Commercial Solar Panels are Expensive! Fact: It will take you more than 10 years to pay back Solution: Using Surplus Solar Cells You can get pay back in 1-2 years There is an Engineer from Chicago his name is John Sommer He explain it All in his diy solar panels Blog Search for him using Google Type "top diy solar panels" Open the first Result. Note: Ignore the adds at the top.
The panels are often on top of road signs with flashing lights and those tow-away DOT programmable alert signs have really big ones with rechargable batteries inside too!
Also, some local dumps have a "possibly reusable" area which folks can scavenge from. That's more common in places where folks are bringing in their own trash and can do the sorting themselves rather than the dump having to do it.
Solar panels are Very Unlikely, except _maybe_ for small cells in toys. Speakers are more likely, especially via the reuse services (eg Freecycle). Large motors are fairly likely (washing machines). Switches are very likely.
In some communities, it can be worthwhile to let your neighbors know you're experimenting and ask them to put junk electronics aside for you.
I see lots of stuff at the side of the road on garbage day. Everything from speakers to microwaves to boom boxes. Heck, I've even heard of whole arcade machines being found in dumpsters. You just have to keep your eyes peeled, and get out there before the other scavengers do. ;)
Craigslist and Freecycle are good places to check. Solar panels are probably not going to be very commonly available for free, but you can get tons of electronic components that way.
Discussions
7 years ago
Commercial Solar Panels are Expensive!
Fact: It will take you more than 10 years to pay back
Solution: Using Surplus Solar Cells You can get pay back in 1-2 years
There is an Engineer from Chicago his name is John Sommer
He explain it All in his diy solar panels Blog Search for him using Google
Type "top diy solar panels" Open the first Result.
Note: Ignore the adds at the top.
9 years ago
The panels are often on top of road signs with flashing lights and those tow-away DOT programmable alert signs have really big ones with rechargable batteries inside too!
9 years ago
Also, some local dumps have a "possibly reusable" area which folks can scavenge from. That's more common in places where folks are bringing in their own trash and can do the sorting themselves rather than the dump having to do it.
Solar panels are Very Unlikely, except _maybe_ for small cells in toys. Speakers are more likely, especially via the reuse services (eg Freecycle). Large motors are fairly likely (washing machines). Switches are very likely.
In some communities, it can be worthwhile to let your neighbors know you're experimenting and ask them to put junk electronics aside for you.
9 years ago
I see lots of stuff at the side of the road on garbage day. Everything from speakers to microwaves to boom boxes. Heck, I've even heard of whole arcade machines being found in dumpsters. You just have to keep your eyes peeled, and get out there before the other scavengers do. ;)
9 years ago
Craigslist and Freecycle are good places to check. Solar panels are probably not going to be very commonly available for free, but you can get tons of electronic components that way.
9 years ago
You can put an ad in your local paper "electronics student needs any old electronics and will pick up". Some times it work and you get lots of stuff.
Dumpster diving and crusing the streets on trash day and another good way to pick up stuff.