Used panels as low as $0.10/watt

[Siamac]

Santansolar is having a sale on some of their panels. The sale says buy one get one half off on all used panels, but the code only works on some of their panels. It might be a glitch. But it stacks on top of sale panels. There are a few panels between $26 to $30, around 250W each. That comes out to less than $0.10/watt, but you have to calculate at least 10% degradation. Even if you calculate shipping for a palet, it's not much more per watts. They also have higher quality used panels, like 420W Sunpower for $99, but the BOGO code is not working on them.

Anyone not familiar with santansolar, they basically get used or damaged panels for free, they refurbish them and sell them for cheap. They generally have good customer service as well.

Www.Santansolar.com


An alternative is inxeptionmarketplace, which have new panels at $0.22-0.27/watt shipped, half cut bifacial, but you have to buy around 30+ panels usually, where with santansolar minimum is 10 or less.

Here's an example of new half cut bifacial for $0.25/watt shipped

Do Business Better with Inxeption

Inxeption is the leading technology platform digitizing the global Industrial Commerce value chain. We are advocates for our ecosystem of suppliers and buyers, enabling them to do business better.

inxeption.com

 

[sollap]

In case anyone is wondering, the buy one get one free does not apply to multiple panels. If you buy 10 panels, you do not get 10 free.

 

[seneysolar]

I always wondered, how do they "refurbish" a solar panel???

 

[Bop]

That's expensive- I bought my 250W ex gridtie panels from an installer (off facebook market) $1960 for 72 panels ie 18kw- took out two grand, put $40 of diesel in the tilt tray and he got the rest (works out at about $27 a panel)
Works out at under $0.11c per watt Australian (about $0.06 per watt US)

 

[timselectric]

I always wondered, how do they "refurbish" a solar panel???

"Refurbished" is a stretch.
They might replace an MC4 connector.
As far as I know, that's about it.

 

[Siamac]

"Refurbished" is a stretch.
They might replace an MC4 connector.
As far as I know, that's about it.

Correct. They also wash them, sort them and test a few in the batch

 

[Siamac]

In case anyone is wondering, the buy one get one free does not apply to multiple panels. If you buy 10 panels, you do not get 10 free.

It's buy one, get another half off. So basically 25% off. If you buy 10, you get 25% off

 

[timselectric]

They also wash them

Maybe
I'm not sure about that.
While the almost 200 I have from them, weren't filthy. They didn't appear to be freshly cleaned, either.

 

[timselectric]

It's buy one, get another half off. So basically 25% off. If you buy 10, you get 25% off

It's buy one get one.
50% off total purchase. (Before taxes and shipping)

Edit: it is only 25% off.

 

[Siamac]

It's buy one, get another half off. So basically 25% off. If you buy 10, you get 25% off

This is correct. Try it. Put something in the cart and put in the code

 

[timselectric]

This is correct. Try it. Put something in the cart and put in the code

You are correct.
Weird, that's not how it worked on a previous sale.
I stand corrected.

 

[Siamac]

Yes, it's misleading. But still a good deal. I'll tell you which is the best deal after I order

 

[Zwy]

I prefer new panels. If the panels last 20 years, I might be pushing up daisies by then.

Used- maybe they will be pushing up daisies before me.

 

[timselectric]

Everything they sell is a good deal, even without a sale.
But I have also found even better deals. Just have to look harder.

 

[timselectric]

I prefer new panels. If the panels last 20 years, I might be pushing up daisies by then.

Used- maybe they will be pushing up daisies before me.

20 years is just when they will be reduced to 80% output.
My needs will be much less by then. (If I'm still around)

 

[Bop]

I prefer new panels. If the panels last 20 years, I might be pushing up daisies by then.

Used- maybe they will be pushing up daisies before me.

Nope...

Solar panels last far longer than that- the first set I bought (back in the 1980's) are still working fine- their output is down to be about 70% of new, but after 40 years, thats still pretty good lol

A LOT of misinformation has been spread by 'anti solar' propagandists, about solar panels having a 'short life'- it is nonsense- the output guarantee (which is what many use to further this claim) is not the 'lifespan' but a guarantee that it will be at the specified output level- or higher- after that time...

My old ones I had at the last house I lived at were fitted in 2016, and were 84.7% or higher after 25 years, the more expensive Panasonics (their purer silicon dies used for the cells costs more to manufacture) had a output guarantee of over 90% after 25 years (actually 92.4% if I remember correctly)
That means the manufacturer has guaranteed that in if you install a set of 350w panels now, in 2049, your 6.6kw of panels (a common size for a gridtie here in Australia) would be still making at least 5.6kw if they were my ones on the old house, and at least 6.1kw for the Panasonics- a far cry from 'worn out' LOL

(do you consider your car tyres to be 'worn out' with over 90% of their tread left???)


Just in my family alone, we have my uncles (one of the 2000 Sydney Olympic houses), all fitted with solar gridtie for the Olympic Games and used to house athletes and officials, and sold to the public afterwards (25 years old), and my mothers (1997 installed- 27 years old) and both sets are still functioning just fine as are my old ones from the 1980's at an ex neighbours house ( 40 years old)
Australia has been using gridtie solar since the 1990's (mums place was one of the last in her street to get it lol) and if they 'only lasted 20 years' there would be millions of panels failing now, and would have been for the last decade or so- and yet- nothing...

Almost as if the manufacturers are telling the truth lol

I was happy to use panels manufactured in 2014-206 for my own offgrid array- they will still be pushing out power long after I am underground lol
(and I plan on being around a while yet...)

 

[Texican]

I prefer new panels. If the panels last 20 years, I might be pushing up daisies by then.

Used- maybe they will be pushing up daisies before me.

can you give info on how your array is set up with the 2 lv6548 inverters ?
I have 2 of the lv6548 with the 250v limit, currently using used 250w panels. each inverter has 6kw total with 24 panels in a 6s2p going to each mppt

I assume you are using the eg4 chargers to avoid issues dealing with the 250v limits ??

I want to upgrade my panels, the used 250w are starting to suck, I just upgraded a gridtied array with used 250w panels to some hyundai 395w and am amazed at how degraded the old 250w panels were

going to try to get rid of the old 250w panels for maybe $25 each if I can get that much, with the prices of new panels I would not consider buying used anymore

 

[Siamac]

can you give info on how your array is set up with the 2 lv6548 inverters ?
I have 2 of the lv6548 with the 250v limit, currently using used 250w panels. each inverter has 6kw total with 24 panels in a 6s2p going to each mppt

I assume you are using the eg4 chargers to avoid issues dealing with the 250v limits ??

I want to upgrade my panels, the used 250w are starting to suck, I just upgraded a gridtied array with used 250w panels to some hyundai 395w and am amazed at how degraded the old 250w panels were

going to try to get rid of the old 250w panels for maybe $25 each if I can get that much, with the prices of new panels I would not consider buying used anymore

How about just leaving your panels as is, and upgrade your inverter and just buy more panels and add to your current panel count. The newer inverters have much higher Volt limits. Like the LVX6048WP at around $1500 can go up to 600V X 2 MPPT

 

[Zwy]

can you give info on how your array is set up with the 2 lv6548 inverters ?
I have 2 of the lv6548 with the 250v limit, currently using used 250w panels. each inverter has 6kw total with 24 panels in a 6s2p going to each mppt

I assume you are using the eg4 chargers to avoid issues dealing with the 250v limits ??

Yes, the 8.4Kw array runs to the 2 EG4 charge controllers.

I am adding 11 more 370W panels to the house, I'll use the MPPT's in the LV6548's for those 11 panels. I think it might be single 4S or 2 parallel strings of 4S and one 3S panel string. It gets cold here, thus the 4s. The 3S uses up and extra odd panel due to 31 panels in the pallet.

I want to upgrade my panels, the used 250w are starting to suck, I just upgraded a gridtied array with used 250w panels to some hyundai 395w and am amazed at how degraded the old 250w panels were

going to try to get rid of the old 250w panels for maybe $25 each if I can get that much, with the prices of new panels I would not consider buying used anymore

Might be a good choice but I would consider just leaving those in place, adding the new panels on EG4 charge controllers. The EG4 charge controllers have worked flawlessly since the firmware update. In a recent video, I showed the EG4's pulling over the panel rating for each string. I do have the charge controllers under paneled.

Finding panels/strings that readily work with a 250V limit can be a challenge as panel VOC ratings are heading much higher. The 250W panels are already installed, if it was me, I'd just leave them for now and add charge controllers and new panels unless the cost of another mount or location prohibits it.

 

[Zwy]

How about just leaving your panels as is, and upgrade your inverter and just buy more panels and add to your current panel count. The newer inverters have much higher Volt limits. Like the LVX6048WP at around $1500 can go up to 600V X 2 MPPT

He doesn't need any inverters, just charge controllers. A pair of EG4 MPPT's runs $800.