John Mackinnon asked:


Solar panels that capture the abundance of energy sent to us each and every day can be just the relief we need from the high cost of electricity. It almost seems like a crime to turn our backs on this wonderful gift of more free energy than we can possibly use. This is especially true today because it is possible to build your own solar panel with simple tools for less than $200. These homemade solar generators are capable of reducing household electricity costs by 50% or more.

How Do Solar Panels Work?

Photons, the energetic particles found in sunlight, strike the individual solar cells and bump electrons out of place. The electrons are, in effect, pushed out of the cell and into the wires that connect all the cells together. Ideally each cell will generate about .5 volts of electrical pressure. 80 solar cells wired together in one panel should generate about 100 watts of power.

The Secret Of Making Cheap Solar Panels

The secret to making an inexpensive solar panel is in scrounging low cost or free solar cells. The lower the cost of this project the faster it will pay for itself. Using your own labor to assemble free solar cells into just one panel should pay back the original costs in just a few months. Buying a brand new pre-assembled and installed panel for over a $1000 might take 5 -10 times longer.

The Parts Of The Complete Solar Panel System

Plan A: This is the simplest system. The direct current DC electrical output from the solar panel goes to a bank of deep cycle batteries for storage. The batteries are then connected to an inverter that converts the DC Current to the kind of alternating current that most household appliances require. This is then wired to directly power a specific group of appliances completely separate from the house wiring.

Plan B: Takes the above system a step further by connecting to the electrical wiring in your house at the main fuse box. Legally, this step almost always has do be performed by a certified electrician. Some power companies will actually pay you in the form of energy credits for sending excess energy back out into the grid.

Plan C: This system works completely off the grid for homes that have no electric power coming to their home at all. The key element here is to have back-up sources of power interconnected with the solar panels for supplying power on days that there is no sun. Windmill generators and gas powered generators often serve as additional sources of power.

The Advantages Of Solar Panel Systems

Besides providing almost free electricity, solar panel systems are quiet, non-polluting, low maintenance, safe and if properly weatherproofed could last up to 50 years. They can also be a life saver if you live too far from the electric grid to economically afford to extend the transmission lines to your location.

If you tie into the electric grid, it is even possible to get paid by the power companies for any electricity generated over and above your personal needs.

The Need For A Good Plan

Despite the simplicity of a building your own solar panels, it is important to have a complete set of plans. Good plans should, at the bare minimum include the following:

1. Ideally these set of plans will originate from authors that have successfully built and used solar panels themselves. 2. The plans should give a brief background of simple electrical terms like watt, volt and amps. 3. A detailed explanation of the different types of solar cells and exactly where to find them. 4. Wiring diagrams for understanding how to wire the individual cells together. 5. How to build a protective case. 6. How to run this power into your house directly to certain appliances or to hook up to the current household wiring.

The simplicity of capturing the sun’s daily gift of free energy to reduce or even eliminate your electric bill is almost unbelievable. Equally amazing is the fact that we live in an age of abundant free and low cost used solar cells. Don’t you think that it is time to solve your own energy crisis instead of waiting for our Government or the Power Companies to fix it? Take the easy first step and grab a set of plans for building your own solar panels.

Michelle Bery asked:


Step number one in getting started with any solar power setup in your home is to perform an energy audit. This is where you evaluate the amount of power (in kilowatts/hour or kilowatt hours) that you’ll need in any given day.

You will also need to take into account the site where your home is located. Geographical considerations such as climate, number of peak hours of sunlight per day, number of days of peak sunlight per year, and average rainfall will play a big role in how efficient a solar system you can design.

Any solar electric system will need, at the very least, the following components:

a collector (usually solar panels);

a mount (to put it on);

an inverter (to convert 12 volt DC power to 110 volt AC power);

a circuit breaker or fuse box and fuses & switches (to regulate the power transferring from the panels to your outlets and/or storage batteries);

(optional) one or more storage batteries;

(if you get a battery) a charge controller (to keep from over- or undercharging the battery and severely reducing its lifespan);

Once you’ve purchased all the elements of the solar system you’ve just designed, installation is fairly easy, though the simplicity of installing a solar power system does not mean you should necessarily do it yourself. There are numerous advantages to hiring a professional installer with training in both electrical systems and solar electrical systems, including knowing how to set everything up to code, should the building inspector ever have the need to look it over (ie. for insurance purposes).

If you find the right solar professional, they will instruct you in those parts of the installation that you are capable of and allow you to do some of the work yourself, saving you on some of your labor costs.

Even if you don’t decide to have a professional install your solar system, it would be well worth your while to consult one with your design to make sure it’s a viable design, one that’s taken all the necessary considerations into account. For example, there is a wide selection of panels, controllers, inverters, and batteries, each one manufactured with different requirements, each one not necessarily interchangeable with the other.

To further minimize the chances of incompatibilities between components in your solar system, consider purchasing all the elements of your set up from the same company and consulting with someone on their sales team that is knowledgeable in solar electric power.

In fact, many companies sell solar kits that contain all the components you would need to set your house up with solar power, with the certainty that all the components are compatible.

Whatever you decide, you don’t have to break the bank to try and supplant your entire power grid reliance with solar power right away and all at once. If you’re interested in availing yourself and your household of the multifold benefits of solar power, start small. Get yourself a single solar panel and see how well that works for you. When you’re ready, add on more panels, batteries, etc., one at a time as you can afford it and as your needs evolve.