Can you really build a DIY solar system from scratch? Nothing is impossible, if you are willing to do the work, you can definitely setup a home solar power system.

How much would a residential solar energy system cost? If you were to engage the service of a profession solar contractor, the investment can be quite high.

A complete solar system capable of supply free energy for your home can cost upwards of $30,000 – $45,000. The Return On Investment (ROI) can take as long as 10 – 15 years! It is fair to say not a lot of home owners can afford this option.

DIY Home Solar System From Scratch

If you are planning to setup the solar system from scratch on your own, the investment cost is definitely lower. A medium size system capable of generating free electricity for your home would cost around $1000 – $1500.

There are only a couple of key components that you’ll need for a homemade solar energy system. The components are:

1) Photovoltaic (PV) panels

The PV panels will be the heart of the system. Solar panels are used to harness the sun’s energy and convert it into electric current. This is possible due to a special semi conductive material known as Photovoltaic cells. The electrons in the PV cells will become excited when exposed to solar energy. The potential energy in the electron are used to create an electric current.

2) Charge controller

The function of the charge controller is to take the electric current from the solar panels and use it to charge a battery bank. The charge controller will also regulate the amount of current going into the battery hence protecting it from overcharging.

3) Voltage meter & amperage meter

The volt and amp meter are measuring devices used to check the state of your home solar power system. The meters will tell you how much voltage and current flow are created by the solar array.

4) Deep cycle batteries

This will be the battery bank used to store the energy generated by the solar panels. The kind of battery most suitable for a residential solar system is the deep cycle type. Deep cycle batteries are commonly used on boats and electric golf carts. They are more durable and can be discharged to a very low stage without damaging itself. The battery also releases its stored power slowly making it most suitable for home use.

5) Power inverter

Since the energy stored in the battery is Direct Current (DC), you will need a device to change the DC to Alternate Current (AC). Most of the electrical devices at home will be running on AC. The function of the power inverter is to change the DC to AC. The final stage is to connect a power extension cable from the inverter throughout your house.

Generally, the components above are what you’ll need to make a DIY solar system from scratch. All these components are available from major hardware stores nationwide.

DIY Solar Panel Guide

If you are working on a shoestring budget, you can actually save some money by making the solar panels on your own. What you have to do is source for used solar cells and solder them together in a solar box. This will save you an additional $150 – $200.

To make your own DIY solar panel, what you’ll need is a good step by step instructional blueprint. One of the best solar panel blueprints that I know of is the GreenDIYEnergy guide. The guide comes with plans in PDF file and step by step High Definition (HD) instructional videos. For more information, check out the GreenDIYEnergy review on this blog.

==> Click here to visit GreenDIYEnergy now!

Today many buildings around the world are using a very popular and cost effective method of providing heat to these buildings. This method is almost free and does not consume any electricity. This method is known as Passive Solar Heating.

The concept behind passive solar heating is that the actual amount of heat or solar energy which falls on the roof of the specific house is greater than the total energy consumed by that particular house. I know it’s a long description, but all it means is a house or building receives more solar energy from the sun than it uses.

Here’s the good news, passive solar applications when incorporated during initial design of the building, has a very minimal effect on the cost of the building. Now this method is mechanically simpler, more reliable and is certainly a viable asset to a home.

When it comes about the mechanism, it involves heating and cooling equipment which is known as system. The building considered could be a home or apartment or any house and a heating or cooling system using forced air equipment (ventilation fans) with air ducts and radiant floors using hot water which is necessarily designed for its purpose.

How Passive Solar Heating Works

Now this system is actually incorporated into the building elements and materials like the walls, floors, and roof which are used for heat collecting, storing, releasing and distributing system.

Passive solar design is actually not the elimination of standard mechanical systems, but more recently high efficiency machines have been designed which not only reduces the size of the traditional heating systems and also minimizes the amount of non-renewable fuels which were earlier used for maintenance of temperature during very colder climatic conditions.

The above explanations describe that obviously there must be two components present in all passive solar heating design. One must be a transparent material like glass or plastic which will be facing southwards to allow the heat to come in and other one is the material which absorbs and stores this energy for later use. The second component is a system of fans and ducts to distribute the heat around the house.

DIY Passive Solar Heating System

Can you make your own home passive solar heating system? With the right material, tools and instruction, yes it can be done.

The simplest passive solar heating unit is a window solar air heater. It is a simple design that uses aluminum cans to capture the solar energy from the sun and use it to heat up the surrounding air in a room.

If you are keen to learn more about the DIY solar air heater, check out the step by step instructional guide. For more information, click on the link below.

==> Click here to visit Solar Air Heating guide now!

The idea of using solar power to reduce your home electricity bill makes perfect sense. But to a lay person, understanding the science of solar electricity can be very confusing. In other words, without proper skill and knowledge, building your own solar power system can be very challenging.

But rest assured, it is not as hard as you think. Knowing some basic understanding on how electricity works does help, but you don’t need a degree in electrical and electronic engineering to make your own home solar array.

Home Solar Power System Explained

Here’s a quick explanation on how a residential solar power system works. Electricity from the solar system is generated by a semi-conductive material known as Photovoltaic (PV) cells. Electric current is produced when the solar cells are exposed to sun light.

Multiple solar cells have to be connected in series to make a solar array. The solar array is then connected to a charge controller. The function of the charge controller to charge a battery bank made from deep cycle batteries.

The battery bank is to be connected to a power inverter. Since the electricity generated by the PV cell is in DC (Direct Current) form, the power inverter will be used to change the DC to Alternate Current (AC). Since most of our home appliances run on AC, you can now connect your electronic gadgets to the charge controller to use the free energy from the sun.

Building Your Own Solar Power System

When you are building your own residential solar energy system, the only component that you can make on your own is the solar array. The rest of the components such as charge controller, battery bank, power inverter etc are too complicated. It is a better idea to purchase the units off the selves from a hardware store.

To make the solar array, begin by sourcing for cheap PV cells. The best place to do your price comparison is at Ebay. When you have the solar cells, the next step is to solder them together.

The soldered cells are then placed on a specially constructed wooden box to protect the Photovoltaic cells from wind, rain and snow. The entire box is then covered with a UV proof plastic sheet and sealed with a waterproof sealant.

A DIY solar panel should consist from 20 – 36 pieces of solar cells measuring 3” x 6”. When the cells are linked together, the total power output would be around 80 watts on a clear sunny day. To provide sufficient power for a small house, you will need to build 4 – 8 units of solar panels.

DIY Home Solar Power System

Building your own home solar power system is not really difficult. Most of the solar components can be bought from a hardware store. The only component you have to build is the solar panels.

Making the solar panels is not a tough job either. All you have to do is learn how to solder and do some minor wiring work.

If you need some assistance on how to build your own solar array, check out the GreenDIYEnergy guide from www.greendiyenergy.com.

The guide will show you step by step how to make a solar panel with High Definition (HD) instructional videos. To start your solar project, just watch the videos and follow the instructions. For more information on the GreenDIYEnergy guide, click on the link below.

==> Click here to visit GreenDIYEnergy now!

Solar panel system related articles:

1) Cheap DIY Solar panels – Reviewing the $98 DIY Solar Panel Guide
2) California Solar Energy Industries Association

One of the key components of a residential solar power system is the battery bank. The function of the batteries is to store the electric current generated by the Photovoltaic (PV) panels during the day so it can be used to power your home electrical appliances when the sun is out.

However, charging the deep cycle batteries used on a home solar system can be quite tricky. Too much power from the solar panels going into the battery will damage its internal plates. Therefore, what you’ll need is a battery charging regulating device, or a charge controller.

The main role of the charge controller is to fully charge the deep cycle batteries by drawing power from the solar panels and automatic stop charging when the battery is full.

Another function of the charge controller is to prevent any backflow of current. During the day when the sun is shining, electric current will flow from the solar panel into the battery.

However, during night time, the solar panels will actually act as a load and draws power from the battery bank. This is known as current backflow.

If you do not take step to stop current backflowing, all the stored power in the battery will be consumed by the PV panels. Other than acting as a charging limiter, a charge controller also has a feature to prevent reverse current flow at night.

How does a solar charge controller works?

Inside the controller, there is a transistor that shunts the charging circuit at a preset level. When the preset voltage level is reached, the shunt opens therefore stopping the current flow.

It is the same in the reversed process. When the voltage drops below a preset level, the shunt will close and completing the charging circuit. So, when the power stored in the battery bank has been used, the charge controller reconnects the circuit and initiates the charging process.

The entire process is automated therefore freeing you from having to look at the battery voltage level constantly.

DIY Home Solar Power Guide

Do you want to know more on Do It Yourself (DIY) home solar power system? If you do, feel free to download a free copy of the 30 Solar and Wind Power For Homes Videos e-book.

The e-book consists of videos showing you all the parts and components needed for a homemade solar and wind power system. Click on the link below to download the e-book.

==> Click here to download e-book now!

Related article:

1) My Solar Plans Review – Another Scam Product?

Why does this happens? Glass, being a transparent material allows light in but it traps the heat. This is commonly known as the greenhouse effect.

How do we make use of this free, passive, clean and abundantly available solar energy for our home?

By utilizing the concept of greenhouse effect, we can use it to heat up air and circulate it around our house to warm the rooms in the winter months.

Commercially available solar air heater is quite expensive. If you are looking for one, be prepared to invest as much as $1000 for a unit.

A cheaper alternative is to make the solar air heater yourself. How do we do this? Check out the video below to see how it is done.

Do you want to know how to make your own solar air heater similar the one shown my Jim Meaney? If you do, click on the link below to see a step by step guide on how to make your own DIY solar air heater with minimal cost.

==> Click here to visit Solar Air Heater Guide now!

If you are planning to power your home with solar energy, the simplest way to get started is to purchase solar integrated components such as solar panel, solar gazebo lights, solar air ventilation fan etc.

To install the solar components are quite simple. Taking the solar panel as an example, the entire unit can be installed on the deck of your roof quite easily. Some solar panel manufacturers also include accessories or attachment which fits your roof tiles or frame.

Installing the solar panel is straight forward, but it does require some strength. Although the entire solar module is quite light, but carrying it to the top of your roof can be a challenge. You will need a sturdy ladder and safety gear when you are doing the installation process.

Personally, I will do the installation myself for smaller solar component. However, if I need a complete solar system which will generate power for my house, most probably I will engage the service of a professional solar contractor.

How safe is it when we engage a solar contractor? What if they make a mistake and our house burns down?

If you are in the process of choosing a contractor to install the solar system, it is best to look at their history and precious track records.

There are not a lot of barriers for anyone to start a solar system installation business. The only thing we can use to judge the contractor’s capability is from their previous work.

It is a pain to go through all the list of contractors to find the one you like. Nonetheless, it is a necessity which will save you a lot of time, money and headache later.

To get started on using solar energy for your home, download a free copy of the 30 Solar and Wind Power For Homes Videos e-book. Just fill in the form on the top right for instant download.

I have been doing my research on home solar power system for the last couple of months. To reduce a home electricity bill is not difficult by using solar power, but it involves some capital investment and a lot of hard work.

A home residential solar power system is all about using solar panels to extract energy from the sun and then use it to charge a series of deep cycle battery.

The power from the batteries would need to be passed through a power inverter and then used to power some of the electrical appliances at home. When you have more electrical equipment hooked up to the solar system, you will see a reduction on your month electricity bill.

Are there any ways to charge the battery apart from using solar power?

If you are living in the urban environment, the second best alternative is to use a residential wind generator.

I did come about an interesting concept where you can get free energy to charge the batteries, by using the power from your telephone line!

I came across this interest concept while search the web. It is the Phone 4 Energy web site.

At first, I thought it is a bunch of BS. But what do I have to loose, I decided to check it out.

The guide was written by Ryan Wilson who is a telephone engineer from New York. He claims there is a source of free energy that most people do not know and he is willing to reveal it.

According to Ryan, the phone company generates their own electricity separate from the power utility company. The electric current is required to bring the telephone signal into your home.

Since we’ve already paying for the fixed phone line, why not find a way to use to the electricity supplied by the phone company?

That idea makes sense to me.

As it turns out, the fixed phone line does have a small amount of Direct Current (DC). The challenge is to find a way to make use of it.

What Ryan Wilson did was come up with a Do It Yourself (DIY) kit to extract the energy from the phone line. It is a small amount, but nonetheless, it is free energy.

Even the Photovoltaic (PV) panels are giving out only a small amount of DC. The advantage is the never ending supply.

To make use of the power from the fixed phone line, a separate wire from the telephone cable has to be connected to the charge controller. And then the charge controller will do the rest to monitor and regulate the power needed to charge the batteries.

After a quick review of the Power 4 Energy web site, I notice the selling price to be $47. What I’ve also notice is some of the bonus e-books that come with the offer.

Bonuses such as the Run Your Car On Water and Magnets 4 Energy are selling at $47 on their own! It’s an interesting offer indeed.

If you have your own home battery bank you’ve build to supplement your electricity consumption, why not use the current coming from the fixed phone line. You’ve already paying for the line, you might as well use the power. The Phone 4 Energy guide will show you how.

==> Click here to visit Phone 4 Energy now!

The third e-book I bought on DIY home solar power system is Ben Ford’s Homemade Energy Guide. If you have never heard of this manual before, you can find it at www.homemadeenergy.org.

So, what’s my take on Ben Ford’s e-book?

The first impression is pretty good. The main web site is professionally done. I’m quite surprised his manual was seen on popular publishing such as Popular Science and Popular Mechanics. That’s a great social proof!

Ben Ford is a 52 year old “average Joe” from California. There’s one thing different about him though, instead of paying the utility company, the electricity company is paying him!

How did he do it?

Well, he uses renewable energy sources such as solar and wind power for his home. When the amount of power generated from the sun and wind is more than enough for his household consumption, he sells the excess energy back to the utility company. Great isn’t it?

In the Homemade Energy Guide, Ben promised to teach you how to live off the grid and how to get the power company to write you a check every month.

According to Ben, you can setup the solar system for less than $200. As with other renewable energy guide on the web, the budget is meant for 1 solar panel only.

Based on my research, a homemade solar panel is typically capable of generating about 18 volts and approximately 75 watts of DC (Direct Current) electricity.

How much would it cost to have a complete solar power system at home?

Be prepared to invest upwards of $1000. The budget is needed to purchase other solar component such as meter gauges, charge controller, deep cycle batteries, power inverters etc.

The main cost of the system lies in the battery bank. If you have a lot of electrical appliances and you need lots of power, you may have to build a larger battery bank to support your energy requirement. Large battery bank means higher cost.

Nonetheless, a residential solar power system costing around $1000 is still much cheaper compared to a system installed by a professional contractor.

If you were to engage a contractor, be prepared to pay upwards of $40,000!

If you are looking for ways to reduce your home electricity bill, explore the idea of using solar or wind energy. If you want to save more money, go for the Do It Yourself (DIY) route.

If you are good with hand tools, you can build the system on your own. All you’ll need is a design blueprint and a step by step manual.

If you are looking for a good instructional manual on the web, check out Ben Ford’s Homemade Energy Guide. It comes with a 60 days money back guarantee.

==> Click here to visit Ben Ford’s web site now!

The dreadful question is, would there be another price hike in the future? Chances are…it might.

I don’t know about you, but I don’t like to be at the mercy of the power companies. They increase the power rate I have to pay but I have never seen a reduction…even when crude oil prices have reduced!

That has lead me to source for ways to reduce my home electricity consumption. One alternative is to use renewable energy sources such as solar and wind generator.

As it turns out, there are many DIY residential renewable energy guides on the web. One of the popular ones is the Homemade Energy e-book from www.homemadeenergy.org.

Is it any good? Or is it a scam?

That’s the reason I’m writing this review.

Homemade Energy Manual Review

The Homemade Energy book is written by Ben Ford. Ben is a 52 year old Californian who has some experience building residential green energy systems. You can see Ben in his introduction video above.

For this review, I decided to purchase the manual.

Is It A Scam?

To be honest, I was a bit hesitant before I made the purchase. But I did it anyway. There’s actually a 60 Day Money Back Guarantee on Ben’s offer. So I thought what the heck. There’s no harm trying it.

There are actually 2 manuals that come with Homemade Energy. A DIY solar panel and home wind turbine guide.

Ben of Homemade Energy promised he’ll show us how to own a solar or wind power for $200 or even less.

If is possible to work with such a low budget or is he pulling my leg?

I started to read the solar power guide to find the answer.

DIY Solar Panel For Less Than $200

After reading the solar guide, I realized the budget of less than $200 is meant for 1 solar panel and not for the complete system.

The solar panel instruction recommended in Homemade Energy is capable of generating about 18 volts and approximately 75 watts of energy. To do that, we have to use 36 pieces of Photovoltaic (PV) cells.

As it turns out, we can get a lot of the construction material quite cheaply from Ebay.

To be fair, a complete residential solar power system would need more than $200 of capital investment. Remember, there are other components involved such as DC disconnect, switch panel, battery bank, charge controller, power inverter, power cables, meter gauges etc.

Ben did cover a quick description of all the components in his guide, but I wish he could have provided more information such as the types, cost, recommendation etc.

Review Conclusion

So, is Ben Ford’s Homemade Energy guide a scam? Personally, I did learn some valuable information from the guide. I have not read the wind generator manual yet. But so far, the DIY solar panel instructions make sense and relatively easy to follow.

Hence, I don’t think it a scam. Nonetheless, everyone has their own individual opinion. If you want to know more about Homemade Energy, click on the link below.

==> Click here to visit Homemade Energy now!

Related web pages:
1) Green DIY Energy Reviews – Reviewing The GreenDIYEnergy Manual

2) Information on Power4Home – 10 Quick Points

3) Heartland Renewable Energy Society