Find and get Cheap Solar Panels

A home solar power generator can serve you for two decades; cheap solar panels provide you with a less painful entrance to the solar homeowners club. Since solar panels are the most expensive part of the residential solar power system, buying solar panels cheap is the key to getting the solar power system at affordable prices

Components of Grid Connected Home Solar Generator

The 2 components that makes the residential solar power generator are the solar panels that convert the sun radiation to DC power and the DC to AC inverter that provides AC compatible power to the home appliances (115V, 60Hz in the US, 230V 50 Hz in Europe). The panels are by far more expensive than the inverter for the typical size home generator with production capacity of 2 kW (2,000 Watts).

Buying New Cheap Solar Panels

The typical price range for new first hand solar panels is $5 to $7 per 1 watt production capacity. You can however shop successfully and find prices under $3 per 1 watt production capacity. The strategies I can recommend are:

1. Buy at wholesale prices
2. Shop on line at price comparison sites
3. Create a bigger purchase volumes by joining efforts with your neighbors or friends to buy directly from the manufacturer
4. One way to increase your buying leverage is to go through a site like 1bog.org that organize buying groups. They can "negotiate a large group discount to make solar affordable"

Keep the following in the back of your mind:

1. Read carefully the warranty terms, and see what is the procedure to replace or repair a damaged panel
2. Shop locally, solar panels are heavy and might be expensive to ship
3. Buy from a Reputable Source with good credentials

Used Panels

I personally don’t like 2nd hand solar panels for the following reasons:

• Solar panels suffer from aging effects and even the best mono-crystalline silicon panel may suffer a loss of 1-2% of their production capability every year after they were exposed to the sun
• It is hard to get a warranty on a used panel
• In some applications, such as panels that were on board of boats the panels might become shabby
• In some of the states (such as California) the state tax rebate is granted only to the buyer of new solar equipment

DIY panels

Even though many try to lure you to build your solar panel from readily available cheap materials, I’d recommend buying this sophisticated piece of equipment from a reliable manufacturer that sells a mature product with a proven record. For a panel to live two decades it needs to have a reliable mechanical construction and a proven electrical assembly

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