DIY Solar Panels World

Buying a Used Solar Panel

Why do people want to buy a used solar panel? The answer is obvious. Consumers choose to use solar energy for two main reasons – to cut down on energy bills and to preserve the environment. Therefore they want to spend the least money on the panel that gives them the most power output. The best candidates for this criteria are pre-owned photovoltaic panels. It is also environmentally friendly to reuse (or recycle) photovoltaic panels as much as possible.

Pre-owned solar power generators maintain up to 90% of their efficiency as when they were new. This is true even though the panels may be more than 10 years old. This often means you’ll get more wattage output for a lower price tag.

The only disadvantage is that new panels have better aesthetics, are lighter and take up less space. This is due to improved product design and better materials used. Also, the lifespan of used solar panels will obviously not be as long as brand new ones.

Pre-owned panels can be bought on eBay or from an agent. The source of these panels comes mainly from corporations that want to replace their panels with newer, more efficient ones. Others come from residential buildings. Whatever the source is, you’ll have to perform simple checks to make sure you’re not buying a lemon.

Most importantly, you need to be convinced that the used panel you buy is worth the price you pay for. Having this in mind, the cost per watt (for a used panel) has to be at least 20 to 30 per cent cheaper than brand new panels. Otherwise you’ve paid too much. This is a helpful guideline that can help you differentiate between the good buys and the bad ones.

You’ll also need to visually inspect them to see if there are any loose connections or rusted parts that need to be replaced. Remember to check the bypass diode as they are frequently burnt. This is often the reason photovoltaic panels are discarded. Simple faults like this can be immediately rectified with new components and a simple soldering iron.

While shopping, you may also have observed that some used solar cells have turned brown. This is because older cells contain a plastic substrate that becomes tinted after years of exposure to sunlight. However, electricity output is in no way reduced because of this.

If you want to buy used solar panels, the tips above can help you save a lot of money by buying the right panel that can serve you for years.

Continue Reading At:

1. Used Solar Panels – How To Use Them To Build Cheap DIY Solar Panels You can build cheap DIY solar panels by salvaging parts from used solar panels. The end result can be very fulfilling. Many hobbyists remarked that they spent only a fraction of what it would otherwise cost them had they bought a comparable solar power system....
2. How To Find Used Solar Panels You can buy used solar panels instead of new ones to generate electricity for your home. In case there are too many broken solar cells, you can always harvest the good ones to build your own homemade solar panel. Used solar panels can be found...
3. Sizing Your Solar Energy Panels – Part 2 Image via Wikipedia After you know where most of your household energy goes to, you are now ready to plan for your system size. For grid-tied system (without batteries and charge controllers), you only need to make sure the inverter you use is large enough...
4. 7 Tips You Can Use When Buying Solar Panels More and more individuals are jumping onto the bandwagon of owning solar panels. They want to reduce energy costs and do their part to help the environment....
5. 3 Ways to Reclaim Value From Used Solar Panels Disposing used solar panels is such a waste. Why don’t we do something useful to them? Here are a few ideas to get your mental wheels turning:...
6. How To Determine The Payback For Your Solar Panel Investment (Part 2 of 3) The payback for your solar panel investment is the amount of time needed (in years) for your investment to pay for itself (break-even). A simple calculation gives you a clear picture:...
7. How To Determine The Payback For Your Solar Panel Investment (Part 3 of 3) The payback for your solar panel investment doesn’t stop at monthly utility savings. When you have a solar generator on your roof, property valuators will take that into consideration....