These are some of the most important information you have to know:

1. Solar panels frame. Most commercial solar panels are made using aluminum. This is because aluminum is resistant to rust and is light. However solar panel frames can occasionally be made from stainless steel or plastic.

2. Backside Material. The most common material used for the backside plane includes EVA (ethylene-vinyl-acetate) and PVB (polyvinyl-burial).

3. Solar cells are made from 3 major types of technology — monocrystalline, polycrystalline and amorphous (or thin-flim) solar panels.

4. The efficiency of solar panels depends greatly on the type of PV cells used. Environmental conditions also play an important part. Some of these include temperature, solar irradiance, angle-of-incidence and solar spectral (air mass).

Solar panel efficiency is measured in percentage. It is the ratio of output power to input power from the sunlight, which is the proportion of light energy that gets converted into electricity. The higher the value, the more electricity is generated.

However you must bear in mind that the efficiency of the solar panel is about 1 to 3 percent lower than what’s stated in the datasheet of the solar cell. This is due to several factors like reflection, heat and frame shadowing.

5. Performance factors. Commercial PV panels have to be rated for different performance factors such as maximum rated power, open circuit voltage, short circuit current, maximum power voltage, maximum power current, and temperature coefficients.

These are measured under the industrial Standard Test Conditions (STC). This means the solar panel is subject to a controlled environment where there is solar irradiance of 1,000 W/m² with zero angle of incidence, solar spectrum of 1.5 air mass and 25 degrees celcius cell temperature

6. Fill factor. This is the ratio of the actual maximum power as compared to the theoretical maximum power of the solar panel. It is measured in percentage. Commercial solar panels have a fill factor greater than 70%. The fill factor for Grade B solar panels ranges from 40% to 70%. Higher fill factor implies lesser resistive (series and parallel) losses within the solar cells.

7. Connector type. Solar panels must be fitted with output terminals that are weatherproof. Many manufacturers are also fitting their solar panels with lockable connectors to prevent untrained people from unplugging the panels.

8. Solar Panel Defects. Defects can occur on both new and used solar panels. Thus you have to inspect you solar panels before purchasing.

Some common defects include:

· Scratches on the frame and/or glass
· Gap between frame and glass due to poor sealing (sometimes moisture can get trapped on the inside)
· Significantly lower output than data sheet figures
· Significantly lower fill factor than data sheet figures
· Inconsistent solar cell colors

There are other important facts and properties you have to be aware of about solar panels. You can continue reading about them at part 2 & 3 of this series:

(i) http://www.diysolarpanelsworld.com/important-facts-and-properties-of-a-solar-pv-panel-you-must-know-about-part-2-of-3

(ii) http://www.diysolarpanelsworld.com/important-facts-and-properties-of-a-solar-pv-panel-you-must-know-about-part-3-of-3

Continue Reading:

1. Important Facts And Properties of A Solar (PV) Panel You Must Know About (Part 2 of 3)
2. Important Facts And Properties of A Solar (PV) Panel You Must Know About (Part 3 of 3)
3. How Do You Know If Solar Panels Are Suitable For Your Property?

It takes a little skill and practice to harvest components from pre-owned or broken solar panels. Yet it is not so difficult that you cannot manage it with basic DIY skills.

You have to free the photovoltaic cells from the base it’s mounted on. After you have done this, check the solar cells for loose connections, broken panels, condensation and damaged diodes. Common problems such as these can potentially cause your solar panels to break down shortly after installation.

If the joints between solar cells are broken or loose, you have to re-solder them. Malfunctioned diodes can be replaced with new ones from your local component store. And if you see broken photovoltaic cells, you will have to source for a similar component to replace it — this can be challenging. Yet you can still make do with the broken cell in case your efforts to replace the broken solar cell fail. There will be reduced power output as a result, but this is not a grave concern.

The array of solar cells is usually mounted on a piece of masonite or acrylic (substrate) board before it is placed into a new solar panel frame. You can discard this substrate after a few years if you intend to replace the solar cells with fresh, new ones.

Using pre-owned solar panels to build DIY solar panels has its pros and cons. The most obvious advantage is the price. Used solar panels can be very cheap and some kind contractors may even give them to you without asking for a single cent. You are also less worried about breaking expensive photovoltaic panels while building your project.

On the other hand, a used solar panel’s lifespan may be significantly shorter. Their power output will also be a little lower compared to when it was new. A loose connection or a fault may hide itself somewhere that escapes your attention. As you build your DIY solar panel, trouble may spring up from these areas. However this can be managed if you’re careful in checking for potential failures.

Overall, harvesting parts from a used solar panels proof to be the best money saving method to build DIY solar panels. The only downside is the additional effort you have to put in. Yet as DIY hobbyists, we tend to take joy in such labor.

Continue Reading:

1. How To Build A Personal DIY Solar Power System With Less Than $99
2. Step-By-Step Guide To Build A 12V Solar Panel
3. How To Find Used Solar Panels

Audit Your Household Energy Usage

An important step to take before you install solar panels is to do a thorough survey on how you use energy at home.

It is much cheaper to buy energy-saving devices and electronic timers to conserve energy than it is to build a bigger solar energy system.

Energy-saving lamps or LED lamps only cost you over a hundred dollars, at most. An additional solar panel can easily cost you hundreds of dollars.

Many people are not conscious of how they use energy at home. Thus they do not know how much electricity they are wasting on a daily basis. A simple energy audit can help you uncover areas where you can cut back on wastage.

First, you have to collect some data about your current electricity consumption. All you need to do is gather a stack of power bills from the past one or two years. Then average out your energy usage on a daily basis. (This will take inconsistencies and seasonal changes into consideration.)

Simply add up your monthly figures and divide it by 365. This will help you estimate your consumption in kWh per day. The average American uses about 20 kWh per day. How much do you use?

If you can get some data on the energy you use over a 24-hour period, it will be interesting. However such details are not always necessary.

The next thing you have to do is find out where you can save electricity. The average household use electricity in this proportion:

- Heating / cooling: 44%
- Lighting, household appliances & cooking: 38%
- Water heating: 18%

A huge part of your expenditure probably goes into heating or cooling as well. It makes sense to look at how we can save energy on heating before moving on to other areas.

You may find these suggestions useful for energy conservation at home:

1. Turn off heaters, air-conditioners and electrical appliances when they’re not in use

2. Use energy saving appliances. Some examples are energy-saving bulbs and LED lamps. Energy saving appliances are easily identified. With the Appliance Labeling Rule enforced, manufacturers are now required to attach labels on major home appliances to provide an estimate of their product’s energy consumption and efficiency.

3. Use power-controlling devices. These basically control the power delivered to motors (or other inductive loads) by matching the 60-Hz sine wave to the changing demands of the motor. Essentially, power supply that was once out-of-phase with the load is now aligned (in-phase).

You can use this formula to find out each home appliance’s power consumption:

(Wattage × Hours Used Per Day ÷ 1000 = Daily Kilowatt-hour (kWh) consumption

Let’s take your refrigerator as an example:

Suppose your fridge is rated at 725W, its monthly consumption is estimated to be:

725 Watts × 24 hours ÷ 1000 × 30 days = 522 kWh per month

(Note: This is just an example. A refrigerator, although turned on all the time, cycles on and off to maintain storage temperature. Thus it does not operate at maximum wattage all the time.)

Here are some power ratings (in Watts) of different types of household appliances, according to the U.S. Department of Energy:

· Aquarium = 50–1210
· Clock radio = 10
· Coffee maker = 900–1200
· Clothes washer = 350–500
· Clothes dryer = 1800–5000
· Dishwasher = 1200–2400 (using the drying feature greatly increases energy consumption)
· Dehumidifier = 785
· Electric blanket- Single/Double = 60 / 100
· Fans
Ceiling = 65–175
Window = 55–250
Furnace = 750
Whole house = 240–750
· Hair dryer = 1200–1875
· Heater (portable) = 750–1500
· Clothes iron = 1000–1800
· Microwave oven = 750–1100
· Personal computer
CPU – awake / asleep = 120 / 30 or less
Monitor – awake / asleep = 150 / 30 or less
Laptop = 50
· Radio (stereo) = 70–400
· Refrigerator (frost-free, 16 cubic feet) = 725
· Televisions (color)
19″ = 65–110
27″ = 113
36″ = 133
53″-61″ Projection = 170
Flat screen = 120
· Toaster = 800–1400
· Toaster oven = 1225
· VCR/DVD = 17–21 / 20–25
· Vacuum cleaner = 1000–1440
· Water heater (40 gallon) = 4500–5500
· Water pump (deep well) = 250–1100
· Water bed (with heater, no cover) = 120–380

After you have figured out where to save energy on, you’ll probably want to make use of solar heaters to reduce your utility bills. Solar heaters are much cheaper than PV panels and are more efficient.

With lower electricity consumption, you’ll only require a smaller solar system. Thus the upfront cost reduces.

If you are installing a grid-tied system, you need to take into consideration your rate structure.

Some utility companies charge you for electricity based on a flat rate. No matter how much you use, the rate remains. Others charge you according to a tiered structure. This means that rate goes up if you use beyond a certain limit. There may also be a time-of-use (TOU) rate, which means you have to pay more if you use electricity during the peak period.

If you have surveyed your household energy usage and also implemented energy saving measures, you probably will never need to pay the higher-tier rates set by your utility company.

Continue Reading:

1. About
2. Sizing Your Solar Energy Panels – Part 3
3. 7 Different Ways of Using Solar Energy At Home and In Your Office

1. Used solar panels can be sold to other users

There are a few ways this can be done. You can put your items online at auction sites like eBay, or get your contractor to resell it.

Used solar panels are considerably cheaper than new ones. Thus there will always be folks searching for them online. Not everyone is willing (or are able to) pay for the cost of new photovoltaic (PV) panels. But many people want to own them. So if you can price yours at a reasonable rate, they can be sold rather quickly.

Cleaning up solar panels, listing them online and getting them shipped to another user may be a hassle for you. In this case, you will appreciate a little help from your contractor. Many of them are happy to buy used solar panels at a reasonable price so they can resell to other people. At their workshop, your PV panels are cleaned, reconditioned and put on display, waiting to be sold.

2. Give them to your friends or relatives

This alternative can generate lots of goodwill. More importantly, it can introduce them to a lifestyle of using renewable energy to supplement (or even totally supply) their energy needs. Those friends who care about the environment will thank you greatly for doing this. After all, this is one practical way you can help to reduce their carbon footprint with minimal cost.

3. Donate them to institutions

If you want to create the greatest impact with your used solar panels, donate them to universities, charities or laboratories. These people are pretty cost conscious. PV panels can help them reduce their energy expenditure.

After tasting the benefits of harnessing “free” electricity from the sun, they will not be able to live without one after their solar panel breaks. And if they really buy into the idea of using solar panels to supplement their energy needs, these guys are able to raise lots of money to install solar panels on a much bigger scale.

Hope these seed ideas can get more sparks flying in your brain…

Here are some points that you need to note when selling used solar panels online, at forums or on Internet billboards:

1. Be clear and honest on the condition of your PV panels. As long as they are still efficiently functioning, used solar panels can be sold…even with blemishes. People just want to be informed about its physical condition so they know what they are getting.

2. If you can, measure the open & closed circuit voltage of your solar panel. Some folks are interested in such figures to determine the degradation. Many people are also interested in how much current it can produce. But this is subjective. Solar intensity varies from location to location and from time to time, thus affecting current.

Finally, if your solar panel is dead (neither voltage nor current exists), you can still recycle the PV panel frame. Essentially, you can revive your own solar panels just by ripping out the old solar cells and soldering in new ones. The warranty will be void, but it should have expired anyway. Besides, giving your used solar panels an “overhaul” can be lots of fun!

PS. If you really have to throw away your PV panels, take note that some components contains elements such as lead, plastic, aluminum, glass and cadmium. These toxic elements harm the environment and your health. So ask your local authorities for information about recycling programs and solar panels disposal.

Continue Reading:

1. Sizing Your Solar Energy Panels – Part 3
2. Home Solar Power — Different Ways of Harnessing Energy From The Sun To Reduce Energy Bills
3. Important Facts And Properties of A Solar (PV) Panel You Must Know About (Part 3 of 3)

Image via Wikipedia

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:

1. Used Solar Panels – How To Use Them To Build Cheap DIY Solar Panels
2. How To Find Used Solar Panels
3. Sizing Your Solar Energy Panels – Part 2

Used solar panels can be found in many places and from different sources. You can approach homeowners who have solar panels that look old. You can also try your luck at recycling centers where broken solar panels can occasionally be found.

Yet the most effective way is to contact contractors or agents who specialize in solar panel installation. Many of them discard used solar panels before fitting new ones for their customers. Another source to get used solar panels are building contractors. They often renovate houses installed with photovoltaic panels and are glad to have someone dispose such items for them.

Most of these people may give you their used solar panels provided you offer to transport them away from the site. If they are unwilling to hand those pre-owned solar panels to you, try offering them a small fee that includes transporting the solar panels to your residence.

As you hunt for used solar panels, remember to look out for fatal flaws that may render your photovoltaic cells unusable. Here are some tips on what to look out for:

1. Cracked glass, condensation under glass and broken connections are common problems that cause owners to discard their solar panels. Fortunately there is a remedy for these failures.

2. Loose connections between solar cells may go unnoticed as you inspect them visually. Such faults can be picked up using a resistance meter, and joints with high resistance can be re-soldered together.

Although pre-owned solar panels are cheap, there are downsides to using them. One of the most obvious is the decrease in power output. After they are exposed to the sun for one or two decades, photovoltaic cells become less effective. Although marginal, you have to take this degradation into consideration, as you’ll need more solar panels as a result. Used solar panels also have a shorter lifespan, thus they can only serve you for their remaining years.

Needless to say, the low price of used solar panels allure many people to buy them. If the cost per watt can justify the purchase and they still have many more years to go, they can be excellent investments.

Therefore if you intend to install a used solar panel for your home, the payback period can be shorter than when you buy new ones. A trusted contractor is able to help you look out for used solar panels that are relatively and without damage. Therefore keep in contact with them, learn from them and build a relationship, and you’ll have a good-as-new solar panel at your home soon.

Continue Reading:

1. 3 Secrets You Didn’t Know About Building Solar Panels
2. Build Amazing Home Solar Power Systems Used by Families Who Don’t Want to Pay For Their Utilities
3. Do-It-Yourself Solar Panels – Electricity Conversion From Sunlight