I worked for a pbnmliug service that offered hot water solar panel installs and replacements. I've replaced perfectly good solar panels for people who wanted to upgrade to the latest. We had piles and piles of panels out behind the shop. We use to scrap the copper and sell the glass panes. A few people would ask to scavenge panels and the boss would let them have it cheap, just to move some of the stuff. I would do the same. I'd find a local installer and see what they do with the leftovers. Chances are, if you searched diligently, you could probably find panels in good shape and use them to supplement your energy usage.Bear in mind, solar hot water system are very different from standard systems. They usually have a much larger storage tank. Typically 80-120 gallons compared to 40. They have a circulating pump and temperature sensors to move the heated water from the panel into the tank. These larger hot water heaters/tanks have much better storage and insulation to keep the water temperature that is generated during the day to last into the evening when people are home to use the shower and wash clothes to take advantage of solar heat.It's not just a matter of getting a panel and slapping it up. There's are technical aspects that need to be followed and if you don't know them, I would advise against doing it yourself.Study up on it and see if it's something you want to tackle on your own before you go too far doing legwork to find out details that might be cost prohibitive or too complicated.Good luck.
