Cheap solar panels – how and where to source them
Now that the technology for manufacturing solar panels is moving into the mainstream, cheap solar panels are more readily available. The excellent article below explains how and where to obtain affordable solar panels and stresses the importance of due diligence before buying anything, particularly from overseas.
As the technology of solar power continues to improve and as the industry continues to grow, presenting economies of scale to the creation of cheap solar panels, the price drops continuously. By making the good deal much even better, now it is possible to substantially lower the price by way of producing your own personal solar panels from affordable, easily obtainable parts. Solar power comes up with a decentralized approach (this includes installing a rooftop solar system), and in between the dropping cost of the solar panels themselves, the growing yet untrustworthy price of oil, as well as the growing availability of net metering, there’s absolutely no better time for you to reap the benefits of this environmentally-friendly and limitless energy source.
Although getting new solar panels does not allow you to get them as cheaply as getting used ones or (on top of that!) creating your own, it will give you the benefit of a manufacturer’s warranty and a guarantee of good quality. It’s up to you to decide for yourself whether or not these advantages are actually worth investing for. Additionally, you should make sure that the warranty is really in effect and try to ask the seller on how using it would work. In case you need to ship the damaged panels into some other country or much even worse, to China, and await another replacement to come along, then you are not really getting much of the advantage.
The best approach of buying a new cheap solar panels would be to buy them direct in the manufacturer or from the manufacturer’s principle supplier. It will not only lessen the retailers’ profit margin, but suppliers are usually better with regards to handling responsibility regarding warranty issues.
At the very least for the current solar panels can be bought from Chinese manufacturers at a discount as compared to domestic solar panels. Nevertheless, it is vital to not just do a Google search for “solar panels from China” or the similar. Instead, visit a recognized reputable manufacturer just like Yingli or Suntech to put your order. The time of delivery from China might take a month or even more, so you’ve to practice your patience.
The most cost effective way of getting a cheap solar panels for your home is to create your own. To get this done, you must have a soldering iron and solder, along with a frame for the solar cells that can make up the solar panel. The frame is essentially a shallow box into which you will fit the connected solar cells, and also a plastic cover to shield the solar cells from weather damage. Each solar cell could produce about a half volt in a good sun, which means you need about 36 cells which are connected together so as to produce 18 volts, that is needed to charge a 12 volt battery. The solar cells needs to be equipped with metal tabs when you purchase them. This can be a little expensive, but it will cut the soldering necessary to create a solar panel in half. Factory-perfect solar cells are extremely expensive (even though you can still save cash as compared to buying new panels), but factory seconds and blemished cells work in the same way and will cost you significantly less.
It’s a good idea to have a professional guide that tells you where to go to purchase the parts for your solar panel and how they must be installed. The solar cells need to be soldered serially (not parallel), and every group of cells needs to be connected appropriately. Its easy to do, but it’s necessary to do it the right way. Creating your own solar panels will definitely save you hundreds of dollars compared to having a new solar panels or making solar panels from a kit, so it’s worth your investment and effort.
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