Saves energy and helps the environment As energy prices continue to rise with not much end in sight, homeowners are looking for alternatives to their supply their energy needs.
Renewable, "green", energy systems, such as solar and wind turbines, are the most common.
Solar panels have moved to the top of the most popular list since they are solid-state in nature.
With fewer moving parts, they require less maintenance over the years, compared to wind turbines.
Professionally installed panels can be expensive starting at $3000 or more, with the costs only rising from there.
Many homeowners are deciding to build and install their own homemade solar panels.
Building your own solar panels from common items, sometime even found already lying around your home, is very possible, and practical.
This can raise many questions for the common homeowner, as it did for me when I first started looking into it myself.
Is it really possible for the average homeowner to build a working solar panel? Will they be efficient and provide enough power to make it worth it? Would it be cheaper than hiring someone to just install them for me? Let's try to answer a few of these.
Benefits of Building Your Own Solar Panels: · 1st of course is the money.
If you have ever dealt much with contractors (as I have for over 20 years), you will find that 50% or more of the price is to cover their labor.
If you are building and installing them yourself, the money stays in your pocket.
· Knowledge is power.
If you are the one building the solar panels, then you are the one who knows how they were built, and how to repair them if they ever need it.
Another Nice Part: · Most the materials needed to build a solar panel are found at your local hardware or electronics store.
Some of these items include copper wire, plywood, glass, and silicone.
Tools and equipment needed are also usually commonly found in most homes, or easy to pick up at local hardware and electronics stores.
· There is one exception though...
the photovoltaic solar cells.
These will most likely need to be purchased on-line.
Now for the BIG Question...
How Do You Build Your Own Solar Panels? Obviously this can't be easily covered in just an article.
However, there are plenty of resources out there if you know where to look.
Buying a step-by-step instruction guide on how to build your own solar panels is the best bet.
They usually run around $50 and will pay themselves quickly, if you follow and use them to your advantage.
Renewable, "green", energy systems, such as solar and wind turbines, are the most common.
Solar panels have moved to the top of the most popular list since they are solid-state in nature.
With fewer moving parts, they require less maintenance over the years, compared to wind turbines.
Professionally installed panels can be expensive starting at $3000 or more, with the costs only rising from there.
Many homeowners are deciding to build and install their own homemade solar panels.
Building your own solar panels from common items, sometime even found already lying around your home, is very possible, and practical.
This can raise many questions for the common homeowner, as it did for me when I first started looking into it myself.
Is it really possible for the average homeowner to build a working solar panel? Will they be efficient and provide enough power to make it worth it? Would it be cheaper than hiring someone to just install them for me? Let's try to answer a few of these.
Benefits of Building Your Own Solar Panels: · 1st of course is the money.
If you have ever dealt much with contractors (as I have for over 20 years), you will find that 50% or more of the price is to cover their labor.
If you are building and installing them yourself, the money stays in your pocket.
· Knowledge is power.
If you are the one building the solar panels, then you are the one who knows how they were built, and how to repair them if they ever need it.
Another Nice Part: · Most the materials needed to build a solar panel are found at your local hardware or electronics store.
Some of these items include copper wire, plywood, glass, and silicone.
Tools and equipment needed are also usually commonly found in most homes, or easy to pick up at local hardware and electronics stores.
· There is one exception though...
the photovoltaic solar cells.
These will most likely need to be purchased on-line.
Now for the BIG Question...
How Do You Build Your Own Solar Panels? Obviously this can't be easily covered in just an article.
However, there are plenty of resources out there if you know where to look.
Buying a step-by-step instruction guide on how to build your own solar panels is the best bet.
They usually run around $50 and will pay themselves quickly, if you follow and use them to your advantage.