What's in a kit, and what you'll also need to buy
By Mike YuPublished September 1, 2026
Image needed
The contents of one kit unboxed and arranged on a floor, every item visible and separated, shot from above.
In the box
The panel. Typically 180 to 450 watts, roughly the size of an interior door, 30 to 50 pounds, with an aluminium frame and a glass face. Check the warranty — 25 years is standard.
The microinverter. A sealed box, usually bolted to the panel frame. This is the part that has to be certified and the part most likely to fail eventually. Warranties are usually 10 to 12 years.
The DC cable between panel and inverter, pre-terminated with locking connectors.
The AC cable from the inverter to a standard plug. Check the length before you buy — some are surprisingly short.
Generic mounting hardware. Usually a pair of adjustable brackets that fit a railing, not necessarily yours.
Not in the box, and what it costs
| Item | Cost | When you need it |
|---|---|---|
| Railing clamps for your specific railing | $30–$120 | Round rails, square rails and glass balustrades all differ |
| Tilt bracket | $40–$90 | Whenever the panel would otherwise hang vertical. Best value item here |
| Outdoor-rated extension cord | $20–$40 | If the outlet isn't within the AC cable's reach |
| In-use weatherproof outlet cover | $15–$25 | If your outdoor outlet's cover won't close on a plugged-in cord |
| Plug-in energy meter | $20–$30 | If the kit has no app. Get one regardless |
| Cable ties, UV-rated | $10 | Tidying the cable run. Buy UV-rated or they perish in a year |
| Anti-theft cable and lock | $25–$40 | Ground-floor or shared-space installations |
Call it $100 to $200 depending on how much you need.
Image needed
Three railing types side by side — round tube, square tube, and glass balustrade — with a tape measure held against each.
Measure your railing before you order anything
The most common ordering mistake in this category. Take three measurements:
- Shape: round tube, square tube, flat bar, or glass panel.
- Diameter or width, in inches.
- Space behind the railing — some clamps need clearance to close.
If it's a glass balustrade, you need clamps specifically made for glass, and some buildings won't permit anything clamped to glass at all. Check before you buy.
What good mounting hardware looks like
- Stainless or anodised aluminium. Not painted mild steel — it's California, but it's also outside for twenty years.
- Rated for the panel's weight with margin, and for wind load if you can get a figure.
- Clamps rather than penetrations. This is what makes the whole thing acceptable to a landlord.
- Adjustable, so you can change the tilt if you learn something.
The monitoring question
Some kits come with an app. Some don't.
If yours doesn't, buy a plug-in energy meter — the kind that sits between the plug and the outlet and reads out watts and cumulative kilowatt-hours. It's $25 and it's the difference between owning a panel and understanding one.
You'll want it for three reasons: confirming it's actually working, learning your own production curve so you can decide about a battery later, and settling the question of whether models like ours are any good.
What you don't need
- A charge controller. That's off-grid equipment; a grid-tied plug-in kit doesn't use one.
- An electrician, for a normal install into an existing outdoor outlet.
- A permit, in most cases — you're not altering the building.
- A battery, unless you've decided you want one. That decision.
- A special meter. Your utility's existing meter handles this fine.
Compare kits → · Printable checklist →
Sources
Every legal, numeric and safety claim on this page traces to one of these.
- Bright Saver kit specifications — accessed September 1, 2026