thoughts on this panel i found on craigslist

[05kas05]

any info or insight on this panel would be appreciated i have a renege 100 watt suitcase kit but if this panel is a good deal i would like to get it while i can and add parts for a roof top set up as i can.

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sorry here is a link hope it works
http://austin.craigslist.org/for/4741148871.html

 

[loess]

If it's fully functional and free of damage, that's a pretty good deal. I bought a used 235 watt Astronergy panel from someone in Colorado via Craigslist and for that exact same price. The seller had bought a large number of them from a landowner who had overestimated his solar needs and ended up with a couple of dozen extras, so they were essentially brand new and unused.

From what I've read, Sharp is generally a reliable brand when it comes to solar panels. See if you can get the model number so you can you look up more specifics about it. Ask if they are 12V or 24V panels. If they are 24V panels, that is not a dealbreaker, but be aware that you'll need an MPPT charge controller capable of downregulating the voltage to 12V before it feeds into the rest of your system.

You will want to take a multimeter and test the panel in person before committing. It's pretty simple if you have any understanding of basic electronic circuitry. There are a few videos on YouTube that show you how to do test panels; here's one that helped me to learn.

You will not be covered under warranty when buying a used panel, so take that into consideration if it is of importance to you.

 

[Reducto]

That looks a lot like the 235 watt Sharp panel I bought a couple of years ago for $235 from someone off craigslist. Some guy bought up a truckload of cosmetic seconds and was reselling them. They are still rated the same as any other panel, the colors are just different so they don't get put into large arrays.

It's higher voltage so you'll need an MPPT controller, but you might want one of those anyway.

Mine is still going strong! I'm very happy with it.