7 Easy Tips To Choose The Right Solar Panel For DIY Home Solar Power System




The solar panel is one of the key components of a residential solar power system. This part will have direct exposure to sun light which is the primary energy source. How to do you select the right solar panel for your home improvement project? The following is a list of 7 tips you can use as the criteria when choosing the right solar panel.

1) Strong Panel Box.

As you may already guessed, the home solar panel will be left on the roof. It will be exposed to the hot sun, strong wind, rain, snow fall, dust etc.

The most important step you have to take is to make sure the solar panel comes with a strong box. The strength of the box will determine its life span.

2) Light Panel Box.

When choosing a solar panel, look for one that comes with a light panel box. A light box will reduce the weight stress on the roof tiles and trusses.

Here’s a tip, look for panel box made from a single sheet of aluminum manganese alloy. For added strength, look for one that has been anodized for corrosion protection.

The best box is made without any seam. If you see any rivets, that can act as weak points in the structure.

3) Strong, low reflection, high absorption and low emissivity glazing.

Look for a solar panel box with strong and clear glass cover. Something within the range of 4 mm would be fine.

You want the glass to be thick enough so it would not break it case it is struck by hail. You also want the glazing to be clear so a higher percentage of sun light will reach the Photovoltaic (PV) cells.

4) Water tight design.

When choosing a solar panel, look for one with a water tight design. This is crucial as the panel will be subjected to rain and show.

The problem is when moisture seeps into the PV cells area. The problem caused by this effect is either fogging or condensation. Look for a box with a good seal around the area where cables are coming out.

5) Guarantee from the manufacturer.

You want to look for solar panel with a good manufacturer guarantee coverage. If the manufacturer is confident on their product, they will provide guarantee ranging from 5 to 10 years or more.

6) Minimum maintenance.

The best solar panel needs only minimum maintenance. Unfortunately, you would not be able to find a system with maintenance free. You need to periodically clean the glazing to keep it clear.

The key here is “minimum” maintenance. Once or twice a year should be sufficient.

7) Strong and easy to fit fittings.

Look for solar panel with strong fittings. Preferably, the fittings should be made from anodized aluminum which is strong, light and corrosion proof.

Also, find a panel with multiple types of fittings so it can be attached to tiles, slates, pan tiles, bitumen and flat roofs easily.

There it is, the 7 tips on choosing the right residential solar panel. To find the perfect solar array will take some time. There are a lot of solar manufacturers with thousand of models to choose from. Not all panels will be able to fulfill the entire requirement above. In a time like this, you may have to compromise.

For more information on how to build your own home solar power system, be sure to check out Michael Harvey’s Earth 4 Energy e-book.

The manual has many more tips and tricks on how to find cheap parts for your DIY solar energy system. Be sure to check out the Earth 4 energy review on this blog.

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Homemade Solar System Manual – What Can You Expect?


There are many homemade solar system manuals now available in the market. You can get a paperback book from Borders or Barnes and Nobel bookstore and even download an e-book from the internet. But honestly, what can you expect from this kind of DIY home solar guide?

Firstly, you have to understand the type of renewable energy that will be covered by most green energy books. For residential usage, the type of renewable energy systems will be solar and wind power.

The selection of the type of system suitable for your home will dependent of a few factors. Does the place you live have good sun coverage yearly? Are there any obstructions near your house such as a big tree or hill? Are there any tall adjacent buildings? These are a few questions you have to study before investing in a home renewable energy system.

Now, assuming you have decided to go with solar power, what can you expect out of a homemade solar system guide. Generally, you will learn about the science behind the system.

This kind of manual will usually show you how electricity is generated by using the Photovoltaic (PV) cells and how a solar array will look on the roof top. You will also learn a new term call “home energy audit”.

This is where you calculate the total amount of electric power consumed by all the electrical appliances and also the amount of energy leaks on a daily basis. This will give you a base on how big the system should be for your home.

Next, you will learn the key components of the solar system such as charge controller, DC disconnect, battery bank, voltage meter, amp meter, inverter, etc. Each any every part is important for the system to work properly.

The fact is, most people that bought a home solar power system guide, would not have the skill or the experience to carry out the project. It would be a better idea to outsource to work to a professional contractor.

The home solar energy industry is a booming sector. There are literally thousands of specialized contractors that will do the job just fine.

So what is your role as a home owner? You want to make sure the contractor works within your allocated budget. The cost of a home improvement project can quickly get out of hand if you don’t manage it properly.

This is where the homemade solar system guide will come in handy. With some knowledge, at least you will know when you are being charged for parts or components not needed in the system.

Even when the contractor asks you to pump in more money on the project, you can confidently ask him to explain the reasons.

Home Solar And Wind Power Videos

Do you want to know how you can use solar modules or wind generator to reduce your home energy consumption? If you do, check out the 30 solar and wind power for home videos e-book we’ve compiled. It’s free to download.

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Magniwork Magnetic Generator – Is The Magniwork E-book Just A Scam?


When I was doing my research on the internet on the subject of home renewable energy, I came across an e-book called Magniwork Magnetic Generator. The first time I saw it, I didn’t give much attention to it and moved on.

Recently, I have been seeing a lot of advertisement about the magnetic generator guide on many renewable energy related web sites. There were also a lot of ads popping up on the Google search results. That got me curious. So I decided to dig further. And yes…I did take out my credit card and bought the manual.

Why did I buy the Magniwork e-book? Since, the guide was offered under Clickbank, if I didn’t like the content, I can always ask them for a full refund. That’s one of the reason I like buying information product on the web. There’s not much risk on my side. I don’t think I can return a book to Barnes and Nobel or Borders store after I read a book that I didn’t like.

My first thought when I’ve downloaded the e-book was, “is the Magniwork magnetic generator concept a scam?” The manual teaches people how to generate free energy by using the forces of magnets. Is it a guide to make a perpetual motion generator?

As far as I know, that kind of technology does not exist or it is simply impractical. That actually drove my curiosity even more.

It took me only about an hour to read through the manual. It’s pretty interesting, I must say. The Magniwork manual claims you can make a magnetic dynamo by placing strong magnets on specific location.

The “attraction” and “repelling” forces of magnets will generate potential kinetic energy to spin a flywheel. The flywheel can be connected to an electric generator (similar to a generator used on a bicycle) to produce electricity.

Honestly, I am not sure if the kinetic forces produced by the magnets are capable of spinning the core of the generator. There’s a lot of resistance there.

The videos that come with the Magniwork manual do show a very simple magnet generator apparatus. But how much power is produced by the system is still not very clear.

So, what is my conclusion? Is the Magniwork magnet generator concept a fraud? Well, I did learn something new from the manual and I believe there is some value in it.

Can you use a magnet generator to power all your home electrical appliances? Unfortunately, that is only a pipe dream.

Perpetual motion generator is a myth. For that kind of technology to become a reality, we have to find a way to solve the “friction” issue first.

So, what is the Magniwork e-book good for? If you have a kid looking for ideas for a school science project, the magnetic generator concept will definitely attract a lot of attention from his teachers and friends. People might even think he is the next Albert Einstein.

==> Click here to read more about Magniwork now!