# Best place to buy Solar Panels?



## Kenneth in NC (Nov 20, 2002)

Noticed that a lot of Solar places online have the "temporary out of Stock" tag on their 45 watt panels. So where is a good reliable place to get panels "reasonable priced"?

Where would you find a 12v A/C 10,000 btu or larger? It gets hot down at the cabin.


Kenneth


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## Jim-mi (May 15, 2002)

A 12v AC.........wow
never heard of a 12v unit.

There is a world wide shortage of PV pannels caused in part by the huge demand from Germany and Japan.
All of the distrubuitors have standing orders for stock and they get hit and miss delivery. Generally the smaller (wattage) pannels are not a problem. But the 120's and on up are in very short supply.
Keep trying..............


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## justmyluk (Apr 28, 2005)

Harbor Freight had a good price on three 15 watt panels (45 watts total)
for $199 http://da.harborfreight.com/cpisearch/web/search.do Don't know if they are still in stock but it looked like a good price to me.


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## mightybooboo (Feb 10, 2004)

Stick to mainline name brand panels is all I would add.Quality and proven logevity should be a consideration.

BooBoo


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## 12vman (Feb 17, 2004)

I agree 200%, Boo Boo.. But, that 45 watt system is sure a sweet learning tool for a newbee..


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## WisJim (Jan 14, 2004)

Buy name brand products from a local retailer/installer. Or go to one of the many regional energy fairs such as the one in central Wisconsin, and maybe find some good deals on some panels. Energy fair info: http://www.the-mrea.org


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## Ramblin Wreck (Jun 10, 2005)

As an addendum to WisJim's note, there is also a Southeastern energy expo each year, usually (if not always) in North Carolina. Here is the link for this year's meeting:

http://www.seeexpo.com/


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## ET1 SS (Oct 22, 2005)

Soalr panels are so cool!

To bad they are so horribly toxic to manufacture. I wish we could make them 'green'.


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## mightybooboo (Feb 10, 2004)

ET1 SS said:


> Soalr panels are so cool!
> 
> To bad they are so horribly toxic to manufacture. I wish we could make them 'green'.


Wrote to Homepower Magazine about this claim.We will get the experts take on this.

I cannot see how manufacturing silicon chips for panels is any way more 'horribly toxic' than manufacturing the ubiquitous computer silicon chip.Or aluminum,or plastic.Or any other modern manufactured chemical product using gasseous chemicals.

BooBoo


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## WisJim (Jan 14, 2004)

ET1 SS said:


> To bad they are so horribly toxic to manufacture. I wish we could make them 'green'.


Another misconception being spread about alternative energy. Much of the silicon used is a by-product of computer chip manufacturing, and is an efficient process that is carefully scrutinized by the manufacturers. It has been so long since this idea was refuted to my satisfaction that I no longer have references handy.


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## ET1 SS (Oct 22, 2005)

Okay fine, I may well be in-correct. I admit.

In 1987, I was offered a job to work in a plant that made the crystals. This plant draw long crystals up out from a liquid pool of pure silicon that was 'doped' with germanium. then they cut these crystals into very thin slices, and these slices were coated with different chemicals, and etched and coated again, etc. they then shipped these slices to chip manufacturers to be etched with IC-chip circuitry.

The plant was in Vancouver Washington, a small rural town in Southern Washington state. they gave me a wonderful tour of their plant and they made me a nice offer. It was at a time when I was in my last semester of college, and I was torn between going back into the US Navy or getting a civilian career. At the plant I saw a number of guys who had been on my previous sub, and they [the guys who operated the equipment] were trying to fill all open positions with other submariners [mostly with their buddies].

I had made a counter-offer and had gone home to talk with my wife about the job and location, when the following day it was announced that the plant was closing. The employees were told that it was closing as they could not meet 'new' EPA standards. they had been operating for five years, and they very closely tracked their emissions and the by-products that they had to dispose of. but when these 'new' standards came into effect it was immediately obvious to the company that they could not remain in business. So their corporate money pulled up stakes and moved the operation overseas, to fewer restrictions.

Only their plant management was given an option of moving with the plant, to the new location. I don't recall where that new location was to be.

It is then my understanding that all IC-chip manufacture is highly polluting. 

Though as I said at the beginning of this post, I could well be in error, as things may have changed.


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## mightybooboo (Feb 10, 2004)

12vman said:


> I agree 200%, Boo Boo.. But, that 45 watt system is sure a sweet learning tool for a newbee..


Hmmmm....never thought of that,good point.

BooBoo


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## Jim-mi (May 15, 2002)

ET.. if some would have their way the standards for auto emissions would be such that the air comming out is cleaner than that going in. Figure that one out....And the cost....

So no, the making of silicon is not as poluting as many other problems that still exist.

But once made, the pv pannel has such a long expected life that it far and away offsets any *dirty* to make it.

Question;
How many products have a 25 year warrenty ... ?

I own a set of pannels that are 23 or 24 years old and they are still going strong.

rant off


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## Jennifer Brewer (Aug 3, 2005)

where can i purchase a kit for the laminate amourphous pv panels that you put on a standing seam metal roof? and an inverter?
is any one familiar with this product? It is made by united solar


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## Jim-mi (May 15, 2002)

Jennifer, As best as I know the Uni Solar roof stuff is only to be installed by *trained/certified* installers. It is much more labor intensive for those pv's than regular pv pannels.

I do not even consider them for the systems that I install up here in northern Mich.....all because of all the snow we get.

Are you in a southern state and don't consider snow
an issue ?


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## Allan Mistler (Jun 1, 2004)

I just recently purchased four 125 W Kyocera panels and a BZ Products MPPT500 charge controller from Solatron at the best prices I could find on the web. They guarantee that items are in stock and they will provide you with a UPS tracking number within 24 hours of your order to prove it. I decided to build my own tracking rack for the panels since I have at least the ability to weld and I obtained the positioning mechanism free as salvaged from an old ten foot diameter satelite dish. The electronics to track sun location and drive the positioner can be obtained from Duane Johnson  at Red Rock Energy for $35
Anyway, with the current federal tax credit of 30% being offered for tax years 2006 and 2007 It was an offer I couldn't refuse... essentially that means 30% off the price of everything! (up to $6,666 purchased, or a credit of $2,000)


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## Jennifer Brewer (Aug 3, 2005)

Jim-mi said:


> Jennifer, As best as I know the Uni Solar roof stuff is only to be installed by *trained/certified* installers. It is much more labor intensive for those pv's than regular pv pannels.
> 
> I do not even consider them for the systems that I install up here in northern Mich.....all because of all the snow we get.
> 
> ...



will it not slide off though if the pitchis moderately steap? the stuff looks kind of slick.
We live in Kansas City, so we don't get snow very often, and when we do it doesn't stick around long. plus we'll be on grid, so a couple days of little to no input will be okay.


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