The Best DIY Solar Kits (2024 Edition)
Are you thinking about going solar? Take the easy route – instead of buying and assembling parts one by one, opt for a complete home solar panel kit. DIY solar kits ensure a seamless and straightforward transition to solar, providing all the essential components you need to set up solar power for your home and start lowering your utility bill.
Solar panel kits allow for DIY installation on your own time, allowing you to save thousands of dollars by not having to work with an installer or contractor. You don’t have all the skills to install it on your own? You can still get help for the parts you don’t feel confident enough.
But what’s the best DIY solar kit for your home? Here we break down the seven best solar panel kits in 2024 from GoGreenSolar, a pioneer in DIY solar. Moreso, we’ll walk you through all the buying considerations to keep in mind.
Table of contents:
- What to Look for in a Home Solar Panel Kit
- Best Overall Home Solar Kit
- Best Budget-Friendly Home Solar Kit
- Best Solar Kit for Large Homes
- Best Home Solar Kit With Battery
- Best Off-Grid Solar Kit
- Best Solar Kit for Urban Ground Mount
- Best Solar Kit for Large Rural Home
- Best Solar Kit for EV Charging
What to Look for in a DIY Solar Panel Kit
When embarking on the journey of DIY solar installation, understanding what your solar kit should include is crucial. Most solar companies that sell kits online include only the main components: solar panels and an inverter. But that’s just the tip of the iceberg.
Essential Components: To properly install your solar panel system, you’ll also need mounting hardware to attach the solar panels on your roof or ground, rapid shutdown devices for safety, a monitoring system to optimize performance, and more. When you buy from GoGreenSolar you get all the components, including:
- Solar Panels
- Inverter
- Racking (mounting)
- Monitoring system
- Batteries, if you opt for them
Technical Support: An often overlooked but vital aspect of the solar kit is the technical support provided by the company. Whether you decide to DIY or hire an installer, you should choose a vendor that offers detailed guidance and support tailored to your specific installation needs. Having access to expert advice can significantly ease the installation process, helping you navigate any challenges that might arise.
Additional Services: Additionally, opt for a solar kit from a company that offers assistance with utility interconnection and permitting. These paperwork-heavy processes can be daunting for many customers! That’s why when you purchase a home solar kit from GoGreenSolar, you have the option to add these services and make your installation journey even smoother.
In summary, the ideal DIY solar kit extends beyond just the hardware components. It encompasses a supportive framework that guides you through installation, technical challenges, and administrative procedures, ultimately ensuring a successful and efficient solar power setup for your home.
Learn more: DIY Solar Installation: Step-by-Step Guide
Best Overall Home Solar Kit
In 2024 when electricity rates are reaching record highs across the US, while frequent power outages remain a tale-old problem, the best overall solar kit for the average American home would have an IQ Battery 5P by Enphase. The size of the system can be customized per your specific needs, but Enphase’s battery will give you the power security and savings to make your solar investment worthwhile in the short and long run.
Established in 2026, Enphase is renowned for their incredible product reliability and ultra-responsive customer support. Getting a solar kit with IQ Battery 5P can offer your household the ability to generate, store, and manage your own energy. It will help you reduce your reliance on the grid and provide backup power during outages, making it the perfect choice for areas prone to power interruptions.
Moreover, if you live in California, Connecticut or Long Island, by installing an IQ Battery 5P you qualify to enroll in a Virtual Power Plants program and earn up to $200 a year.
Our rating: 5/5
Best Budget-Friendly Home Solar Kit
Priced under $4,000, this 2,000-watt solar power system is an excellent choice for getting started with solar. It’s designed to offset about 20% to 40% of the electricity usage for an average American household.
Besides all the other necessary solar components, this kit comes with Enphase expandable microinverters. This means you can easily add more panels or batteries in the future, making it a flexible choice for growing your home’s solar capacity.
While this solar panel kit is a great entry-level and cost-effective solution, it likely won’t be enough to offset your entire electricity bill if you’re looking for that benefit. However, the price is much lower than competitors who offer similar kits.
Our rating: 4/5
Best Budget-Friendly Home Solar Kit
Best Solar Kit for a Larger Home
When it comes to powering larger homes efficiently and sustainably, our 15kW DIY Solar Kit with Microinverters stands out as the ideal solution. This solar panel kit includes all the fixings plus battery backup for greater energy independence and protection during outages.
Generating an estimated 2,000 kWh of energy per month, this system is robust enough to significantly reduce, if not entirely eliminate, energy bills for most American households with average monthly usage.
Despite its high capacity, this system is designed with versatility in mind. Requiring approximately 874 square feet of roof space, the solar panels can be strategically placed anywhere on your property, providing flexibility in installation. This is particularly beneficial for larger homes where roof space may be limited or irregularly shaped.
“While in high demand in other States, this kit is particularly popular in California,” says Deep Patel of GoGreenSolar. “It’s a great choice because you get to store and use your own power instead of sending it back to the grid. With the recent changes in California’s net metering policy, battery backup systems are now more important than ever. ”
Our rating: 5/5
Best Solar Kit for a Larger Home
Best Home Solar Kit With Battery
With 16.2 kWh of stored energy, 4.8 kW of solar for re-charging, and the ability to deliver 8,000 watts of power at once during an outage, this solar power kit will keep you running indefinitely during a power outage without breaking the bank.
If the grid is down, you’ll still be able to power lights, fans, your computer and TV, and essential appliances like a refrigerator, microwave and washing machine. (And of course, you’ll also get the bonus of a lower electric bill.)
This kit includes efficient solar panels, roof mounting hardware, lithium batteries, and an inverter and charger power center that manages the power whether the grid is on or off.
If you’re in need of a complete home solar system with full-home battery backup, this one will serve you well.
“A full-home battery backup system offers protection during blackouts and even natural disasters. These kits are a top choice for many of our customers,” says GoGreenSolar CEO Deep Patel.
Our rating: 5/5
Browse more: Battery Backup Kits
Best Home Solar Kit With Battery
Best Off-Grid Solar Panel Kit
No surprises here: Our 4.8kW Solar Kit w/ 8kW Sol-Ark Inverter & 16.2 kWh Fortress LifePO4 Battery Bank wins in this category as well.
If you want to power your off-grid home or remote vacation cabin, look no further than our most popular Sol-Ark kit. This off-grid solar panel kit includes a Sol-Ark inverter — a top-tier inverter for off-grid applications — plus a sizable Fortress battery bank.
Thanks to the hybrid Sol-Ark inverter, this system works for both off-grid and on-grid applications and is capable of running all your essential appliances smoothly. Plus, it is expandable, so you can add more panels and inverters to your system should your energy needs change.
This off-grid kit has everything you need for a sustainable setup. Look no further!
Our rating: 5/5
Browse more: Off-Grid Solar Panel Kits
Best Off-Grid Solar Panel Kit
Best Solar Kit for Urban Ground Mounts
Say goodbye to your electric bills! This 10kW solar panel kit is our number-one pick for residential ground-mount solar systems.
For most homes in the United States, 10kW of solar power is enough to offset the home’s energy needs. So if you have enough land with viable site conditions, you’ll get more bang for your buck with this top-rated home solar panel kit.
One of the biggest perks of this ground-mount solar kit is its racking system. GoGreenSolar partners exclusively with IronRidge, a leading supplier of solar structural hardware, to include premier racking solutions with every ground-mount kit.
This is a practical and economical DIY solar kit for ground-mount solar candidates. It comes with a string inverter, which isn’t as efficient as a microinverter, but if installed with unobstructed south-facing views of the sun, you can enjoy high output!
Our rating: 4/5
Best Solar Kit for Urban Ground Mounts
Best Solar Kit for Large Rural Properties
If you have a big rural property with access to the grid, our 20kW Ground-Mounted Solar Kit is the best choice for you.
With a capacity of 20 kW of DC power, this kit is designed to meet the energy needs of larger rural properties. Producing an estimated 2,400 to 4,200 kWh of AC power per month, it will likely reduce your electricity bill to zero.
Requiring over 1,725 square feet of space, the solar panels can be strategically placed for maximum sun exposure, optimizing energy production. This flexibility in placement ensures that even properties with varying terrain or shading can benefit from solar energy without compromise.
The best part is that this kit allows you to scale – it can be retrofitted with a battery storage system later. This future-proofing capability ensures resilience and continuity of power supply, making it an ideal choice for rural properties where grid reliability may be a concern.
Our rating: 5/5
Best Solar Kit for Large Rural Properties
Best Solar Kit for EV Charging
With the rise in popularity of electric vehicles, homeowners are increasingly looking for sustainable ways to power their EVs. Our 4kW Microinverter Solar Kit is specifically designed to meet the energy demands of EV charging, offering a convenient and eco-friendly solution.
By generating 300 to 750 kWh of energy per month, this kit can entirely offset the energy consumption associated with EV charging. This means homeowners can charge their EVs for free at the convenience of their homes.
This kit requires only 230 square feet of space, making it ideal for homeowners with limited roof space or smaller properties. Its compact footprint ensures easy installation and integration into existing structures.
Best Solar Kit for EV Charging
For further convenience, we recommend pairing this solar kit with an Enphase EV charger. It seamlessly integrates with Enphase microinverters used in this kit, streamlining the installation process and ensuring compatibility.
Get Help Choosing the Best DIY Solar Kit for Your Home
Not sure which solar kit is right for you? Or what size solar system you need? We can help you!
- You can check out our easy solar panel calculator to help you size your system.
- Take our solar quiz to get a custom solar kit offer tailored to your specific needs.
- If you’re going off-grid, use this off-grid load calculator to size your system.
Or, you can save yourself the trouble and time and ask for our professional solar help. Get in touch with our experts for assistance, and we’ll guide you through the process of picking or creating a solar kit that’s a perfect fit for your home.
