I'm looking for ~10 damaged #solar modules to #upcyle for a project. The projects will ultimately be auctioned off to fund #sustainableenergy education programming. Ideally the modules are in the NYC so we can pick them up directly. Let me know if you have any leads. #solarpower #upcycling
@alexnathanson I don't know if you already looked into this, but I've found modules on Craigslist in the past. Usually someone ends up with a pallet of ones with some sort of defect, or ones that were pulled from a solar farm that upgraded. They're typically larger commercial panels in the hundreds of watts range.
What size are you looking for?
@toroidalcore good suggestion! I haven't checked Craig's list yet. I can probably work with anything from 100-400 watts. Larger might be workable too. Thanks!
@toroidalcore yeh, I'm sure there's a treasure trove upstate, though I'm hopeful I can find some within the city. I'm specifically looking for damage modules that can't be used to produce electricity anymore, it's basically a landfill diversion project.
@alexnathanson I see. In that case I would try e-waste places too, anyone who takes various electronics scrap. It's worth calling around, I'm not sure what you'll find in the city but there's probably something. You might try calling solar installers as well.
Obligatory be careful of glass etc. Also, maybe take a multimeter to verify that any modules you find aren't putting out electricity regardless of how damaged they supposedly are.
@alexnathanson A year or so ago I bought a 195 watt panel for $75, the guy had a pallet and probably would have given me a discount had I been looking for around 10. Widen your search to parts of upstate NY, you may have to make a bit of a drive but you'll find something.
One of the neat thing about these is that you can often still get use out of these used ones... I haven't put mine to use yet, but I remember when PV was a lot more expensive per watt.