I'm heading to an auction tomorrow where I'll find solar panels from brands like Evergreen, Astronergy, Canadian Solar, JA Solar, and BYD. I'm looking for opinions on these brands. Are there any that I should avoid? Keep in mind these panels are about 10 years old and they're going for really cheap.
3 Answers
I've got some 300-watt Canadian Solar poly panels that are already 10 years old, and they're still working perfectly for me! I think they hold up well over time.
Canadian Solar is still in business, and I've heard of JA Solar, though I haven't kept up with them recently. I didn't even know BYD made panels! Just a heads-up, though: I'm not really interested in 10-year-old panels myself. Make sure to compare the cost in terms of watts per dollar; you can find new panels online for around $0.30 to $0.40 per watt, not including shipping.
With a life expectancy of 25-30 years for panels, I don't see why you'd be worried about them being 10 years old.
I can't speak for their performance after 10 years, but all those brands are considered top-tier in the industry. I used to collaborate with utility-scale developers and they trusted these brands for million-dollar projects.
That's a super cheap deal! How many panels are you looking at for $200?