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Buying a Used Solar Panel

By John Greenspan

Republish: EasyPublish™ Published: 06Jan2010 Word count: 419 Viewed: 554 time(s) Get Free Content For Your Site

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 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 assets 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 bad ones.

You'll also need to visually inspect used panels 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.

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