Harbor Freight Solar Panels: Why Harbor Freight Brand?

I bought the Harbor Frieght solar panels because I do not plan on using them to run my entire house. I will use them when I don't have any grid power so I can charge batteries, run my laptop, ceiling fan, window airconditioner, power tools, etc. The Harbor Freight solar panels are inexpensive, easy to setup and if one breaks you only lose 15 watts.

Category:

Howto & Style

Tags:

• Harbor Freight
• Solar Panels
• Alternative Energy
• PV Panels
• Off-Grid

[Jpcalifornia1227]

I have 2 sets of harbor freight panels 90 watts total. 3 costco marine battery's and a 2000 watt inverter. During the night for some reason it slowly drains my battery bank. Do you have a tips or suggestion?

[LDSPrepper]

@Jpcalifornia1227 Great question. Please contact HF solar panels and let us know what you find out. There is a diode (or resister) in panels that is suppose to stop that from happening.

[GoatHollow]

@LDSPrepper I've opened up several Harbor Freight panels (was checking for diodes, and couldn't find any!!!) You might check your panels.

[LDSPrepper]

@GoatHollow I checked mine. I do have a diode inside the box on the backside of the panels.

[ebayisajoke]

nice reading a promo for ar-bor freight. make your own panels.

[zkyzar]

@walkertongdee True but lsd is right in the fact that they are affordable. You might have to wait longer for these panels to charge a 12v battery but they will charge them. And for the cost, well I havent found a better deal yet. If you have please let us all know who are interested. 1 12v panel with 20 amps might do the same as lsd has but you only got one panel that cost 300+ w/o wiring/controler/etc.... shtf I want more than one panel/controler/etc...

[bind1967]

@walkertongdee You can get solar CELLS at $1 per watt, not finished PANELS. You must solder the solar cells together, buy the solar glass, buy a bonding product, bond the cells to the glass, solder in the bus & diodes, buy materials for the panels, build the panels, finish & waterproof the panels, buy wiring, wire the panels, buy connectors, solder the connectors... Thats just for ONE panel. ...Then you have to buy or build the lights, housings, and the regulated charger...

[brainplay]

@walkertongdee The $1 per watt you are talking about is manufacturing cost for the actual panel. However, that's the exception, not the norm. The norm is $3 per watt and again for just the panel construction. That does not include external items nor profit margin.

[walkertongdee]

The best price solar panel currently is one dollar per watt, so this $189. 45-watt panel should cost $45…

[walkertongdee]

That the controller is reading more than 12 V. this means that one little battery isn’t charging, it is full, too many panels. This is about efficiency, you should plan for the right amount of panels for power you can store anything else is a waste.

[walkertongdee]

fyi folks these panels are nearly twice the cost per watt as other panels. Volts don’t mean much; it is watts or amps that count. Also, the harbor freight website is misleading. It says you can run a computer on one 45-watt panel, no way try 400, 500 watts, not even a laptop that is about 80-100 watts. Don’t be fooled look elsewhere, anywhere and be informed.

[walkertongdee]

@Jpcalifornia1227 one word diode

[MrMarlinB]

@LDSPrepper Thanks. My question was "where do I get affordable batteries". One guy was saying Costco marine batteries were the way to go. They're less expensive than comparable batteries, but to maximize the budget, I was looking for any cheaper source.

Also heard something about telephone substations having to change out their battery banks on a schedule and they have to dispose of their old ones.

[Technicaltaboo]

Love what your doing , but why do people allow or buy in home owner association properties

they suck