| Are Homemade Solar Panels Possible, Economical, | | | | are either on the roof of your house, or on the ground |
| and Useful? | | | | in your yard. |
| With energy prices rising steadily over the last few | | | | The roof has emerged as the most popular location |
| decades and no reason to think they'll fall anytime | | | | for two reasons. First, in order to convert sunlight into |
| soon, many homeowners are exploring the option of | | | | electricity, solar energy panels need a direct |
| powering their homes with renewable, or "green", | | | | line-of-sight between them and the sun. Trees, other |
| power systems. The two most common home green | | | | buildings, or any other obstacle that provides shade or |
| energy systems are wind turbines and solar panels. Of | | | | otherwise gets in the way will block the sun from your |
| these two, solar energy panels have emerged as the | | | | homemade solar panels. The easiest way to solve this |
| most popular, due to their solid-state nature - meaning | | | | problem is to raise the solar power panels up higher |
| that with fewer moving parts, they require less | | | | than the obstacles. To do that, of course, you should |
| maintenance over the years. | | | | place the DIY solar panels on the roof. |
| Unfortunately, installing a solar power system in your | | | | Second, solar energy panels are big, and take up a lot |
| home can be prohibitively expensive. Having pre-made | | | | of space. Furthermore, you will probably need more |
| solar power panels professionally installed costs at | | | | than one to power your entire home. If you mount your |
| least $3000 - and the price tag only rises quickly from | | | | homemade solar panels on the ground, you may |
| there. To reduce this huge cost, many homeowners | | | | quickly fill your entire yard. Mounting DIY solar panels in |
| are exploring the possibility of building and installing their | | | | the roof instead has the advantage of keeping them |
| own homemade solar panels. You may be one of | | | | out of the way and freeing up your yard. |
| them. | | | | Ground-mounted solar power panels, however, do |
| If so, you probably have a lot of questions. Can the | | | | have one big advantage: accessibility. It is much easier |
| average person really build a Do-It-Yourself (DIY) solar | | | | and safer to walk out into your yard than on the roof |
| power system in their garage or basement? If they | | | | of your house to perform maintenance and repairs to |
| could, would it really be significantly cheaper than | | | | your homemade solar panels. If you live in a part of the |
| having it professionally installed? And finally, would | | | | country where there are few trees, such as the Great |
| homemade solar panels provide enough electricity to | | | | Plains or the Southwest, and if you own enough |
| be worth all the time and effort? This article will seek | | | | property (like a farm) to mount several DIY solar |
| to answer these questions. | | | | panels and have room to spare, perhaps |
| What Are the Benefits of a Home Solar Power | | | | ground-mounted solar energy panels are the way to |
| System?o You can reduce or even eliminate your | | | | go. |
| power bill.o If you generate surplus electricity, you can | | | | What Direction Should I Point My Homemade Solar |
| sell it to your local power company.o You can increase | | | | Panels? |
| the property value of your home.o You can get tax | | | | Placing your DIY solar panels perfectly flat, facing |
| deductions for using eco-friendly home power | | | | straight up, is the best option. This way, no matter |
| systems.o You no longer have to worry about power | | | | where the sun is in the sky or at what angle, sunlight is |
| outages.o You help protect the environment - solar | | | | still hitting the solar panel somewhere. Unfortunately, |
| energy produces no greenhouse gasses. | | | | however, many homes have angled roofs instead of |
| What Are the Benefits of Building Homemade Solar | | | | flat, making the "pointing straight up" option impractical. |
| Panels?o Money. Over half of a contractor's installation | | | | In this case, mount your DIY solar panels on the |
| fee is time and labor. If you provide this yourself, you | | | | south-facing side of your roof to collect the most |
| can drastically reduce the cost of building and installing | | | | sunlight. In the continental United States, the sun is in the |
| your own home solar power system.o Time. You can | | | | southern part of the sky for the most part. |
| build your homemade solar panels in stages, adding | | | | How Can I Build Homemade Solar Panels? |
| new panels and producing more electricity at your own | | | | The answer to that question goes way beyond the |
| pace.o Education. By building a home solar power | | | | scope of this brief article. What we can do, however, |
| system yourself, you'll learn how solar electrical | | | | is point you in the right direction. The easiest and most |
| technology works. You'll be able to perform your own | | | | efficient route for you to go is to buy a step-by-step |
| maintenance and repairs, further reducing your costs. | | | | instruction manual on how to build DIY solar panels |
| Where Can I Find the Materials to Build a Homemade | | | | from one of the many websites that sell them. These |
| Solar Panel? | | | | are usually $50 or less, and well worth the money. |
| Almost all the materials you'll need to build a DIY solar | | | | Not all instruction manuals for DIY solar power panels |
| panel (such as copper wire, plywood, glass, silicone, | | | | are equal, however. Here are some things to look for |
| etc.) can be found at either your local hardware store | | | | when shopping online for a good instruction manual:o |
| (such as Home Depot) or electronics store (such as | | | | Clear, Step-by-Step Instructions (instead of just |
| Radio Shack). The same goes for the tools and | | | | overviews)o Simple, Plain English (instead of confusing |
| equipment you'll need to build your homemade solar | | | | technical terms and slang)o Multiple, Clear Illustrations |
| panels. Any tool you don't already have in your garage | | | | (instead of just text)o Demonstration Videos (although |
| or basement (such as a voltage meter), you can buy | | | | not necessary, they are very, very helpful)o Shopping |
| at your local hardware or electronics store. | | | | Tips (for solar cells, deep-cycles batteries, and other |
| The lone exception to this rule is the photovoltaic solar | | | | hard-to-find items)o Good Reviews (from past |
| cells that you'll need to build together into DIY solar | | | | customers)o Price (more than $60 is too much) |
| power panels. Unless you live in a very large city with | | | | If you can find a high-quality manual, you will start |
| a specialized solar hardware store, you'll probably need | | | | enjoying the benefits of DIY solar panels within 2 |
| to order these online or you can make it on your own. | | | | weeks, because the manual should be able to teach |
| Where Should I Place My Homemade Solar Panels? | | | | you to build homemade solar energy panels in just a |
| The two most common places to put DIY solar panels | | | | weekend. |