Pricing in used panels

[Bluedog225]

I’m wondering what you guys are seeing for pricing on used panels? I just missed about 100 panels at Restore. $40 each for 275 watt. Though I think I could have gotten them down substantially for all 100.

Even at $40 is would be about 15 cents a watt.

 

[Solar Guppy]

The used supply is going to rapidly increase, so I see prices going down as the cost to dispose or recycle has the used panels as negative net value.

This is an informative video that discusses this from the recycle view and until this can be done at scale, its land fill material at high cost to dispose of.

 

[Hedges]

I've paid $0.35/W, then $0.10/W for used ~ 325W. Plus $0.03/W for shipping.
Then I paid $0.19/W all-in, with tax and shipping, for new 370W.
Quantities ranged from 24 to 110 panels.

I would avoid degraded junk and older 13% efficiency panels, go for 20% and above to save on mounting hardware and give more power in same footprint. At these lower prices, diminishing fraction of total cost, I favor top brands.

 

[Bluedog225]

Fair points. How do you tell the 13% from the 20%?

 

[Hedges]

(Watts/m^2) / 1000

 

[hwy17]

Used market is still acting irrationally imo. It costs $20 per panel just to dispose of a panel legally in California at end of life. But people are not buying and selling with this liability in mind.

 

[Solar Guppy]

Look up the data sheet on-line

The one pictured is 16.9% when new, first generation mono I believe.

Here is typical pricing for used Poly, ~12 cents a watt or $755 for a pallet of 30

With racking and RSS costs taken into account, its lower cost to buy new, even if used was free

 

[Hedges]

Used market is still acting irrationally imo. It costs $20 per panel just to dispose of a panel legally in California at end of life. But people are not buying and selling with this liability in mind.

Some are.

Solar panels $0.0231/W, new record price!

Here is a new record low price for solar panels, just $0.0231 per watt! https://www.ebay.com/itm/224443956635

diysolarforum.com

 

[Solar Guppy]

Some are.

Solar panels $0.0231/W, new record price!

Here is a new record low price for solar panels, just $0.0231 per watt! https://www.ebay.com/itm/224443956635

diysolarforum.com

And they are are making money at that price as they get the disposal fee

 

[cs1234]

Used market is still acting irrationally imo. It costs $20 per panel just to dispose of a panel legally in California at end of life. But people are not buying and selling with this liability in mind.

Maybe they transport them out of the state by the truckload to states that don't require it.

 

[cs1234]

And they are are making money at that price as they get the disposal fee

That should be considered fraudulent if they aren't actually destroying/recycling them in some way.

 

[rodrick]

What do you expect from people that bought painted rocks as pets?

 

[740GLE]

That should be considered fraudulent if they aren't actually destroying/recycling them in some way.

Solar industry not acting with high moral standards? Say is it’s so.

For my needs I only need a few panels (<8) I’ll pay a few extra % for new panels, if I were looking at 30 panels my opinion would change.

 

[Hedges]

Don't think there is any requirement to dispose of PV panels in an environmentally responsible way. Just to not dump illegally.
What harm is there in landfilling them, anyway? I think they are RoHS, nothing toxic (except dopants bonded inside PV wafers.)

Maybe should recycle aluminum frames, cut off leads for copper, grind up the rest (glass, silicon, epoxy, copper) and use as aggregate for concrete. But plastic backsheet not so good, can it be peeled off?
OK landfill most cost effective.

 

[hwy17]

What harm is there in landfilling them, anyway? I think they are RoHS, nothing toxic (except dopants bonded inside PV wafers.)

California has deemed them hazardous waste. My transfer station has a big sign up at the pay station now: NO SOLAR PANELS

 

[Solar Guppy]

California has deemed them hazardous waste. My transfer station has a big sign up at the pay station now: NO SOLAR PANELS

At the same time California code requires a solar electric system on all new home builds

 

[cs1234]

At the same time California code requires a solar electric system on all new home builds

I'm hoping California has some plan in mind, or already has, some sort of recycling / disposal system in place other than forbidding them from the dump. Ideally it's not just a huge grift giving money to somebodies in-laws or something.

 

[740GLE]

At the same time California code requires a solar electric system on all new home builds

And those houses and PV panels are known the the state of California to cause cancer!!

 

[timselectric]

California has deemed them hazardous waste. My transfer station has a big sign up at the pay station now: NO SOLAR PANELS

California has deemed everything Hazzardous. lol

 

[cs1234]

And those houses and PV panels are known the the state of California to cause cancer!!

Like everything else the house is built with.