Buying cheap Solar Panels

1. Search for items for sale in your country.

Postage, insurance and supplier service will be much cheaper and easier if you buy from the country you live in. In Australia you can get registered and insured post quite cheaply. However, when posting a parcel overseas from Australia no such option is available. That's fine if the object is unbreakable but very few are.

It will also be quicker and easier to return the item if needed. Also, since items have less traveling to do, there will be less chance of damage to them in transit.

2. The DIY Option

There are a few claims around about being able to produce cheap solar panels and wind generators with very little know how.

This is certainly true, if you have access to the materials outlined in the manuals.

The most reliable and long running of these ebooks is Earth 4 Energy. They have a full refund within 8 weeks so you can't go wrong. This is a very reliable company with a good track record of giving refunds when requested.

ONLY in the USA?

While the ebook deals with adapting systems to non-USA power grid systems, it must be noted that this book is written for the USA. If you live outside the USA you may find it difficult and expensive to find some of the parts used in the manual.

3. New Cheap Solar Panels

Have a look at what happened to this solar lawn light set. It did not come with a warranty. By making informed decisions you can avoid similar money wasting mistakes.

It is also necessary to be wary of possible scams. Several sites have claimed to be selling solar paint. These sites are almost certainly scams, as commercially available paint on coatings that could produce electricity are still years away from production.

4. Used Cheap Panels

a) How old is it? The age of a panel will affect its productivity, especially if it is a thin film panel. The efficiency of used thin film panels can be as low as 6%. On the other hand, if it is a monocrystaline or polycrystalline panel its age should not have much of an effect on its operation.

b) Is it structurally sound? If the panel is not sealed properly you will find moisture condensing on the inside of the glass or plastic cover. This will have a significant impact on its performance.

c) Does it provide a steady current flow throughout the day? If the panel shows fluctuating voltage or the voltage drops in the brightest part of the day then it probably has some issues with corrosion or other damage to the internal circuitry. This is often the case with old thin film solar cells. Unless you are the engineering type repairing this damage is way too much work to make the purchase worthwhile. Cheap solar panels that don't work are not a good deal!

d) Has it been used on a boat? Used marine solar panels need to be looked at very carefully, otherwise what looks like a great deal will leave you out of pocket and with a worthless panel.

One good place to look for used cheap solar panels is on eBay.

Finding your local eBay site

Other Options

There are a swag of portable solar panels on the market, but most of these are for small devices or camping. One larger scale option is the portable solar panels by Verandah that are designed for household use but can be transported as well.

Comments And Questions

We need to have open, loud and clear discussion about the government policies and how these affect the implementation of current and new solar power technologies.

At present, solar energy technology is at a sufficiently advanced stage that it can be a serious contributor to a clean energy system. What is missing is the political will to make this happen.

As a result solar power is still far too expensive to be considered a real option for most home owners.

Your Comment Or Question

Join the discussion about relevant issues affecting the production and delivery of cheap solar panels on a global scale.

Click below to see contributions from other visitors to this page...