Rant: I threw $500 at a solar panel setup that never paid off

I bought one of those DIY solar kits from a big box store back in 2021, thinking it would cut my electric bill. Total waste of cash - the panels were too weak for my roof angle and the inverter died after 4 months. I lost about $500 total after shipping the return and buying extra wiring that didn't fit. The whole thing sat in my garage for a year before I gave it away. Has anyone else gotten burned by those cheap starter kits?

2 comments

2 Comments

torres.elizabeth20d ago

...I mean, $500 isn't nothing, but people drop that on a weekend trip or a new phone without blinking. Sounds like you just got a bad product more than anything else. Roof angle thing is also kinda on you for not checking before you bought it.

aaronlee20d agoMost Upvoted

Yeah that's pretty harsh. $500 is real money to most people, especially when you saved up for something new and it just doesn't work right. I get that you can check the roof angle yourself, but sometimes you just trust the product will work in a normal setup. It's frustrating when stuff like that happens, I feel for you.