Bright Saver 360 W Balcony Kit
First-time buyers who want the cheapest small kit can reach the at-cost price, provided they don't mind a $29 nonprofit membership.
- $414 Seller's price when checked
- 360 W2 x 180 W lightweight glass-free
- $1.15 a watt1 of 7 kits cost less per watt
- 360 WInverter's rated output into the outlet
- UL 3700 inverter, but the kit as a whole is not listedSafety listing
- No batteryNot part of this kit
Compare it with the other kits or See the Bright Saver 360 W Balcony Kit on the seller's site.
You Get the Following
- 2 panels, each 180 W
- Y-cable
- Hoymiles HiFlow Pro LV 360 W microinverter
- A 15 ft power cord
- Zip ties in stainless steel
- An app for monitoring, run on your smartphone.
- Plug
- Standard 120 V outlet plus 15 ft cord
- A safety listing
- The inverter is UL 1741 certified and UL 3700 subassembly certified; the kit is not yet whole-system UL 3700 certified.
- Warranty
- Hoymiles inverter: 12 years.
Possible Savings
In Los Angeles sun, this 360 W panel set makes power and saves money. These numbers come from California's average rates for power and assume you use all of it at home. Calculate for your state.
| Where the panels go | kWh a year | Saved a year | Pays back in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tilted south on a stand | 614 | $200 | 2.1 years |
| Upright on a railing | 387 | $126 | 3.3 years |
| Facing east or west | 491 | $160 | 2.6 years |
Comparing Price per Watt
| Kit | Per watt | Price | Panels | Inverter output | Safety listing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1US Solar Supplier 1180 W EZ1 Kit | $0.76 | $899 | 1,180 W | 900 W | UL 3700 inverter, CSA certified |
| 2Bright Saver 360 W Balcony Kit | $1.15 | $414 | 360 W | 360 W | UL 3700 inverter, but the kit as a whole is not listed |
| 3EcoFlow STREAM 800 W Kit | $1.37 | $1,099 | 800 W | 1,200 W | UL 1741 inverter, no UL 3700 |
| 4PluggedSolar 800 W Kit | $1.81 | $1,449 | 800 W | 800 W, seller's figure | UL 1741 inverter, no UL 3700 |
| 5PluggedSolar APsystems 800 W Kit | $1.99 | $1,595 | 800 W | 800 W, seller's figure | Seller claims UL 3700 |
| 6Mango Power S 1200 W Kit | $2.25 | $2,698 | 1,200 W | 1,120 W | Manufacturer claims UL 3700 |
| 7Craftstrom 1200 W Plug&Play Kit | $2.54 | $3,048 | 1,200 W | 1,050 W | Manufacturer claims UL 3700 |
States That Have a Plug-In Law
Lawmakers in 10 states have passed laws letting a certified kit under the cap plug in with no utility agreement, and 4 of those laws take effect on a later start date. Cap wording differs from law to law, so the bigger figure, the panels' total or the inverter's output (360 W in this case), is compared with the cap. Next, the listing the law asks for is checked.
| State | Status | Watt cap | This kit | Bill | Takes effect |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | Law passed, starts later | 1,200 W | Under the cap, any national lab listing | SB 868 | Jan 1, 2027 |
| Colorado | Allowed by state law | 1,920 W | Under the cap, any national lab listing | HB26-1007 | Aug 12, 2026 |
| Connecticut | Allowed by state law | 1,200 W | Under the cap, any national lab listing | HB 5340 | Oct 1, 2026 |
| Maine | Allowed by state law | 1,200 W | Under the cap, UL 3700 inverter | LD 1730 (SP 676) | Jul 29, 2026 |
| Maryland | Allowed by state law | 1,200 W | Under the cap, any national lab listing | HB 1532 (Utility RELIEF Act) | Jul 1, 2026 |
| New Hampshire | Law passed, starts later | 1,200 W | Under the cap, any national lab listing | SB 540-FN | Jan 1, 2027 |
| New Jersey | Law passed, starts later | 1,200 W | Under the cap, UL 3700 inverter | S 2368, A 4836 | Mar 1, 2027 |
| Utah | Allowed by state law | 1,200 W | Under the cap, any national lab listing | HB 340 | May 7, 2025 |
| Vermont | Allowed by state law | 1,200 W | Under the cap, UL 3700 inverter | S.202 | Jul 1, 2026 |
| Virginia | Law passed, starts later | 1,200 W | Under the cap, any national lab listing | HB 395, SB 250 | Jan 1, 2027 |
Checks We Made
- Member price for the 180 W and 360 W kits: $285.30 $414.17. This is the whole price. We add no markup at all: $0.00. (www.brightsaver.org)
- To get the at-cost price, membership costs $29 for 1 year, plus the panels at cost. (www.brightsaver.org)
- Without a membership, the Balcony Solar Kit costs $499 at the full price. (www.brightsaver.org)
- Two-panel kit contents: it ships with two 180 W panels, a Y-cable linking both panels to the inverter, plus the same microinverter and 15 ft cord. (www.brightsaver.org)
- The inverter: the Hoymiles HiFlow Pro LV One 360 W unit is a micro-inverter that converts solar power to standard 120V AC current. (www.brightsaver.org)
- The warranty runs 12 years. Compliant with UL 3700. (www.brightsaver.org)
- UL 3700 status: no inverter anywhere had earned a UL 3700 subassembly certification before our Hoymiles inverter. (www.brightsaver.org)
- Not whole-system certified: whole-system certification is a different thing, since there the inverter, the panels, the cables, and the mounting hardware are certified together. (www.brightsaver.org)
- UL 1741: our kits use a Hoymiles inverter that holds UL 1741 certification. (www.brightsaver.org)
- Sizing: We build our kits to 360 W on purpose. (www.brightsaver.org)