years ago. Conclusions that we had already been able to observe during our various solar solution tests, clearly visible between the tests of two years ago and those carried out this year: profitability has improved considerably!
Many French people have understood this well: Hello Watt has doubled the number of solar installations carried out between the last quarter of 2023 and the first quarter of 2024, and quadrupled between the first quarters of 2023 and 2024! We should no longer hear that solar is not profitable. It clearly is! But on condition that you equip yourself at the right price. So keep these figures in mind and do not hesitate to get several quotes before equipping yourself. I no longer want to see people signing 6kwc installations for more than €20,000. That's just theft!
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