Best Black Friday deals on solar gear?

Right, Black Friday's always a mixed bag innit. Last year I got a decent Victron MPPT charger for about 15% off, which wasn't brilliant but better than nothing. Thing is, the really good kit doesn't shift much in price anyway.

What actually works better is patience. I've noticed the solar panel prices drop naturally through autumn as demand dips. Picked up some Renogy panels in September for less than the Black Friday "deals" were asking come November.

If you're after inverters or batteries, that's where you might see actual savings. Keep an eye on the specialist suppliers rather than Amazon—they tend to do genuine discounts. Fogstar sometimes bundles stuff at decent rates around this time.

My honest take? Don't buy something just because it's on offer. I see folks on here grabbing dodgy MPPT controllers because they were marked down 40%, then they spend months troubleshooting them. Stick to what you actually need from brands you trust.

For narrowboats especially, space is tight so every component matters. Better to save up and get proper quality than have regrets living with it full-time.

What're you lot after? If you're looking for specific bits I can probably tell you what's worth waiting for versus what to grab now.

@GrumpySparky you're spot on about the pricing. Most reputable brands barely shift their margins on Black Friday—Victron and Renogy typically hold firm at 5-10% discount if you're lucky.

Where you actually save is on complementary gear: cables, breakers, combiner boxes, mounting hardware. That's where retailers have more wiggle room. I picked up quality MC4 connectors and crimpers last year for decent savings, which freed up budget for the expensive stuff at regular price.

The real trick is tracking prices year-round via CamelCamelCamel if you're buying from Amazon UK, or asking suppliers directly if they're doing a modest discount. Some smaller outfits like Fogstar occasionally run proper promotions outside the hype cycle.

Don't chase deals on core components—wait for them to be discounted legitimately rather than "sale" pricing that was never the actual RRP. You'll sleep better knowing you got genuine value, not marketing theatre.

Agree with @LH_Marine on this one. The solid brands know their worth. Victron, Epever, Growatt—they don't do mad discounts because they don't need to.

Where you actually find decent savings is the peripheral stuff: cables, breakers, monitoring kit. And sometimes the older models get cleared when new stock arrives. Worth checking what's actually changing spec vs just flogging old inventory cheaper.

Honestly though, if you're after a specific component, better to wait for random mid-year deals than expect Black Friday magic. I nabbed my Fogstar charge controller in June for less than the November "offer" prices.

The real win is patience and knowing exactly what you need before you start shopping. Stops you impulse buying rubbish you don't actually want.

You're all hitting the nail on the head here. I learned this the hard way when fitting out my garden office last year—got seduced by a "50% off" deal on some dodgy lithium BMS from a marketplace seller. Spent the next three months sorting out compatibility issues that cost me more in time than I'd saved.

The real wins come from watching the specialist retailers rather than the high street. I got my Victron kit from Fogstar actually—they do genuine discounts on older stock clearance, not just inflated RRP nonsense. Same with Renogy panels if you're flexible on timing.

My advice: know your baseline prices now. Actually check what retailers are charging in November, then you'll spot real savings come the 29th. And honestly, if you're building an off-grid system, waiting for a 10-15% discount on quality gear beats buying cheap rubbish at any price.

The real deals are on the ancillary stuff, not the core components. I picked up some decent cable lugs and crimpers last November for half price, which actually saved me more hassle than a small discount on an inverter would've.

That said, worth keeping an eye on the specialist off-grid retailers rather than the big box shops. They sometimes do modest discounts on Renogy or Fogstar kits that actually represent decent value. The catch is stock often moves quickly on the legitimate offers.

My take: if you're after a specific Victron or Epever unit, set up price alerts now rather than waiting for Black Friday. You might spot a better deal in a random Tuesday sale than anything contrived for the event. For my motorhome setup I ended up buying the controller in February at a price better than any "deal" I'd seen in November.

Only real savings I've found are when retailers clear old stock before new models arrive. Keep an eye on their websites in early autumn—sometimes you'll catch wind of what's being discontinued.

The ancillary stuff point @CrispyTrekker raised is spot on—that's where you'll actually save quid without compromising reliability. But I'd push back slightly on the core components angle.

I've fitted out two vans and a narrowboat, and I've noticed the discount patterns differ by category. Victron gear rarely shifts much, true enough. But Renogy and Growatt sometimes run genuine 20-25% promotions if you catch them early in November rather than waiting for Black Friday itself. The trick is signing up to their mailing lists in September.

Where I've made real savings: bulk battery cable, connectors, breakers, and especially fuses. Also worth watching are the monitoring systems—BMS units and shunts get decent reductions since they're lower-margin items.

One thing though—avoid touching lithium battery discounts unless you're absolutely certain of the seller's warranty support. A cheap LiFePO₄ pack from an unknown distributor that goes south is infinitely more expensive than paying full whack to a reputable outfit.

Set a price alert on the actual components you need now rather than chasing

Been watching the deals cycle for a couple years now on my van setup, and I reckon the issue is timing rather than just the discount percentage. The premium kit—your Victrons, your quality lithium—barely shifts in price because demand's already there year-round.

Where I've actually saved money is catching end-of-line stock when retailers clear old model numbers. Got a Fogstar controller at a decent whack because the newer version was coming in. Might sound obvious, but it's worth checking manufacturer websites in September/October rather than waiting for November.

@CrispyTrekker's right about the ancillary stuff though—I genuinely saved on cabling, breakers, and monitoring gear. That's where Black Friday actually works because there's less loyalty to specific brands.

My question though: has anyone actually found better value buying refurbished kit from specialists? I'm wondering if a refurb Victron MPPT would be cheaper than waiting for a dodgy Black Friday discount on new stock. Seems like it might be worth investigating before dropping full whack on a new one for my backup system.

Spot on lads, though I'd add that the real trick is knowing what you're actually after before Black Friday even lands. I spent two years watching prices on bits for my garden office setup, and honestly? The solar panels themselves barely budge, but battery management systems and inverters occasionally get a proper haircut if you catch them right.

My tip: set up price alerts on the usual suspects (Victron, Fogstar, Renogy) about six weeks before November. You'll spot the pattern—some items drop in September/October anyway, so you can either grab them early or wait to see if Black Friday actually beats it. Saved myself a quid that way on a Multiplus inverter.

The cable lugs and crimpers @CrispyTrekker mentioned? Absolutely—stock up on those. Same with fuses, breakers, and ducting. That's where you get genuine 20-30% savings without gambling on whether the "deal" is actually a deal or just the price they've artificially inflated.

Don't get tempted by stuff you don't need just because it's marked down though—that's how my

@BitsAndBobs nails it—the trick is having your shopping list ready in October, not scrolling frantically on the 29th November wondering if that dodgy £49 "5000W" inverter from AliExpress is actually just a paperweight with delusions of grandeur.

Real talk though, the deals I've actually seen worth having are on the boring stuff: MC4 connectors, fusing, monitoring kit like Victron's BMV, battery terminals. Nobody gets excited about cable glands until they need twelve of them, then suddenly 20% off feels like Christmas came early.

Batteries and quality charge controllers rarely drop enough to justify waiting—you're looking at single-digit percentage savings whilst your system sits gathering dust. Better off buying when you need them and factoring in the time cost of hanging about.

Only exception I've found: refurbished Victron gear sometimes gets proper discounts, but you've got to catch those mid-week, not during the actual Black Friday madness when everyone's hammering the websites.

Spot on, @Brummie84. I learned this the hard way when I was outfitting my narrowboat a couple years back. Got seduced by a "50% off" deal on some dodgy lithium cells that turned out to be rebranded Chinese stock with dodgy warranty terms. Cost me more in the long run sorting it out.

The real win I've had is watching the prices on specific items throughout October—Fogstar panels, Victron gear, even basic battery boxes. Once you know what the genuine pre-sale price actually is, you spot the real discounts versus the marketing bollocks.

What's worked brilliantly for me is joining the manufacturer mailing lists. Victron and Renogy especially tend to email their registered customers with decent early-bird offers before the actual Black Friday circus starts. No scrambling, no stress, just an email saying "here's your code."

Also worth noting—some retailers don't bother discounting at all, they just shuffle their stock or bump up recommended retail prices beforehand. I've actually found better value in January when people who bought hastily are selling off or returning stuff. Less glamorous than

The real ones know Black Friday discounts on quality solar kit are about as common as a sunny day in November—mostly hype, innit. I've had better luck just watching Renogy and Fogstar pricing throughout the year and grabbing things when they dip 10-15% in random sales.

@ExmoorNomad's onto something with the narrowboat prep though—I made the mistake of buying cheap charge controllers "because they were on offer" and spent twice as much replacing them a year later. My static caravan setup taught me that lesson proper quick. Now I'd rather wait for a decent discount on something I actually need (Victron, obviously) than impulse buy mediocre gear just because there's a "sale" tag on it.

Best strategy? Build your actual system requirements first, then set price alerts on the decent stuff. You'll spot a genuine deal when it lands instead of convincing yourself that dodgy Chinese inverter is a bargain.

Yeah, I've been caught out by this before. When I was fitting out the motorhome a few years back, I thought I'd wait for Black Friday to grab some panels. Ended up paying full whack in January instead because the "deals" were either on cheap Chinese gear or stuff I didn't actually need.

What's worked better for me is watching prices on the specialist suppliers throughout the year—Places like Fogstar and Renogy actually do modest reductions on certain items, but you've got to know which ones beforehand. I keep a spreadsheet now (bit sad I know) with the stuff I'm actually going to use, then pounce if I see a genuine 15-20% drop.

The motorhome taught me patience pays off. Better to grab decent Victron kit at 12% off in September than convince yourself some dodgy rebrand is worth the gamble. For the cabin setup I'm planning next year, I'm doing exactly what @Brummie84 suggests—list ready by October, eyes peeled all autumn, then decisive.

Agreed on the inflated discounts. I've found better value watching specialist retailers like Fogstar and Renogy's normal pricing than chasing Black Friday hype. The garden office setup I did last year cost less buying components separately over a few months than waiting for dodgy "sales." Focus on what you actually need rather than what's marked down—proper battery management gear rarely shifts price anyway.

Got caught by this myself fitting the van. Spent weeks watching prices on a Renogy 100W setup, and Black Friday "deals" were actually dearer than what I'd paid in September. The trick is knowing your baseline prices—track items for a month before the hype starts. Real savings come from specialist retailers' standard offers, not the manufactured panic buying.