How To Build A Solar Panel

Buying off-the-shelf solar panels can cost many thousands of dollars these days, which means that they will take as much as 20 years to be fully amortized.

But there is a much cheaper way of avoiding these steep solar panel prices.

If you know how to build a solar panel you can save a huge amount of money, and see immediate and significant reductions in those nightmare utility bills.

There are many sources of information about building solar panels.  The internet has possibly hundreds of sites, many offering to show you the way to make a solar panel for next to nothing.

The trick is finding the ones which work without reducing you to complete despair, and possibly making an unsafe system.

The process of solar panel construction is simple, but that is not to say that it is foolproof. It is cetainly possible to build diy solar panels for under $200 in a weekend, and you do not need any special skills or technical knowledge to do it. All materials are readily obtainable and you will need only basic tools.

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Here is how to make a solar panel for yourself.

The panel is built from a grid of photovoltaic (PV) cells joined together in modules. Each solar cell generates electricity from exposure to sunlight, normally producing 1 to 2 watts of power, so that a typical 4 x 6 ft collector will give a solar panel output of about 200 watts of Direct Current (DC) electricity. An inverter is linked in to the system to convert this DC into Alternating Current (AC), either to operate domestic appliances or to feed directly into the local utility grid via a meter.

It is very important to plan the project properly before starting to make anything.  Here are the main points that must be considered in the design of your home made solar panels:

• Location:  PV modules need direct sunlight, so the solar panel mount should be aligned with the sun’s position at noon. Although less efficient than motorized systems that constantly track the sun during the day, fixed panels are also considerably cheaper. Choose your site accordingly.

• Shade:  Make sure that the panels will not get shaded at any time throughout the day. It is worth trimming branches or even removing trees entirely to achieve this, otherwise your homemade solar cells will not work properly.

• Installation: Solar panels can be mounted in any convenient position, on a roof, a shed, on a ground fixture or a wall. The main requirement is to provide suitable protection from accidental damage (from footballs, for instance!) and to allow connection to your domestic electrical system as easily as possible.

• Size: The size of your solar panel system will be governed by individual power requirements and whether any electricity will be supplied to the national grid.

• Costs: One 4 x 6 sq ft solar panel can be built for less than $200. This will produce up to 200 watts for each hour of direct sunlight. Typically a normal domestic system will need several such panels, perhaps with extra supply from a wind powered generator, to yield several kilowatts of ‘free’ electrticity. Also, bear in mind that a solar panel installation will improve the value of your house – currently estimated to be as much as $20 for every $1 saved in electricity bills per year. And check to see if you could get a government or state grant, rebate or low-interest loan for all or a portion of the capital cost.

• Offset: Most US states now have regulations governing how the local utility companies accept and pay for privately produced electricity. Usually a two-way meter is installed in your house, so that consumption in one direction is offset against delivery in the other. Our Blog has some recent news about so-called feed-in tariffs, which are replacing grants and encouraging investment in solar panel technology in many countries.

• Storage: Solar electricity is produced intermittently, depending on available sunlight. At times of low or no output from the solar panels, you will draw power from the national grid. Many people install batteries, which store any surplus DC power and thus reduce demand from the grid. Although new batteries can be expensive, there are places to get  free or discounted batteries.

The best and easiest way to plan all this properly is to use a good set of instructions produced by experts in the solar energy field. The ones we recommend come with clear diagrams, plenty of how-to videos and step-by-step build directions that even a complete beginner will understand.  They include advice on sizing, choice and source of materials and components, wiring and installation diagrams so that the system will perform as intended. Best of all, they have been tested and approved by qualified electricians, so that you know you will be doing things properly and safely.

We believe that the GreenDIYenergy kit shows you how to build a solar panel in the simplest and clearest  ways possible.  It is the best on the market at present, and we have no hesitation in recommending it strongly.  It includes, of course, a full no-nonsense guarantee, which we insist on. It’s good value for surprisingly modest money.

Why not save money and have fun by making your first solar panel this weekend?

Click here for more information about how to build a solar panel