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Gulfcoast's avatar
Gulfcoast
Explorer
Oct 06, 2013

Used Solar Panel?

I need a used 100-watt 12-volt solar panel to charge a deep-cycle battery with. Anyone know where to buy one, or have one for sale?

I simply can't afford a new one at this time. Thanks

29 Replies

  • You sound like your minds made up on what you want. I'll offer a suggestion and feel free to ignore: For not much money, less than a hundred dollars, you can buy a small generator that will give you the results you might be looking for in short time.
  • Almot's avatar
    Almot
    Explorer III
    A used 100W panel is going to be less than 100W. Roughly 1% drop a year. Also, the glass can get scratched and translucent, depending on where and how long it was used, further reducing the output. Occasional very old panels can be made with no glass at all, with exposed and/or delaminated leads between the cells. Used panels on Craigs sell for a fraction of the cost for a reason. Still, I think Craigs is the place to go.

    You don't tell about controller. There are some very cheap new on Ebay, their efficiency is unknown, but with used panel you are going to have less than 100W anyway.

    I don't like those kits with new panels on Solar Blvd. They bundle relatively cheap panel with unknown and unpopular controllers and throw in brackets that you don't need, and some cable that you might not need 'cause it's too thin or too short or you already have a cable.
  • pugslyyy wrote:
    What's your budget? You can by cheapo kits off ebay for around $200, shipping included. Keep in mind that you get what you pay for.


    What ever you want to believe, but in my relatively short term experience, you don't always get what you pay for !
  • Is there a special reason you need 100W of panel? If you are just trying to keep it charged while in storage, you could get by with about half of that.
  • What's your budget? You can by cheapo kits off ebay for around $200, shipping included. Keep in mind that you get what you pay for.
  • No panels for sale in my remote area... or within 200 miles, that I can afford.

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