Some Factors to Consider when Buying Used Solar Panels
If you have thought about solar energy for your home, one factor that may have caused you to hesitate is the initial cost of new residential solar panels. However, something you may have not considered is the option of used solar panels for your home. Used solar panels are available from a variety of sources, and they can often be found for mere pennies on the dollar of their original cost. If you search hard enough, you may even be lucky and locate panels at no cost; many people are eager to be rid of theirs and will give them away free for the hauling. Solar hot water panels can also be acquired this way for example, if someone is taking out their swimming pool.
Before you purchase used solar panels, there are several factors you should take into consideration. Ideally, it is best to test the panels before purchase. This is easy to do provided you have access to a
multimeter. In full sunlight, measure the open circuit voltage across the positive and negative terminals. As a general guideline, used solar panels designed to be connected with four panels in a series should measure 4 to 5 volts, while a 12 volt panel should show around 21 volts in full sunlight. Next measure the amperage by connecting the positive and negative terminals in full sun; this measurement, the short circuit current, can be multiplied by 17 to give you the wattage of the solar panel.
Don't reject used solar panels solely because of damage. Often it is easy to find panels that have been damaged due to hail or wind storms. These used solar panels may have cracked or broken glass which requires replacement; you can do this yourself or have a glass shop handle the repair. Other common types of damage that can be fixed include condensation underneath the glass and broken connections. Loose connections between the cells can be repaired either with conductive epoxy or solder containing at least 2% silver. Burned out bypass diodes are another common problem that is fairly simple to repair. You may also find it necessary to remount the solar panels in homemade frames. If you're willing to put a little work into repair, you may be able to acquire solar panels for next to no cost at all.
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