Solar panel @ costco

[alosix]

I've stumbled across this at one of the costco's locally

http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_6970_200352703_200352703

price is about the same as northern tool without the shipping.

Thinking of mounting it as a 'top' to my M101 trailer to keep a battery or 2 charged and run a fridge during the day.

Sound like a reasonable idea?

Thanks,
Jason

[adventureduo]

Not bad pricing, you can get a 80watt single panel off Ebay for about that price...

It would be nice to see better pics of it though.

[go4aryd]

It is also showing at Costco on-line here:
http://www.costco.com/Browse/Product.aspx?Prodid=11298162&search=solar&Mo=23&cm_re=1_en-_-Top_Left_Nav-_-Top_search&lang=en-US&Nr=P_CatalogName:BC&Sp=S&N=5000043&whse=BC&Dx=mode+matchallpartial&Ntk=Text_Search&Dr=P_CatalogName:BC&Ne=4000000&D=solar&Ntt=solar&No=10&Ntx=mode+matchallpartial&Nty=1&topnav=&s=1

[teotwaki]

I would go for one really good 60 to 80 watt panel as Dave said rather than three low power panels from CostCo. Just keep shopping until you find a good deal on the right one. You can also find no frills 60 watt (5 Amp) charge controllers for only $25

http://cgi.ebay.com/60-Watt-12-Volt-Monocrystalline-solar-panel-Brand-New_W0QQitemZ170312525761QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_Def aultDomain_0?hash=item170312525761&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1205%7C66%3A2%7C65%3A12%7C39%3A1%7C 240%3A1318%7C301%3A0%7C293%3A1%7C294%3A50

http://cgi.ebay.com/Solar-Panel-Sharp-80w-brand-new_W0QQitemZ190295974506QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_Def aultDomain_0?hash=item190295974506&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1205%7C66%3A2%7C65%3A12%7C39%3A1%7C 240%3A1318%7C301%3A1%7C293%3A1%7C294%3A50

[elcoyote]

I looked at these at Costco. Not very durable IMO

[kellymoe]

The Costco in Burbank had what looked to be the same 60w for under $300.

[teotwaki]

I saw it up close today and don't think that it is that great. You'd end up wanting more power and not be able to easily expand it. It is a physically large set of panels for only 60 Watts, a cheap inverter and a budget charge controller, but no battery.

[Every Miles A Memory]

We were camped out in the desert in Arizona and another camper went into town to buy this set-up to keep his batteries charged. I tried talking him out of it saying that he could get one, quality panel for the same price and would be better off, but he went and got it anyway.

After a week of having it sitting out in the sun the entire day, he packaged them back up and took them all back. His batteries would still be dead by the end of the day after being charged for 8 hours.

I think panels like this will actually hurt the renewable power industry because people will buy them thinking they're doing a good job, then get frustrated and think solar is a waste.

Spending a little bit of money in the first place will more than pay itself off in the long run and be maintence free.

Heck, the wires that come on these panels look like the little wires on the back of a cheap speaker system. The wires we have coming off our panels are as thick as my thumb!

http://everymilesamemory.smugmug.com/photos/486564789_DfSyb-M-1.jpg
3 panels, 3 wires. Not 3 panels with one thin wire coming off of them