Why use Renogy Solar Panels when Kyocera Used panels are less?

[66788]

I needed another KC120 Kyocera panel for my Starship Grumman Olson to finish the solar install, so I looked on eBay and found that used Kyocera 120 watt panels are selling for less than new Renogy 100 watt panels.

Kyocera has been around for quite a long time and is a respected name in photo voltaic panels. They have a good track record of long lasting panels.

Personally I would rather have the used KC120 than the new Renogy 100 watt panel.

BTW, I bought my last KC120 for $99.00. The ones I bought 7 years ago and put in storage cost over $650.00 each.

 

[concretebox]

I bought new Renogy panels because I don't trust eBay/PayPal, and I have Amazon Prime free shipping. Also having a warranty is nice.

 

[MikeRuth]

If your in the los angeles area....
http://losangeles.craigslist.org/lac/eld/4713047660.html

 

[66788]

If your in the los angeles area....
http://losangeles.craigslist.org/lac/eld/4713047660.html

That's a great deal. I'd snap up a half dozen of those in a heartbeat if I were closer.

 

[highdesertranger]

post has been deleted. probably sold. I wish I would have seen. what were they selling? highdesertranger

 

[66788]

Kyocera KC120 120 Watt panels as low as $80.00 each. They had over 100 for sale.

 

[VanLifeCrisis]

Is it free shipping on ebay..or at least comparable with price factored in?

 

[66788]

Some are free, others up to $15.00.

Bottom line is you can't compare a Cadillac to a Kia.

 

[Spaceman Spiff]

When I bought earlier this year, the price (with shipping) for used 100W panels was more than new Renogy panels. New Kia, old Cadillac; I took the warranty.

IMO solar panels have become a commodity item. They get their wafers from the same fab plants, are (electrically) assembled robotically, use identical optical glass. I did a thorough research on solar panels this last winter and didn't find any major dissatisfaction with any of the major manufacturers. So it came down to price per watt.

-- Spiff

 

[1977dodge]

I purchased a Renogy panel and controller off Amazon and found it to work very well ,my main system for when i return to living off grid will be Kyrocera panels simply because i want fewer large output panels ,Renogy has amazing customer service and even answered some unrelated questions about non Renogy equipment .
As m3entioned Kyocera is a trusted name in Solar so i dont think either will be a bad deal .
just as an aside the suitcase solar i purchased from Bob has been great at keeping my van battery up to voltage on weekend getaways.

 

[66788]

I purchased a Renogy panel and controller off Amazon and found it to work very well ,my main system for when i return to living off grid will be Kyrocera panels simply because i want fewer large output panels ,Renogy has amazing customer service and even answered some unrelated questions about non Renogy equipment .
As m3entioned Kyocera is a trusted name in Solar so i dont think either will be a bad deal .
just as an aside the suitcase solar i purchased from Bob has been great at keeping my van battery up to voltage on weekend getaways.

My main concern about Renogy is that they are a Chinese company, and my experience with Chinese electronics is that they work OK initially, but the quality of the materials used in production is not up to par with real name brand products.

I hope they are good as a lot of people on this forum use them, but just to be safe I'm sticking with Kyocera because I've not had a single problem from any Kyocera panel.

As for charge controllers, I really like MorningStar for the exact same reasons I like the Kyocera. Reliability and proven history in the industry.