If you want to get solar panels as cheaply as possible, realistically you have three options:

• Buy Solar Panels Wholesale.
• Find Retail Bargains.  Hunt for bargains such as those we found on Amazon where they are selling the various solar panels at very competitive prices
• Go DIY.  But only if you are really keen to do this and want to make just a couple of solar panels as a project.  Use one of the recommended “how to make solar panels” guides / kits.  See our DIY Solar Panel Guides review.   A 60 watt panel should cost around $150 – $175, equivalent to $2.5 – $2.92 per watt

The 2^nd and 3^rd options are discussed elsewhere on this site.  Let us take a closer look at the issues surrounding buying solar panels wholesale.

Buying Solar Panels Wholesale.

There are an increasing number of renewable energy wholesalers who are buying solar panels in bulk and selling these at very competitive prices to the customer direct.

There are a number of points you need to be aware of:

• Not often the Latest Products. When you buy solar panels wholesale you are not likely to get the latest solar panel designs or products.  The latest products command a premium.  Suppliers want to sell the latest products and are therefore keen to shift older products to make room for the new.  The older products may not be as technically advanced and may not be as efficient, but as you are buying a panel than produces a specific number of watts, the only downside may be that the latest product produces the same wattage from a slightly smaller panel.  Not really a big issue.
• Mounting Kits.  Make sure there are readily available mounting kits for the panels before you buy them.  Panels aimed at the commercial market can be adapted to residential use without any problems, just make sure you can get the mounts.
• Delivery Costs.  Check out the cost of delivery, as this can be significant.  Also, many wholesalers will charge a re-packing fee if you buy a single or odd number of panels.
• Warranty and Ts&Cs. Check the warranty and terms and conditions regarding returns, etc.  Make sure these are acceptable.  If not, find another wholesaler.
• Minimum Order Quantities. We thought this was going to be the biggest issue as most wholesalers will only sell solar panels by the pallet, often the equivalent to 20, 24, 30 or 60 panels.  However, we have found minimum quantities that ranged from 1 to 368!!  So, as long as you are not too picky, this should not be a problem.
• Access and Fork Lifts.  Before you order a pallet load, make sure you are aware of any possible issues regarding access to your property (it might be a very big truck!) and find out if they expect you to have your own fork lift to take the pallet off the truck.
• End of Line Products. For some solar panels only limited quantities may be available, so if you want additional panels in the future, the exact same solar panel may not be available.  Again, this is not really an issue.  Just be aware that you could end up with two different solar panel models on your roof or in your yard.

Make Sure You Get a Bargain

Finally, just because you are buying solar panels wholesale does not mean you are always getting a bargain.  Always check the cost per watt (price of panel delivered / panel wattage).  Again, on the wholesale solar panels that we checked these varied considerably from $1.85 to $4.76 a watt.

Keep in mind that the Amazon supplied Sunwatts 120 works out at $2.98 per watt.  So only pay more than $3.00 per watt if there is a particular panel that you really have to have.

Solar Panels Wholesale – Conclusion

Increased production facilities in China and the recent fall off in demand from Europe (one of the ramifications of the credit crunch) should result in the continual lowering of prices.

In our article on the cost of solar panel, we calculated costs based upon buying sufficient panels to give 3000 watts.  For each option this would work out as follows:

• Retail – Amazon’s Sunwatts 120 watt Solar Panel at $358 for 120 watts, is $8950 for 3000 watts.  But more retail panels will cost you nearer $15,000.
• Wholesale – we managed to find a 225 watt solar panel for $549, $2.44 per watt, minimum order quantity 2 panels, and this works out at $7686 for 3150 watts.
• DIY – at around $150 – $175 for a 60 watt panel, works out at $7500  – $8750 for 3000 watts.  But we strongly recommend against this route. See below.

(add delivery charges to these prices)

Final Word on DIY

Given the time and effort required to make your own solar panels, this is a route we can only recommend if you want a couple of solar panels to provide lighting and some power for a shed, garage or workshop.  This could be an enjoyable and satisfying project to undertake over a few weekends or during the winter months.  In which case there are some really excellent guides/kits available.  See our independent Review for details.

If you want to buy sufficient solar panels to substantially reduce your electricity bills or provide green energy for your off grid cabin or house, do not even think about making dozens of solar panels yourself. Not only is it a great deal of work, but you will not qualify for any government grants or rebates, your panels will not last as long as commercial panels, and quite honestly, you can buy commercial solar panels from Amazon for virtually the same price and these come with full manufacturer’s guarantees of performance for 25 years.

I wish you all the best – please let me know how you get on with your search for cheap panels.

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