Inexpensive Homemade Solar Power

How would you like to make your own homemade solar panels for much less than buying new ones. If you have some mechanical abilities you could buy used panels or panel parts from Ebay or other auction sites and build your own homemade solar power system.

You can find instructions all over the internet that will instruct you how to do it. For that reason, I am only going to cover the basics here. Included are links for more info.

A Diode is a device that allows a current to flow in one direction only (blocking or bypass diodes). Using it with the solar power system will prevent the backflow of current at night and a loss of power. Diodes are inexpensive and can be bought on Ebay and other on line sites. Also check places like Radio Shack.

The best type of battery to use is probably the golf cart battery. It is designed for fast charge and slow discharge (a car battery will not do). You need to have at least two batteries to get 12 Volts.

You will need to build a box to store these batteries to contain them and you must vent them to the outside so gasses can escape. If you want to convert the energy for 120V use, you must install an inverter.

You can look on the auction sites a locate used panels or components to assemble your solar panels. Maybe you can find them in your local area (check craigslist). Get enough for at least 60 watts, that would be enough to get you started. Otherwise the prices for solar panels and components seems to be going down somewhat.

By

Gary Taylors

As our utility bills continue to rise each month, many of us stare down at the bill and wonder if there is ANY alternative out there that could save us from such financial heartache. If you had asked this question ten years ago, the answer would have been no... but with the vast amount of changes in technology over the past ten years, the answer is finally yes! Using solar power you can power your entire home and finally break away from the tight grip of the power company you rely on now. Don't worry; you don't have to be an expert to undergo such a task. If you can follow instructions well, then you've got all the skills you need to be successful.

Now the first thing you need to figure out is exactly what your budget is. If you have a good amount of money (and by good I mean over $10,000) then I recommend going the route of ordering through a company such as Westinghouse. They currently offer do-it-yourself kits you can order that include solar panels (you can order 1, 4 or 20), all the wires you'll need, and the proper tools, the mounts for the roof and of course a detailed set of instructions. You simply mount these panels on your roof and connect the wires together, eventually leading to your electrical box outside your home. If you really work hard, you can have the entire system set up in just a week! You'll actually see your meter run backwards as you absorb the energy from the sun with your solar panels.

If you're like most of us, you probably don't have the money lying around to spend on such an expense. If that's the case, you can still make homemade solar power a reality. To save loads of money, rather than order the solar panels preassembled, you can build them yourself. This sounds challenging, but is a lot easier than you think. Of course, it will take work and determination to get all the panels built you need to cover your entire roof, but in the end it is well worth it financially. With a little more work than ordering them preassembled, you can save yourself thousands of dollars. If done properly they work just as well and serve the same purpose.

The best way to go about building your own is to find a reputable source of information on how to build them. There are instructional videos available online that take you step-by-step through the process of building your own solar panels and are well worth it to check out. In the end, you'll not only end up eliminating your power bill, but if there's ever months where you bring in more energy than you put out, your power company will actually send you a check for the amount of energy you put into the system! Don't hesitate, start saving money and helping the environment, get homemade solar energy today!