Is it worthwhile buying used solar panels
Of late there have been many "Attractive Offers" for used solar panels in the Zimbabwean market. Is it worthwhile for you to buy these panels because they are quite cheap. At Solarpro Zimbabwe we come accross many offers for used solar panels such as for 24v 230 watt solar panels selling for USD65 per panel. Brand new panels 24v with 250 watt panels are retailing at USD95 to USD100 brand new. Its understandable therefore for one to consider buying second hand panels.
On the face of it the second hand deal looks great USD65 vs US100 is a great saving. Should you buy them? Its up to you and we are here to advise you on the factors to consider before buying.
1. Do you know why they are are being sold - Many panels are taken off solar farms in Europe where some defects emerged after the commissioning of a solar farm. For example here is a story of recalled solar panels that were overheating. Bottom line is do your research.
2. Some solar panels are sold as top brands by sticking labels when infact they are not. This is very common. Often its not easy to tell them apart. Again do your homework. Watch out for brand new stickers on old looking panels. Read this story to see some of the problems being experienced by Zimbabweans when bying solar equipment especially from China
3. Solar panels are designed to last for 25 to 30 years, so look out for when they were first installed. Some panels have only 5 years left in them while others have 10 years or more.
4. One of the most common reason why you will find used solar panels for sale is the fact that the person selling them has outgrown them due to the fact that they have upgraded their system. These days solar modules come in bigger sizes upto 540 watts at the time of writing this article.
Used solar panels can be a good buy due to the fact that they are cheap. But know why they are being sold and ensure that they still produce enough power to give you the power you need. Solar panels degrade over time for a number of reasons. Mostly because of the exposure to the elements.
Given a choice we would buy new solar panels because they come with warranties and can be traced back to the original source. Some of the more popular brands available in the local market are
Jinko
Canadian solar
Trina
Solarcomm
Risen
Do you know any other great brands available in Zimbabwe, contact us on +263718924393 and we will gladly review them and add them to our list of preferred brands. Hope you found this article useful. To get a free solar system installation quote Click Here.