Re: Used PV Panels - What Are They Worth and Where Do You Find Them?

 Unless you're the gov and can simply take the things, it pretty much depends
on what the seller willing to take..  There aint a whole lot of
competition...

  The only market I have seen for used panels is eBay , and there , they are
getting as much money for "used" panels as "new" ones cost

As long as there are shortages , there is no discount for used panels ,
further , since panels only marginally decline in output over 20 years , in
dollar terms , they will continue to match new panels until the point is
reached that there is a surplus of new panels , this I believe won't happen
in this decade

 On 27 Jun 2005 09:49:14 -0700, "Too_Many_Tools"


Used modules for sale aren't common. You'd have to be very lucky to
find a deal on a specific quality or quantity. You might call these
guys, they have a few choices under $4 a Watt.
http://www.sunelec.com/Distributors_/Solar_Panels/bp1solar_panels.html

Wayne

 
Why do you think that there's this giant source of used panels coming
on the market all the time?  IMHO, old panels are either going to fail
(and be worth nothing) or continue to work and be worth more installed
than sold off.

Removing them, inspecting/refurbishing/qualifying them, packing them
up, and shipping them to some place that wants them is likely to be as
expensive as buying new ones.  Sure, someone will occasionally end up
with some panels he doesn't want, but he's more likely to give them to
a neighbor than list them on eBay.

Personally, if I'm going to all the trouble of installing panels, I'm
gonna get new ones rather than someone else's maintenance nightmare.

 
I _think_ this was directed at me.  Nope, don't sell hardware except
at a fixed markup when my clients insist.

I'll try again.  My two main problems with used panels are:

1) In the past, panels had significantly lower lifetimes than
expected, mostly due to materials problems that have since been
corrected.  In fact, barring the unexpected, new panels can be
expected to have longer lifetimes than old panels, even ignoring the
percentage of their lifetime that's already been used up.

2) Finding, purchasing, boxing, shipping, qualifying, and refurbishing
used panels can add significant costs.  These costs can't be
quantified ahead of time, because until you get them and look them
over you don't really know what kind of shape they are in.

IMHO, installing used panels deliberately reduces the lifetime of the
system and increases it's maintenance costs.  I would personally want
new panels to decrease these costs and maximize lifetime, but that's
just me.  Your Milage Will Vary.