What if the key to keeping massive solar installations running isn't buying new equipment, but finding the exact replacement parts from systems built 15-20 years ago? In this episode of The Solar Coaster, I sit down with Steve Feinberg of Blue Water Battery—a company that started recycling batteries and evolved into sourcing hard-to-find solar panels and equipment for aging commercial and utility-scale systems. Steve reveals the hidden reality of solar farm maintenance: when panels age out after 15-20 years, replacing everything is often more expensive than keeping systems running with remanufactured or surplus equipment. We dive into the myth versus reality in the solar replacement market, how tariffs dramatically affect panel availability and pricing, the complexity of international shipping and working in third-world countries, and why fraud in solar manufacturing is becoming a serious concern. Steve also explains why leapfrogging technology from 400-watt panels to 1,100-watt panels might sound great but doesn't always make economic sense, and how his matchmaking service connects solar farms with the exact equipment they need to extend system life. Whether you're managing aging solar installations, concerned about the environmental impact of premature equipment replacement, or curious about the secondary market for solar components, Steve's insights into this rarely discussed corner of the solar industry reveal why sometimes the greenest solution is keeping what you already have running longer.
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✨ CONNECT WITH STEVE FEINBERG
LinkedIn (Personal): https://www.linkedin.com/in/steve-feinberg-9727581a/
LinkedIn (Company): https://www.linkedin.com/company/bluewater-battery/
Blue Water Battery Website: [Company Website]
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📚 About Host Anna Covert:
Anna Covert is the author of The Solar Coaster book and host of The Solar Coaster Podcast. With over two decades of experience in digital marketing and business strategy, Anna has worked with top-tier companies like Microsoft, Apple, and IBM, and leads Covert Communication, Hawaii's largest digital agency. She's also the author of The Covert Code – Mastering the Art of Digital Marketing. Through The Solar Coaster, Anna brings her expertise in storytelling and strategy to illuminate the human stories behind the solar industry's biggest challenges and victories.
Websites:
https://covertcommunication.com/
https://thecovertcode.com/
https://annacovert.com/
https://reactium.io/
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