Germany-based green energy supplier Naturstrom has partnered with startup Panelretter to commercialize refurbished second-hand solar panels for balcony PV systems.
“There are more and more solar panels that have been retired from old photovoltaic systems, but are still functional and powerful,” says Tillmann Durth, co-founder of Panelretter. “We want to give these solar panels a new life.”
The products are now available for purchase on Naturstrom’s website. The range includes three models, with power ratings between 400W and 810W. Prices for complete sets start at €220, and each set includes an inverter, bracket and registration service with the German Federal Network Agency (Bundesnetzagentur).
Panelretter also offers a 1.6 kW package for €579, while a storage unit from Anker Solar is available for €1,499.
In addition, Naturstrom offers a wall-mounted balcony power station with 810 W, for a price of €349. This includes refurbished solar panels, an inverter, bracket and registration service. Naturstrom customers can redeem a 10% discount when ordering through Panelretter.
“In the medium term, a second market for solar panels should emerge, such as the one that already exists for refurbished mobile phones and notebooks,” said Durth. “Especially given the growing number of repowering projects, it is economically and especially ecologically essential to create the necessary structures for this.”
Panelretter’s plug-in solar devices mainly use modules from repowering projects, where older PV systems are replaced with more powerful models. Some modules had visual defects before installation and were reserved for this purpose.
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