Inexpensive solar panels

Solar energy is best with efficient components. If you buy better quality components like panels and an MTTP controller you need less panels.

Buying older used panels is a total **** shoot. Most of them are less efficient designs at the end of their service lives making them even less efficient.

I looked into someone selling used panels. They gotcha on the shipping, which was in excess of $300 for a few panels. I do not know if they were legit, but like were in my guess. Solar systems do get replaced, and then the used stuff gets sold cheap, and as mentioned, old panels might not have enough efficency to be worth bothering with.
ebay glas panels are so cheap. 100 watts for $75 delivered is cheap.
I never buy Amazon bc that guy is so anti-american and hates our country so much he wants to bring in socialism. Don't support this. Almost everything on Amazon can be bought on eBay, and if not then everything is somewhere else too.

ppine wrote:
Solar energy is best with efficient components. If you buy better quality components like panels and an MTTP controller you need less panels.

Buying older used panels is a total **** shoot. Most of them are less efficient designs at the end of their service lives making them even less efficient.

It is situational for that and whether you can tell what the situation really is.

In general, ISTR that new panels lose about 10% of their wattage in their first year, and then it is a slow decline after that. So there could be good deals on used panels, but not for sure every deal is a good one.

Shipping of solar panels due to their size is expensive and I'd likely not buy used panels under those circumstances. Testing the panes specs open circuit voltage and short circuit amps is extremely quick and easy when buying in person.

Panel specs I've seen are guaranteed power output of 90% for 12 years and 80% for 25 years or close to those values. This gives me some confidence when buying used panels.

111W panels for $35....looks like they are new.
https://sfbay.craigslist.org/sby/for/d/tracy-lowest-price-solar-panel/7235193402.html

Not sure how you would install them as they don't appear to have a frame as they are "thin film". Any idea how those could be mounted in a secure and clean-looking way?

-Chris

Not them but I've bought a couple of "Fantastic price" items
Well I got what I paid for.. That is What I got was worth what I paid
But it was NOT what they advertised.

They are a flexible panel with an efficiency of 10%. That means they will be quite large. MiaSolé FLEX modules use peel-and-stick application.

The 340 watt panel is 101.7 inches x 38.3 inches.

http://miasole.com/products/

http://miasole.com/miasole2017/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/MiaSole_brochure_final.pdf