The buyer's checklist

About your place

• I know which way the spot faces, and it isn't north. Check
• I can see a wide arc of open sky from there for most of the middle of the day.
• There's an outdoor outlet within cord reach, with a cover that closes on a plug. Check
• I know what else is on that circuit and it isn't a heater or an air conditioner.
• The railing, wall or floor can take 40 to 60 pounds and I won't damage it mounting to it.
• I've read my lease's alterations clause, or my HOA's architectural rules.
• I've asked, in writing, if I need to. Letter generator
• I know roughly what my electricity costs per kilowatt-hour. Find out
• I know whether anyone's home during the day, and I've been honest about it.
• I've run the numbers and I'm comfortable with the answer. Calculator

About the kit

• Total AC output across everything at this address is 1,200 watts or less.
• The manufacturer names a specific certification, not "certified components." Checker
• Documentation says it has anti-islanding, or shuts down in an outage.
• It's sold by a US seller with US documentation, not imported from Europe.
• I know what mounting hardware is included and what isn't.
• I've bought clamps that fit my actual railing shape.
• I've budgeted for a tilt bracket if the panel would otherwise hang vertical.
• I know the warranty on the panel and, separately, on the microinverter.
• I know whether there's an app or whether I need a plug-in energy meter.
• I've checked the return policy, in case the balcony turns out to be worse than I thought.

The day it arrives

• Photograph the railing before mounting anything.
• Unbox and check for shipping damage before you're forty feet up a stairwell with it.
• Mount before plugging in. Never the reverse.
• Check the clamps are tight, then check again a week later.
• Plug in and confirm it's producing — via the app, or a plug-in meter.
• Photograph the installed panel and email it to your landlord or board if you promised to.
• Add it to your renter's or HO-6 policy.
• Note the date and the reading. Everything interesting comes from comparing that against later readings.
• Register with your utility if they've asked for it. Current requirement