[drcross]

Panel cost is probably 10-20% of a total install cost. What you're paying for is labour, inverter, cabling and metal mounting equipment. Mostly labour. If you're able to self install you can shave years off ROI.

[zbrozek]

DIY install is great. It's really not hard and saves a huge amount of money.

[irrational]

Where can you purchase everything wholesale?

[simpsond]

I got my equipment through a local wholesaler. I built a BOM using solardesigntool and submitted through them. The wholesaler called me and accommodated me as a DIYer. CED Greentech was the company.

[bluSCALE4]

Yeah, I was looking into this. Look like I can get most of the equipment for a 18kW system for roughly 15k.

[bilsbie]

Why can’t we make those things cheaper?

[htag]

Labour: Having people climb around roofs is dangerous, and people with dangerous work expect higher compensation.

Inverter: Cost of materials, assembly, and QA. You want good stuff for the amount of current passing through.

Cabling: Cabling is mostly materials in cost. Conductive metals are expensive.

Metal Mounting: It's heavy, and requires lots of raw material and expensive equipment to create it.

[nocoiner]

But presumably it’s cheaper for the average HN reader to hire a skilled tradesman to do the install than to take the, say, 2% chance of a debilitating fall from the roof?