Anybody know anything about these folks? Home made solar panels?
http://www.earth4energy.com/
I am not familiar with them, but there is an article in the most recent "Home Power" magazine warning people to be wary of the "build your own panels" flyers and kits. Sorry not much help right now, but I can take a look at the article when I get home and summarize.
I distrust anysite that blocks you from leaving.
I just googled them and my suspicion flag is waving. There is a huge amount of online marketing noise about earth 4 energy. It all looks the same. It is as though they flooded as much of the web as possible with their stuff.
I was unable to find anyone who actually posts pictures of a home made system using their instruction. I also checked ripoffreport.com but came up empty. Hmmmm... maybe teh BBB?
-f-
Add the administrators of the Otherpower Forum (http://www.fieldlines.com/story/2009/7/8/165124/3571) (you know... the guys that actually BUILD their own windmills from SCRATCH) to the thumbs down crowd.
The information this guy is selling is free on their website. There was a guy in the forum section that walked through the risk of buying the broken pieces on ebay and repairing them. IIRC his determination was that you can spend a lot of time and save a few dollars. IMO they are aesthetically displeasing, and to much risk for the return.
"Can I power my whole home with just a $200 system?"
"Our manual provides instructions to build 100 watt panels and you also get the instructions so you can join multiple panels together to raise the output to 1000 watts +."
That is about $2 a watt in their perfect scenario they outline in their advertising. This rarely happens and it ends up costing around $3-$4 a watt in the end. Normally panels go for $4-$5 a watt with warranty.
Even with a perfect scenario half price for the risk and time consumed is not worth it in my book.
I read on their website that "you can tie into the grid and sell power back".
Not with $200 worth of hardware you can't.
OK.. I'm actually embarrassed that I posted that link. Modern day snake oil venders they are.
http://cgi.ebay.com/Pallet-of-SIX-200-Watt-Solar-Panels-2-49-Per-Watt_W0QQitemZ160349695489QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item2555962e01&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=65%3A12%7C66%3A2%7C39%3A1%7C72%3A2122%7C293%3A1%7C294%3A50
I bought some of these -- the best price I have seen yet -- they are new with very minor scratches on the frames
$2.50 per watt plus shipping
I got home and checked out the magazine it's just a little blurb that says a lot of their readers have been asking about e publications that promise to show how to build your own panels or windmills but don't live up to the promises.
That is one of the best prices I have seen on solar panels. I remember you posts, if you are getting good performance, I might get them. That sounded like a to good to be true offer.
NM, I wouldn't feel embarrassed. I have wasted a lot of time looking into this site and the idea of putting together panels from the broken pieces on ebay. Just happy I could prevent others from wasting their time.
Squirl
I thought 'too good to be true' also and having been stung before from a junk inverter from Taiwan
I bought the first pallet with no small amount of nervousness and apprehension
but they are just excellent !
they had a good deal on shipping for a while, not sure what it is now -- the pallet came well packaged (looked factory original) and was about 300 pounds and $300 for shipping IIRC
sunelec has been in business for quite a while -- unfortunately they are way down by Miami FL -- a long trip to pick them up for most of us -- thus the shipping issue
still a waaay better option than trying to cobble up some watts by soldering up broken cells from eBay
the earth4energy 'windmill' is a joke btw
if you are serious about a homebrew wind generator go to otherpower, maybe buy this book
I saw Dan Fink and Dan Bartman give a talk at the Midwest Renewable Energy Fair last month -- these guys know their stuff (but they are um, ahhh, sort of 'far out' IYKWIM)
(http://www.otherpower.com/images/hbwp_cover_web.jpg)