- SolarEdge P401 units ran about $55 each when we bought them. Labor was roughly $30 per unit since they were part of the main install.
- Tigo TS4-A-O cost me about $50 per unit. The CCA + TAP kit added roughly $250 for monitoring.
- Year one extra energy from the main array was around 900–1,100 kWh compared to the year before. At my rate (about 13 cents per kWh), that’s roughly $120–$140 saved. Not life-changing, but it stacks up.
If you have no shade and one simple roof face, the gain may be small. I’m being straight with you. But if you’ve got trees, chimneys, dormers, or panels pointing different ways, the math shifts fast.
Speaking of covering costs, I’ve met more than one sustainability-minded friend who looked for unconventional ways to bankroll their upgrades—especially students and recent grads in college towns. If you’re in Athens and curious about how modern “mentorship” arrangements can help offset big purchases like a solar install, check out this local guide to becoming or finding a sugar daddy in Athens—it walks through the expectations, safety tips, and financial benefits so you can decide if that route makes sense for your budget goals.