Todd Dabney, who has been traveling to the Burning Man Festival since 2011, needed a way to put his tent under Nevada baking. So the IT consultant created what he calls “last swamp” out of a heavy plastic storage container, pumps, tubes and fan.
Powering the device is a 385-watt Jinkosolar panel that he wrapped in Craigslist several years ago from a nearby retailer for $ 100. Dabney recalls that the seller was improving his solar layer and removing his current panels, which were five years old.
“There was no reason to buy new panels” for the cold, he says. “I knew I was sending Burning Man, and it would get dust and beaten.”
When industries turn more and more new panels, the distribution of the used is increased in turns. Dabney is among a group of solar buyers in America who choose to buy their second, often through a list on eBayCraigslist and Facebook market. On message boards like reddit's r/solar andDiy's solar platformThrifters can share their experiences and exchange installation tips.
Early -owned panels are an attractive option for strong people, as well as DIY, upgrades and shelters. Their cost varies with age and output. Old panels, which are usually low fraud, can be found in the line for less than $ 50. News have high wattage and can cost several times. But any second panel from the next city will not be targeted, while a large number of newly installed panels in America are imported, so under tariffs.
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Providing module a second life has environmental benefits, experts say, and since the more sunlight is set in the world, the market used can grow.
Santan Solar of Arizona base sells new andUsedPanel through its web and eBay. His parent company, Fabtech Solar Solutions, runs aThe business of processing the sunThat takes panels from rejected projects and tests them for quality. Santan sells modules used with a one -year guarantee.
Interested in panels owned earlier during the Covid-19 epidemic, while Americans were spending a lot of time at home, according to Santan Sales Manager, Rusty Thatcher. “The primary end users are the most free people, who are more aware of the budget-they are looking for an alternative to cheap energy sources,” Thatcher says. They may want to set the solar system for their RV or they need to replace the existing column, he adds.
Sameer Sajid turned to the Facebook market in his solar -owned dynamic charges for his bike, a project he took “just comfortably.” Within one day, a software engineer from Massachusetts found a seller next to him issuing a 250-Watt Renogy brand panel.
He bought it – with the payment controller, he needed to control the flow of energy for the bike battery – for $ 100. Setting up a payment center took less than 30 minutes, he says.
“If you are trying to make it at the easiest price, used is 1,000% of the way to go,” Sajid says.
Going to be used also avoids sending work panels to the desired stream in advance. International Energy Agency estimates that additional waste from photovoltaics will be reached4 million tonnesWorldwide in 2030, with about 50 million tons in 2040.
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Panels usually have a 30 -year guarantee, but many do not reach their full life before they are replaced. Their industries cause the same environmental impact if they are used for three or three decades.
“As soon as you repair the PV panel, extend his life by re -using the sink, or have an environmental impact on more electricity production, reducing the effects of the kilowetic clock,” says Garvin Heath, chief environmental engineer in the national renewable energy laboratory and an expert on energy evaluation.
Still, the modules used are not for everyone or every project. There is an obvious way to have a vet quality from a fixed ad. Shipping Panels from afar can cause costs per spiral. Lower spots or damaged panels may have the price of temptation but weak crops, especially since the efficiency of the panels decreases slightly in time. And the panels often represent only a component of the overall cost of the sun setting. Other parts are needed – like the inverter, wiring and, in most cases, battery – add quickly.
New solar panels are already very cheap for their mass in the market, notes Bloombergnef analyst Jenny Chase. The module is usually designed to be installed and left alone, he says, and deceiving them can put emphasis on them.
Santan's thatcher says that depending on the use, people may be better to invest in new panels to increase the amount of energy captured.
“If people are looking to put a new layer of sunlight in their home they want to have for 30 years, then I recommend new panels,” he says. FederalTax creditIt can help reduce costs.
The average American household requires about 11 kilowatts to cover its electricity consumption, and the same size system and panels usually cost around $ 20,500 to close after federal loans,According toData from power. The average time it takes to make back in the savings of bills is over seven years.
After setting up his e-bike charger, Sajid says he buys new panels for his home, to increase the amount of energy he can provide. But he still sees the benefits of using the second ones in certain situations. For example, they would be good for his wardrobe in the mountains, he says, meeting the basic requirements of electricity.
Dabney has been telling other Burning Man participants about his DIY cool system and directing them to Craigslist and Facebook market for used panels.
“Having a cheap, free generator, I think, it's very good,” he says.
This story was previously shown Bahati.com