Used Solar Panels
Are you going solar now? How much will the solar cost you? If you are on tight budget you may consider purchasing used solar panels. In general solar panels have long lifespan and unless you see obvious damages on the panels you have nothing to worry about.
There are some points to check before you decide to purchase used solar panels:
- Measure the panels DC voltage output with a multimeter in full sun. This is a very straight forward test. The reading should be close to the panel spec and if you don’t get what you expected then don’t buy them. Note that used solar panels have a slightly lower output than the brand new ones but in general you don’t see they degrade much. Don’t judge by the color! Old panels may turn brown but they don’t degrade progressively. And they are very cheap as well ….. If you want to check the panels’ wattage, switch your multimeter to DC amperemeter and multiply the DC current reading by the rated voltage of your panels to get the power in watts.
- Check for physical defects such as scratched or cracked glass, broken connection or water trapped / condensation under the glass cover. Unless the price is very low and you think you can fix them, avoid them.
- Old designed panels are bigger in size but lower in the output voltage. They need bigger space. If you have no problems with their size they can be your best deal because you can get them at very low price.
- Broken connection between panels can be fixed by soldering. Use a 2% or higher silver electronics solder.
- By pass diodes sometimes get burned out. This problem can be fixed easily. Replace them with silicon diodes that have same or higher amp rating.
After you manage to save some money on the used solar panels now you can start looking for other parts needed to build your solar-power generator. You can search and compare the prices online. Do study the benefits they offer and gather more information before making your decision.
the SolarCost Admin
Related posts: