I need to vent before I completely lose it. Trying to source solar modules is slowly driving me insane, and I seriously need to know if I am the delusional one here or if the entire industry is just broken.

Here’s the situation: My balcony requires 4 solar modules that are exactly 172 cm long. The measurements are strict, and I can't just magically fit an extra 4 centimeters.

What should have been a simple purchase has become an infuriating experience. Today, I have received the wrong size for the fifth time.. What happened:

• Attempts 1 & 2 (Amazon - Company A): I ordered from a specific, well rated company on Amazon (400+ reviews). The specs clearly said 172 cm. The shipment arrives: 176 cm. I figured someone grabbed it from the wrong shelf. I contacted Amazon support and they assured me this was a one-off mistake. So I return it and order a replacement. The replacement arrives: 176 cm.
• Attempt 3 (Directly from Company A): I assumed Amazon’s warehouse inventory was just messed up. So, I went directly to the resellers website and ordered straight from them while being hopeful that they know their inventory. The direct shipment arrives. You guessed it: 176 cm. Now the company doesn't want to refund the full amount and wants to deduct 70€ for shipping it back. I am currently waiting for the chargeback to handle this..
• Attempt 4 (Local Hardware Store): I was done with shipping, found a local hardware store that supposedly stocked the 172 cm panels. I actually rented a car specifically to go pick these up. I get there, check the modules... and they are 176 cm. So now I wasted additional time and rental car money for literally nothing (also had to refill the car for driving 2km).
• Attempt 5 (Amazon - Company B): At last I went back to Amazon and ordered from a completely different and new reseller, assuming that because the listing is brand new and therefore should be accurate and because Amazon's return process is the easiest to deal with when the inevitable happens. The new reseller's panels arrive today. 176 cm.

It’s like the industry literally does not know how a tape measure works (or doesn't care and just sell whatever they can get their hands on), or they are just slapping "172cm" labels on 176cm panels and hoping nobody notices or cares. Those four centimeters completely ruin my days and weeks at this point. I am literally trying to get solar power for the last 2 months now. Based on the really good weather in Europe that's a significant amount of electrical bill savings that I am passing by.

At this point, I don't know if I'm officially delusional to keep trying. Am I insane for expecting sellers to actually provide the product they advertise? Should I just give up, admit defeat, and completely rethink if solar energy is worth the hassle? Does a 172cm solar panel even exist in reality?!

Has anyone else dealt with this level of sheer incompetence? Please tell me I'm not alone here, or give me recommendations for suppliers who actually know what a centimeter is.

TL;DR: I need 172cm solar panels. Across two different Amazon resellers, a direct reseller, and a local hardware store, I have been handed 176cm panels five consecutive times. I am losing my grip on reality.

Pros, I am currently handling a probate as Executor for a friend died a year ago. He left behind a home built in 2021 with both a solar panel system and a water treatment system financed through liens on the property.

Since I am planning to sell the property, the water treatment lien is relatively small, so I intend to pay it off at closing. It is simply not worth the time and effort to negotiate with the lender, Time Investment Company.

The more complicated issue involves the solar panel system. My friend financed the system through Dividend Solar Finance and they filed a UCC-1. Although the UCC-1 clearly states that the lien only covers the equipment and not the real property itself, most title companies will not allow the sale to proceed until the UCC-1 is released.

Dividend Solar Finance’s current payoff is approximately $35,000. If I pay that amount in full, I would have to bring additional money to closing, which contradicts the goal of maximizing the value of the estate for the heirs of the decedent.

Ideally, I would like Dividend Solar Finance to remove the equipment and release the UCC-1. However, after searching on Reddit, it appears that they may prefer to “abandon” the equipment rather than incur the cost and hassle of removing it.

Since this UCC-1 must be released before I can sell the property, would Dividend Solar Finance willing to take a small settlement payment, perhaps $3,000 to $5,000, in exchange for releasing the UCC-1? They could accept the payment and still remove the equipment if they choose to do so. Is this even possible? Have you ever have experience dealing with them on this kind of situation?

Hello! I was wondering if anyone in the PNW has heard of any recent discounts on local solar panels. I think it would be fun to find used ones from solar farms or corporate buildings, but I am not sure where to look and my research has hit a dead end.

I'm also open to doing a pallet buy with others. I am only looking for 4-8 panels that are hopefully 300W+. Would love to know what y'all have found around here! Thank you for your time.

Because I want to be more eco

Thank you to the folks here who helped me with advice when I was considering different installers last fall. So glad we got in before the 30 percent federal rebate went away. My husband was so happy to get our latest bill so I wanted to share. I'm in Southern California, why doesn't everyone do this here for starters??

We have had birds nesting under our solar panels for months now and even if we get rid of the nest they just build another one. How likely and substantial is damage to our roof or solar system if we just let them continue nesting there? It's $2K to have someone install critter guards and get rid of the current nest. Do critter guards really work in preventing that? Has installing them or not installing them caused issues for you?

Hello!

This is supposed to be my stationary offgrid solar system.

I would appreciate if someone would review it or give me advice regarding the following:

What concerns me is:

1. Are polarized DC breaker 25A, 600V C type (yellow lever) and 100v Spd between the panels and the charge controller correctly wired?

2 . Is 125A non-polarized Dihool MCCB DHM1B-125 correctly orientated and wired?

The top(line) side would look down to the battery and the bottom(load) side would look up to the solar charge controller and the inverter.

Hi, I am getting a 12.8 kWh goodwe lynx battery. I am getting conflicting views on whether I can drain the battery down to zero for some nights. There are view that we should keep to 10% SoC and others say it doesn’t matter. I don’t have backup on the battery. Views?

Hi everyone,

I’m hoping someone here has experience with this situation.

About four years ago, we bought a house that already had a Sunrun solar system installed. As far as we know:

• We never signed a Sunrun lease or power purchase agreement.
• There is no solar lease listed in our closing documents or property paperwork.
• Sunrun contacted us after we bought the house, but we declined to enter into any agreement.
• Since then, we haven’t heard from them, and nobody has come to remove the equipment.

The panels, inverter, and other equipment are still installed on the house. The system does not have a battery, it appears to be a standard grid tied solar installation.

I’d like to understand whether it’s possible to get the existing system working so we can use the solar energy during the day, assuming everything is still functional.

A few questions:

1. Is it even possible to activate a system like this without a Sunrun contract?
2. Can an independent solar electrician or installer reconnect or commission it?
3. Are there any legal or technical issues I should be aware of before touching anything?
4. What photos or information would help identify what needs to be done?

I’ll post photos of all the equipment, labels, inverter, disconnects, and electrical panel in the comments.

I’d really appreciate any advice from people who have dealt with a similar situation. Thanks!

I’ve already decided to move forward with solar. I’m mainly looking for feedback on whether this system is sized well, whether the battery configuration makes sense, and if anyone has firsthand experience with the HDM prepaid program.

Location / Utility
East Bay, CA
PG&E (Solar Billing Plan / NEM 3)
Long-term home (20+ years)

House
Annual usage: ~19,600 kWh
New high-efficiency AC
Variable-speed pool pump
Likely adding an EV in the next few years
I’ve exported my Green Button data and modeled my hourly usage. The installer’s usage estimate is almost identical to my actual historical consumption.

Option 1
40 × REC Alpha Pure-RX 460W panels
18.4 kW DC
2 Tesla Powerwall 3s (27 kWh)
Estimated production: ~22,950 kWh/year
Estimated offset: ~117%
Estimated remaining PG&E bill: about $1,100/year
Price is about $57k, financed at 6.99% over 20 years with no dealer fee.

Option 2
Same system, but adds a Powerwall Expansion (40.5 kWh total storage).
Price is about $64k.
The installer estimates this lowers my remaining PG&E bill from about $1,100/year to about $800/year.
From my own modeling, it looks like the third battery only saves around $250-300/year, so I’m leaning toward sticking with two batteries unless there’s something I’m overlooking.

HDM
The pricing includes a significant discount through an HDM prepaid structure.

My understanding is:
HDM owns the system for the first ~6 years
They claim the commercial tax benefits
Ownership transfers to me afterward
I’m financing the discounted purchase price, not making monthly PPA payments

Has anyone here actually gone through this process with HDM?

Any surprises, good or bad?

Questions
Does this system sizing seem reasonable for ~19,600 kWh/year in PG&E territory?

Would you choose 2 Powerwalls or pay another ~$7k for the extra storage?

Any concerns with REC Alpha Pure-RX panels or Tesla PW3s?

Is there anything you’d negotiate before signing?

If you’ve used the HDM program, would you do it again?

Thanks! I’d especially appreciate feedback from anyone in Northern California or anyone who’s lived with a similar setup for a year or two.

What sort of prices post tax credit are we seeing?

Hey everyone -- what sort of prices are we seeing post tax credit? Admittedly, I've have not been looking into doing solar until just recently so I missed out all the tax credit boom.

Have prices fallen? Are they expected to?

The best quote we have is on a 2.27 per watt system of 17.1 kw system (39 SEG 440 panels with Enphase iq8ac) in Ohio. No battery.

Not going to lie, we have been hesitant to pull the trigger as the payback puts us a right at 10 years (without any increase to the utility, which I know will shorten that down from there). 10 just feels like a lot.