Solar Equipment, who has the oldest?

[hugemoth]

When my charge controller failed a few weeks ago I looked to see how old it was... 1993 Bobbier Sun Selector with a mercury switch lasted 23 years of 24/7/365 use.

Then I looked up the paperwork on my Tri-Metric Battery Monitor (the original meter) which is still working fine 24/7/365 since spring of 1994. Bought it from Ralph Hiesey himself.

Inverters are another story, I have a pile of toasted ones in my storage shed. Oldest one still in service is a Xantrex 1000 that is nearly 20 years old.

PV modules all still working. Oldest is 30 years.

[milo]

We still have & use a little 22 watt Kyocera panel made in Japan we bought back in 1983.

[MEXICOWANDERER]

3 51 watt Kyocera panels 1991 $290 ea wholesale. Trace 4024 inverter 1992. Trace C60 solar controller purchased with panels and finally an old square wave Tripplite 300 watt $200 inverter from 1982. It still works as does a 1979 motor generator. Trace stuff is awesome.

[hugemoth]

My 30 year old PV modules are ARCO brand monocrystal bought used surplus. Also have a few really really old modules with round monocrystal cells on a fiberglass backing and transparent silicone over the cells rather than glass. Still work but not in use.

[pianotuna]

My previous RV had panels on it from 1987. Sadly the new owner this spring had it towed to the wrecking yard. 30 watts for $1700 way back when.

[tonyandkaren]

You have us beat too. Two of our panels are 21 years old but we moved them to our current RV so everything else is only six years old.

[MrWizard]

Got me beat
My oldest panels are 20 yrs old, date to 1995 Siemens and hooked to the fridge vent exhaust fans to help in hot weather
I have some unisolar panels that are 15yrsold
And some brand new panels bought last year

[ryanw821]

:B I like hearing stories like this, though I would imagine as costs have plummeted on PV panels and controllers I doubt we will see the kind of build quality that lasts that long any more, though one can hold out hope :C