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I have 1.2kW of used Sunpower panels I bought for $70/pop about 3 years ago. Buying decommissioned commercial install panels is insanely cost effective. It's cr

I have 1.2kW of used Sunpower panels I bought for $70/pop about 3 years ago. Buying decommissioned commercial install panels is insanely cost effective. It's crazy how cheap they go.

dvdbloc 3y ago
Any tips or guides on the best ways to get them? I’m interested
greazy 3y ago
Do they maintain efficiency?
- nikodunk 3y ago
  Yeah! The Sunpower T5s mentioned above are still performing at near-max performance as far as I can tell. Things like shading or dust will influence modern panels way more than their age at this point IMO. Past 20 years I don't know - but for the next 10 years, it's seems to be a pretty good hack :)
  - arrowsmith 3y ago
    Why were they decommissioned if they're still at near-max performance?
    - thot_experiment 3y ago
      Because capitalism is a helluva drug.
    - nikodunk 3y ago
      Ya re-upping gov/state incentives is the theory I’ve heard in a few places. See e-bikes/EVs/general combustion leases where the same happens. Luckily, same as housing and transportation it dumps a bunch of lightly used but performant gear into the market for people like me.
    - sangnoir 3y ago
      I suppose the same reason companies get rid of perfectly serviceable laptops and servers: depreciation and chasing after fractionally larger efficiencies.
ryjiao 3y ago
Do you have any ideas for where I could get a similar deal?
voisin 3y ago
Where did you source them?
- nikodunk 3y ago
  See links on https://sunboxlabs.com https://sunboxlabs.com
- SkyPuncher 3y ago
  I was considering purchasing from this company: https://www.santansolar.com/product-category/solar-panels/ https://www.santansolar.com/product-category/solar-panels/
hinkley 3y ago
Do you buy “end of life” panels or panels removed during a remodel?
- SkyPuncher 3y ago
  I've looked into it. My understanding is commercial installs are more sensitive to efficiency than consumers. I believe it's far more economical for them to squeeze everything they can out of an acreage than it is to simply build new. Between panels losing efficiency and newer, more efficient panels coming on the market, commercial installs tend to cycle out panels well before the end of their life. This leaves a second-hand market with some pretty crazy discounts.
  - 35mm 3y ago
    Also the cost of the structure supporting the panels is usually a lot more than the panels.

I have 1.2kW of used Sunpower panels I bought for $70/pop about 3 years ago. Buying decommissioned commercial install panels is insanely cost effective. It's crazy how cheap they go.

dvdbloc 3y ago

Any tips or guides on the best ways to get them? I’m interested

greazy 3y ago

Do they maintain efficiency?

nikodunk 3y ago
Yeah! The Sunpower T5s mentioned above are still performing at near-max performance as far as I can tell. Things like shading or dust will influence modern panels way more than their age at this point IMO. Past 20 years I don't know - but for the next 10 years, it's seems to be a pretty good hack :)
- arrowsmith 3y ago
  Why were they decommissioned if they're still at near-max performance?
  - thot_experiment 3y ago
    Because capitalism is a helluva drug.
  - nikodunk 3y ago
    Ya re-upping gov/state incentives is the theory I’ve heard in a few places. See e-bikes/EVs/general combustion leases where the same happens. Luckily, same as housing and transportation it dumps a bunch of lightly used but performant gear into the market for people like me.
  - sangnoir 3y ago
    I suppose the same reason companies get rid of perfectly serviceable laptops and servers: depreciation and chasing after fractionally larger efficiencies.

ryjiao 3y ago

Do you have any ideas for where I could get a similar deal?

voisin 3y ago

Where did you source them?

nikodunk 3y ago
See links on https://sunboxlabs.com https://sunboxlabs.com
SkyPuncher 3y ago
I was considering purchasing from this company: https://www.santansolar.com/product-category/solar-panels/ https://www.santansolar.com/product-category/solar-panels/

hinkley 3y ago

Do you buy “end of life” panels or panels removed during a remodel?

SkyPuncher 3y ago
I've looked into it. My understanding is commercial installs are more sensitive to efficiency than consumers. I believe it's far more economical for them to squeeze everything they can out of an acreage than it is to simply build new. Between panels losing efficiency and newer, more efficient panels coming on the market, commercial installs tend to cycle out panels well before the end of their life. This leaves a second-hand market with some pretty crazy discounts.
- 35mm 3y ago
  Also the cost of the structure supporting the panels is usually a lot more than the panels.