Ever looked into purchasing a solar power system for your home? Ever searched the internet for those "do it yourself solar system" kits, just to find a solar dealer that put together a package that costs about ,000, ships you the materials, and you are on your own?
That is a daunting task even for the most handy of do it yoursefer's, as you do not receive any type plan or considerations to build such a system, let alone be cost effective.
Soldering Gun
There are definitely some things to consider from a do it yourself standpoint before considering installing a do it yourself solar system.
Are you willing to climb on your roof to install solar panels? Spending time on your roof is part of the process of building a solar power system. The hardest part is actually getting up there. Once you can get over that, the installation of the solar panel is a breeze. It is as simple as connecting the brackets to a support beam in the roof, and connecting the solar panels to the brackets.
Do you have an open view to the south on your roof for maximum solar exposure? In order for photovoltaic cells to produce the most electricity for your home, they must face the southern sky. If you have large trees blocking the way, then alternatives can be considered, such as building a solar stand that has an unobstructed view of the southern sky for maximum exposure.
Are you willing to save money by building your own solar panels?
This is a no-brainer, as the cost of building a solar panel can be done for about 0, if you shop around properly, and purchase bulk lots of solar cells off of the internet. I once found a bulk lot of 72 solar cells for about . That's more than enough solar cells to start your do it yourself solar system, and this price pales in comparison to the hundreds, even thousands of dollars a manufactured panel costs.
Can you follow step by step directions and videos?
If you answered yes to the above questions, then you are well on your way to building your own solar power system for your home.
There are many do it yourself solar system designs on the market today, all of which are designed to take the guesswork out of building solar panels, installing the solar panels, and wiring the solar panel systems into your home for a fraction of the cost of purchasing ready-made solar panels, and having someone come to your home to install them.
I made my first attempt at building a solar panel, and it was much easier than I anticipated. Once I ordered my materials (the solar cells) and picked up a little bit of parts from my local hardware store, the construction was very simple. First I measured the size and arrangement of the solar cells. From there, I got my dimensions to build the frame to mount the solar cells. Next the frame was actually constructed. The next step, which was the toughest (and at the same time, was still easy), was soldering the solar cells together. This was about as tricky as using a hot glue gun and making a relatively straight line. Once I got the solar cells all pieced together, I added them to the frame and secured them. After that, the solar cells were wired together, and the cover to the frame was added. Voila! A solar panel. I tested it, and it was generating the necessary wattage (18 volts) and was working fine.
All of this took me about 6 hours to do, since it was my first one, and a cost of about 0. This definitely did not take very long, and once the solar cell is connected into my house wiring, it will take maybe two months of generating electricity for the solar panel to pay for itself. Not too bad!
I was shocked, but I realized that a do it yourself solar system is definitely within anyone's reach, as I am not the most "handyman" of people to begin with. I'll soon be building my second solar panel to add to my do it yourself solar system, and be on my way to making a huge dent in my electric bill.