How Much Does It Cost? At least $18,000 after solar energy rebates and incentives (for 3kW). Professionally designed and installed solar power systems are not cheap. For a detailed description of the installation costs, along with reductions with currently applicable solar power rebates and tax credits, check out our solar power system case studies. Here is a summary of the solar services and equipment that we provide with our complete turnkey solar power system installations:   Detailed site survey, energy bill analysis, financial analysis (including NPV and cash flows using your parameters) and complete 50+ page design and installation proposal. Planning and building department applications and permit paperwork, prepared by a qualified design engineer. All equipment, mounting hardware, conduit and electrical components. Metering and instrumentation, including optional PC monitoring and complete solar energy weather stations. Coordination of building department and utility inspections. Commissioning and training on your solar power system. State Energy Commission and Utility applications. Rebate and Utility claim forms and final paperwork, including avoidance of paying Federal income tax on your state rebates (surprise!) Post sales service, support and maintenance You can purchase most of the components you need for a solar energy system on the web. Buying the raw materials will be cheaper than the complete services that Akeena provides - just as it is cheaper to buy roofing shingles at Home Depot and build your own roof. Moreover, much of the equipment being advertised on the web is not state-of-the-art, and may not be fully compatible with your inverter, UL, State Energy Commission and local utility requirements. We believe that there is a tremendous amount of value provided by our complete turnkey solar energy services. If you have the time and are extremely handy with construction and government bureaucracies, then a DIY system might make sense for you. Note that in this case you will have to pay income tax on your state rebate, and your labor costs cannot be counted towards your total system costs. In most states, your rebate can be no more than 50% of total solar energy system costs, so you won't save nearly as much as you think. Unfortunately, we cannot help you if you want us to install bargain-basement modules that you have purchased from another source.