This content has been automatically translated from Ukrainian.
After completing the installation and a few months of operation, I decided to calculate in detail how much my own mini solar power station (SPS) actually cost me.
The SPS is actually 3.84 kW, but for convenience, I say 4 kW ヽ(^o^)丿
Online, people often only focus on the price of panels and inverters or charging stations. But when you start assembling the system yourself, you quickly realize: there are dozens of "invisible" costs. Profiles, fasteners, protective automation, special cables, connectors, chemical anchors, and hardware — all of this significantly affects the final bill.
Below, I provide a breakdown of all purchases and the actual budget of the project. The installation was done independently.
1. Main Equipment
This is the most significant expense:
- Solar panels - 33,204 ₴
- 6 pieces TWMNH-66HD640 (N-type bifacial, double glass, 640 W).
- Charging station Könner & Söhnen KS 5200PS (5200 W) - 57,599 ₴
- Price was 63,999 ₴ (with discount) and an additional 10% cashback from Monobank, the final cost turned out to be significantly lower. A few days later, the price jumped to 100,000 (after another shelling).
2. Logistics and Delivery
The components had to be gathered from different corners of Ukraine (the panels were literally sold out at the level of imports from China):
- 4,643 ₴ - delivery of solar panels (more about the logistics of oversized cargo wrote here).
- 2,000 ₴ - delivery of the remaining materials and construction elements from various online stores.
3. Fasteners
The reliability of the panel mounting is a guarantee that they will withstand strong winds and winter snow loads. For wall mounting of 6 solar panels, the following elements were used:
- Galvanized profile (1.5 mm, length 14.4 m) - 1,872 ₴
- Mounting corners (20 pcs.) - 1,500 ₴
- Profile connectors for 4 bolts (4 pcs.) - 400 ₴
- Inter-panel clamps 30-35 mm (10 pcs.) - 400 ₴
- Side clamps 30 mm (4 pcs.) - 160 ₴
- Solar cable HELUKABEL SOLARFLEX 1x6 mm² (black, 45 m) - 2,700 ₴
- Solar cable MG WIRES EN50618 1x6 mm² (red, 30 m) - 1,800 ₴
- MC4 connectors (2 pairs) - 100 ₴
There was no identical cable available. So I took different brands. But in terms of quality, they seem to be the same.
Total for fasteners and solar cables: 8,932 ₴ (In this order, from this store)
4. Chemical Anchors and Installation Consumables
Since the installation was performed on a brick (hollow) wall, a full-fledged anchor system from Fischer was used along with a chemical anchor for reliable fixation:
- Chemical anchor Teknobond 400 S (4 pcs. of 345 ml) — 1,248 ₴ (588 ₴ for the first 2 pcs. + 660 ₴ for the next 2 pcs. Actually used ~3.5 tubes).
- Anchor bolts Fischer FTR M10x130 (22 pcs.) — 748 ₴
- Mesh sleeves Fischer FIS H 16x130 K (22 pcs.) — 770 ₴
- SDS-max drill Intertool 16x400 mm — 416 ₴ (for drilling holes for sleeves).
I had 20 brackets, so I needed 20 sleeves and bolts as well. I decided to take a few and test them before starting the installation. I had no experience working with chemical anchors, so I bought a little extra.
Total for anchors, bolts, and drill: 3,182 ₴
5. Electrical Protection and Switching (DC/AC)
The DC system requires mandatory protection against surges and short circuits:
- Wall-mounted shield Schneider Electric Kaedra IP65 (for 8 modules) — 1,150 ₴
- Surge protector (SPD) DC 2P 800V TOMZN — 740 ₴
- Automatic circuit breaker DC 32A 2P TOMZN — 338 ₴
- Holder + 2 fuses 30A DC 1000V TOMZN — 319 ₴
- Power cable ZZKM PVS 3x2.5 mm² (10 m) — 950 ₴
- Set of crimp ring terminals "O" (150 pcs.) — 289 ₴
Total for electricity and protection: 3,786 ₴Do not use this list as a shopping list. For your system — consult with professionals. I made a budget assembly at my own risk. In the future, I plan to upgrade it.
6. Fasteners (bolts, nuts, washers)
For assembling the metal structure, galvanized bolts, nuts, washers, and hardware were purchased with a margin.
Total: ~600 ₴
Cost of a 4kW SPS if done independently
Based on this table, all of this cost me ~114 thousand hryvnias (panels and components - April-May 2026; the station was purchased at the end of October 2025). But all of this is somewhat individual - for example, I bought a drill for the perforator. The length of the cable depends on the location of the panels (I ran the cable from one side of the house to the other - about 20 additional meters of cable just for this)
Can it be done cheaper?
Of course, the approach to material selection greatly depends on your situation and budget. For example, if you already have a nice finished facade, regular galvanized steel may not be suitable. In that case, you will have to choose anodized aluminum, and all hardware and fasteners must be purchased exclusively from high-quality stainless steel - so that over time, rusty streaks do not appear on the walls due to corrosion.
In my case, there is no finished facade yet, so I could afford simpler and cheaper solutions without compromising reliability.
The biggest revelation during the assembly of the solar power station is not the price of the main components, but the accumulating ancillary costs. Fasteners, shields, quality DC protection, cables of the required cross-section, and delivery from several different stores add more than 23,000 ₴ to the base price of the equipment.
That is why, before starting the project, be sure to allocate an additional 20 - 25% of the budget for small consumables and logistics.
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