Net Metering Expansion
(Limited SF Bay Area Pilot)
From $1,499
Already have rooftop solar but wish you could generate more?
Your net metering agreement may allow the expansion of your existing solar array*. Plug-in solar provides a simple, cost-effective way to grow your system using available space around your home.
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Easy Installation: Just plug in and start generating.
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Cost-Effective: Add solar capacity without the complexity and cost of traditional rooftop panels.
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Flexible Placement: Install anywhere around your home with enough sun.
Availability: Pick up/delivery available within one week of placing order. Pickup in Richmond, CA, or local delivery within 50 miles. Sorry, no shipping outside this area.
Bonus: May qualify for the federal solar Investment Tax Credit (ITC).
* Specifically, PG&E allows an expansion of up to 1 kW of generation capacity without losing existing net metering privileges, please see the last paragraph of this document.
GET MORE FROM THE SUN
Why Expand Your Solar?
Earn More Net Metering Credits
Extra panels mean more power sent back to the grid, lowering your bill with extra credits.
Shrink Your Carbon Footprint Even Further
More panels, less pollution. Each kilowatt added means fewer emissions and more clean energy for everyone.
Keep Up With Your Energy Use
New EV, heat pump, or other appliances? A few more panels can help cover new energy use and keep your bills steady.
Support Clean Energy Access
Every purchase helps Bright Saver expand affordable solar to more households across the U.S.
PRODUCT
What You'll Get
Plug-In Solar Panel System
Two to four 400 W solar panels, complete with wiring and aluminum mounts. These are state-of-the art, high quality bifacial solar panels, similar to those used with rooftop installations. They come with a 25-year warranty.
120 V Inverter - Turns Solar into Electricity
One 900 W micro-inverter to convert the solar energy into power for your home and an app to monitor it. Simply connect the solar panels on one side of the inverter and plug it into an electrical outlet on a dedicated circuit on the other side.
Easy Self-Install Instructions
Self-install instructions and optional installation support by our team. Stop by our warehouse in Richmond, CA to pick up your kit or schedule a half-day delivery window, including one hour of installation support by our local team.
Product Specs
Each Bright Saver Solar Expansion Kit comes with
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2-4 solar panels, 400 W each
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Panel Dimensions (LWH): 76” x 41” x 1.3” each
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Weight: 46.5 lbs each
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1 Microinverter, 120 V AC / 900 W
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UL certified and California Energy Commission approved
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1 AC power cord to connect to an outlet
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Smartphone app for energy production monitoring
FINANCIAL SENSE
Energy Production and Value
Each 400 W panel will produce up to 600 kWh of energy per year if optimally placed toward the sun with no shading. At an estimated value of $0.30 per kWh under Northern California net metering rates, the annual value and payback period can be estimated as follows:
System Size | Total Cost * | Annual Production | Annual Value | Payback Period |
|---|---|---|---|---|
2 panels | $1,399 | 1,200 kWh | $360 | 3.9 years |
3 panels | $1,744 | 1,800 kWh | $540 | 3.2 years |
4 panels | $2,052 | 2,200 kWh** | $660 | 3.1 years |
* Including delivery and installation support and 10% estimated sales tax, minus 30% Federal Tax Credit (expires at the end of 2025, to be claimed on your 2026 tax return)
**The fourth panel will add less output than the first three since the 900 W inverter will “clip” peak production on very sunny days.
GETTING THE PANELS
Free Pick-Up and SF Bay Area Delivery Options
You can save money by picking up the panels on your own from our Richmond, CA warehouse. You will need a pickup truck, a cargo van, large SUV, or a car with a roof rack. Please note: Many SUVs are a bit too narrow to fit the solar panels inside the car, so please check for at least 42" of internal width.
We offer delivery and 1 hour of installation support for an additional $349 within a 50 mile radius of Richmond, CA. No shipping outside this area is available.
We will contact you within 2 business days of your purchase to arrange a pickup time or delivery time window, based on the option you chose.
REQUIREMENTS
Space Requirements
You will need a sunny spot on a flat surface for the solar panels, each slightly larger than a twin mattress. They have to face south or southwest and they need direct sunlight during most of the day.
The aluminum mounts allow for horizontal or vertical ground mounting and for adjusting the solar panels’ angle from the ground between approximately 40 and 75 degrees. The footprint per installed panel will be roughly as follows:
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Horizontal: 7’ x 4’ x 3’ LWH
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Vertical: 4’ x 4’ x 6’ LWH
ELECTRICAL WORK
Minor Electrician Work May Be Necessary
Putting the solar kit together is comparable to assembling furniture, and our experienced team will assist you with that if you choose the Delivery option.
However, you may need an electrician for these reasons:
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All Net Metering Expansion kits have to be plugged into a dedicated circuit, i.e. to an outlet that has its own dedicated circuit breaker. If such an outlet is not available or if you are not sure, please have an electrician install one.
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Outdoor outlets need to have a GFCI (Ground Fault Circuit Interruptor) and weatherproof cover for permanent use.
Electrical work is not included in our delivery and installation support service. Please hire your own licensed electrician.
Unsafe outlet: not GFCI-protected and left uncovered.
Safe outlet: GFCI-protected and covered on a dedicated circuit.
DISCLAIMERS
Know Before You Buy
REGULATORY NOTE: This is a portable solar device. Depending on how you plan to install it, your city may require a permit. Outside California, where the 1 kW expansion is allowed by CPUC Decision 14-03-041 (see page 27), please make sure the expansion conforms with your existing net metering agreement.
SAFETY NOTE: For electrical safety, the outlet to which you connect the system has to be on a dedicated circuit, i.e. having its own dedicated breaker with no other outlets or loads on the same circuit.
QUESTIONS
No, the system will shut down immediately in case of a power outage for safety reasons. It does not provide backup power, even if it includes a battery.
The battery capacity of our Backyard Solar+Battery kit is designed to match the solar panel capacity and to store unused daytime energy for the evening and night. It does not provide backup power during an outage, so there is not much reason to increase its size. If you want additional battery modules nonetheless, please reach out to us to discuss.
Many cities do not require a permit for portable solar systems, but please check your local rules. Putting the solar kit together is comparable to assembling furniture, and our team will assist you if you choose the Delivery option. However, you may need an electrician for these reasons:
The Net Metering Expansion Kit and the 4-panel Backyard Solar with Battery system have to be plugged in to a dedicated circuit, i.e. to an outlet that has its own dedicated circuit breaker. If such an outlet is not available, please have an electrician install one.
The Backyard Solar with Battery system comes with an optional energy monitor (Smart Meter CT) for optimal performance of the system and to minimize backfeeding to the grid. This device is mounted in your breaker panel, which is also a job for an electrician.
Yes, we highly recommend Astral Electrical.
You can move the system just like your garden furniture. You will just need to have any electrical work (dedicated circuit and/or Smart Meter CT) redone at your new residence if applicable.
It will simply increase your existing rooftop solar array's output by up to 900 W, which is below the 1 kW expansion that some utilities allow under existing net metering agreements. Please consult with your utility to find out whether you have to register the expansion with them.
No. This is a separate system that gets plugged into an electrical outlet, while any existing solar inverter that you may have is probably hard-wired to your home. That said, the generated electricity will mix with the energy from your existing inverter if you have an existing solar installation.
The Net Metering Expansion comes without a battery because it is intended to be a simple extension of your existing solar installation. If you have existing solar and wish to add a battery, you can purchase the Backyard Solar with Battery kit. Please note however, that the battery will not provide backup power to your home during an outage.
POWER OUR MOVEMENT
Your Purchase Powers More Than Your Home
When you buy a Bright Saver kit, you're helping sustain programs that bring clean energy resources to communities that need them most. Proceeds from kit sales support our work to make renewable energy more accessible nationwide. Learn More.