| The advantages of building your own solar power | | | | the solar cells for cheap and where to find some |
| include being eligible for some tax credits from the U.S. | | | | batteries for free (sounds like an advantage to me.) |
| Government. Hopefully, this will help out weigh the | | | | In order to prove the system would work for anyone, |
| disadvantages. These tax credits are for Solar Energy | | | | Michael selected 11 different people with no particular |
| Systems. | | | | building skills and let them use his manual. Their |
| If you install solar water heating systems or | | | | success was far beyond what Michael had |
| photovoltaic systems in any fiscal year between 2006 | | | | anticipated. He wants you to have that same success |
| and 2016 then you will qualify. There is also a $500 | | | | so that you can join the growing number of people |
| credit for home improvement, but that is totally | | | | using solar power. |
| separate. The tax credit is 30% of the cost of the | | | | Another advantage of building solar power from a |
| units. | | | | manual is that the process is fairly simple. You solder |
| Installation of a small wind energy system has the | | | | together the 2.5 volt solar cells until you get 12 volts. |
| same 30% tax credit. These systems must have | | | | Then this solar panel will charge a battery. The battery |
| been installed between fiscal year 2008 and 2016. | | | | connects to an inverter (yes, you will have to buy the |
| IRS Form 5695 is the form you will need. All the most | | | | inverter) and the inverter feeds your electrical |
| popular computer based tax preparation programs will | | | | appliances. This panel process can be done for under |
| ask you about this in their survey section. | | | | $200. You can price inverters at your local hardware |
| Purchasing solar power systems from manufacturers | | | | store. I have seen similar panels online costing around |
| are still very expensive (disadvantage) and you may | | | | $1500. |
| never be able to recoup the cost involved. Taking | | | | String enough of them together and you could |
| advantage of building your own solar power, with a | | | | eventually get totally off the grid and start selling |
| little help from your friends, is still the way to go. | | | | energy to the electric company. A disadvantage is I |
| Plans for do it yourselfers are available on the Internet | | | | don't think that this is totally realistic for most people, |
| at very modest costs and can eliminate the huge | | | | but the possibility is there. |
| front-end cost by building it yourself. But, you will still | | | | Last advantage to using Michael's manual to make |
| need professional help in attaching the system you | | | | solar power is that he will send you updates to the |
| build to your home's electrical system. | | | | manual as things change and or improve. Michael really |
| Michael Harvey has the most popular set of do it | | | | wants you to be successful at building your own solar |
| yourself instructions. He shows you where to purchase | | | | power. |