Installation of home photovoltaic solar panels is normally a preliminary step, before planning to make a habitat 100% green. Here are a few tips to share, on making your own solar panel, for producing electricity for domestic purposes.

It is a common notion that installation of solar panels is highly expensive, which is not a true. But solar installations sometimes become quite expensive, if the services of some large companies like Evergreen Solar or similar other professionals are hired.

Any person can choose to set up his own solar panel as suggested here.

1) At first try buying broken or chipped solar panels, from the sources that sell them. Some of the accredited manufacturers of solar cells also fail to make perfect products, which gives a chance for a buyer to negotiate at a cheaper rate.

The solar products bought from such companies can be assembled by ones own means. Everybody knows that the solar panels widely in use in states like California get broken quite frequently and the users are in a thrust to sell them off. A buyer can purchase them at a cheaper rate. It will be surprising to find that such “broken” panels though not fully operative, will continue to supply energy required for a home, without any extra-expenditure.

2) Another economy measure is to build ones own solar panel after acquiring individual solar batteries from sources like eBay or local store. From an eBay search, one can trace hundreds of people trading in broken or chipped solar cells. With such cheaply acquired solar cells it is easy to assemble ones own solar panel, that too at a low cost.

Despite plenty of sunlight, some houses may be situated under thick trees, roofs or other obstructions blocking the light. But still, sunlight for 5 to 6 hours will be adequate for a solar panel to supply energy that is enough to save on electricity bills.

4) People most often falsely think that the electricity bills can be totally eliminated on installation of a solar panel. This is not true and what is required before solar installations is, to have a correct assessment on average energy consumption of a house in kilowatts, by referring to previous electricity bills.

As a general rule, most of the homes may need solar panels with a capacity of at least 2000 watts or more, in order to achieve a significant reduction in electricity bills. That would require a few hundreds to thousand individual solar cells and more number of solar panels, all much cheaper to buy from eBay.

5) Another misconception is that Do It Yourself (DIY) solar installations, may get easily disassembled unlike the professionally installed ones, which is never true. Solar panels need greater attention in maintenance. In order not to enter the water inside the panels, the holes may need sealing with silicone.

Similarly, the cells require to be covered with flexi-glass to the border. The solar panels should be cleaned annually and the wirings checked to make sure that the system runs properly and is always free of moisture inside. With such proper maintenance measures, the life span of a solar panel can be certainly extended.

Many people wrongly believe that installing a solar power system at home is an expensive affair. In fact, setting up a medium capacity solar power generator will not cost as much as you fear.

Advancement in technology and improvements in material have brought down the cost of installing solar systems at home considerably. If you can spare around $1500, you can easily set a small solar power generator up at your home. It may not meet all your home power needs but will be quite sufficient to work most of your home appliances like TV and computer which need less electricity to function.

You can also recharge the batteries of your cell phone and laptop. Cost of installing a solar system increases when you employ professionals to do the work for you. It is not a very complicated and highly technical work and you can do it yourself so that you don’t have to pay the labor charges.

Everything you need to install solar panels at your home can be bought from the local stores. Or there are online stores where you can buy the supplies from. You also need a convenient place like your roof or window to set up the solar panels.

Choose a place that gets the maximum sunlight. Once the different components are connected by wires, you are all set and ready to go. Let us start with the most important component of the solar system. It is the solar panel and you can buy an average sized solar panel for about $200.

The panel you buy must be capable of producing at least 12 volts of electricity but a 16 volt panel will be ideal for your home. Foldable solar panels supplied by PowerFilm are more convenient than others. The next costly item you have to buy is a rechargeable battery. It must be a deep cycle battery like the one you use in your car.

A 12 volt battery can be bought from local auto parts store at a cost of $60. Of course, gel batteries will cost very high but they last longer. A battery box, which can be bought for about $30, will not only keep your children and pets away from the battery but will also help you to fix some other components of the solar system onto it.

You will also need a DC volt meter to check whether the battery is being charged or not. This item will cost $30 and can be bought locally. The next item to be bought is the DC inlet which will help you to plug in your DC home appliances. Since you will have a number of appliances which work on DC, let there be three or four sockets on the inlet. It will cost approximately $20. To convert DC into AC to work some of your appliances, you need to buy an inverter.

The capacity of the inverter depends on the number of appliances you are going to use and their power demands. A 300 watt inverter will just suffice. The inverter will cost another $40. Once all the necessary parts are bought and made ready, the only remaining work is to join them with wires. Positive and negative terminals of the solar panel are connected respectively to the battery.

Then connect the volt meter and the DC inlet to the battery. Power supply to the inverter can be taken either directly from the battery or from one of the DC inlet sockets. The battery box will serve as a convenient place to install your DC inlet, inverter and volt meter. Now your solar system is ready to produce solar energy and you can be proud of it.

You may want to think twice before you buy from the market; it is not only money which is involved but also loss to the environment. This may not sound that good but it is true with such actions we are contributing to global warming which otherwise has become too warm.

You must have noticed drastic climate change in the recent years and it is quite visible now. Solar energy which is available in abundance is sufficient enough to meet the energy needs of the entire world.

Generating electricity and the consumption demand has continuously been ruining the atmosphere and the environment. This too is a fact that we need electricity to live; our lives will become stagnant as we are now too much dependent on electricity.

Though we enjoy it but we must also look for alternatives to save some energy so that it lasts for a long time for humanity. We must constantly look for tips to save energy. One way of doing so is to build our own solar air heater which can be done very easily by following simple instructions.

There are many benefits of the solar air heater-

- We can use it for drying our home grown crops.
- We can remove water from vegetables and fruits.
- We can provide warmth to our home.

Research has suggested that the solar energy could solve our energy problems, if we tap it and use it in the most efficient way. Once we are able to use it our world will become tension free, this is our duty to protect the world and should not let it collapse.

It is quite possible, if we use the resources the way we are using soon we will have nothing left as everything has a limit so has the vast resources available to us. Solar air heater is the step in the right direction, it is not necessary to buy everything new; we can use some material which is available at our home and it is still functional.

As we have different meridians and zones so are our climatic conditions also, in some countries the cold conditions are so acute that it is almost difficult to tolerate. We need warmth in our homes in such conditions, as we need to maintain the balance between the outside temperature and the temperature of the human body.

The answer is a DIY solar air heater which provides great solution to such climatic condition. Instead of buying one, you can build your own. You can browse on the internet and can find many sites where complete guidance is provided to build your own solar air heater.

This is one way you can contribute positively to the environment and proudly associate yourself as the savior of the environment. Your small contribution will have dramatic effect on the global warming as it certain once you do it, others will follow you.

DIY Solar Air Heater Guide

Are you looking for a step by step guide on making your own homemade solar air heater? If you are, check out the Solar Heater Guides web site for a comprehensive manual on making your own DIY air heater using the power of the sun with a limited budget.

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

With the recent decline in the prices of residential solar system, many home owners have shown interest in installing the system and get rid of high energy bills. There is always apprehension in the minds of people that the Photovoltaic (PV) panels installed in the system should continue to serve you for many years.

It is quite natural that you would like to count number of summers and winters for which your solar power system will last as you have invested a lot of money and time. The average warranty offered by the manufacturers is almost 25 years, but as we see there are PV panels installed which have outlived the life span and are still working and are good condition.

The main two factors which are responsible for the long product life are proper maintenance and the compatible climatic conditions. This blog post mainly deals with maintenance and possible repairs which may be required to enhance the life of the product.

Regular Solar Panel Maintenance

To keep you solar panels in good working condition, you need to ensure that the panel remains free from debris and any other things like limbs falling from trees. The panel should be clean and open to the sun and sky without any shade. The best performance from the solar panels can be expected by exposing it to direct sunlight.

Therefore it requires routine checks and other obstruction should always be removed. With wind blowing, it is natural for dust particles to accumulate on the panels which require periodic cleaning to avoid any obstruction to sunlight. Such checks will naturally enhance the life cycle and the panel should surpass its normal life span.

Since solar panel does not have many parts, so it is for sure that since the parts are less, the faults too are less. But since nothing is perfect, you may have to make repairs due to the following problems:

- Faulty wiring
- Burned out system at the battery storage terminals
- Heat fading
- Cracked glass cover

The common wiring faults are due to corrosion, oxidation and may be even the wires are loosely connected. In some situation, the heat conditions can also decrease the efficiency. Sometimes strong winds can result in flying stones or gravels which can damage the panels.

Small cracks on the glass can be repaired by using tapes, but in case of excessive damage, the entire solar panel has to be replaced.

Many solar panels can work flawlessly up to 40 years and this has been possible due to proper and regular maintenance of the solar power system. But normally after 20 years these panels start to lose its capacity.

It is up to you to look after your system very well after all you will be getting uninterrupted power for 20, 30 years or even more. This is also important since you have invested a good amount of money, your proper care will give you dividends and you will be able to recover your investment quickly.

The electric power generated using solar panels is called the ‘Photovoltaic effect’. Each solar cell is capable of converting sunlight into electrical energy. However, each PV cell can generate only a small amount of electricity in terms of total wattage, as each cell generates electricity of only 1 to 2 watts.

In order to generate large amount of electrical energy, a solar panel should be constructed by joining several solar cells. As a single solar panel can produce only limited amount of electricity, several panels are linked together to build a solar array.

It is essential to combine several panels to generate sufficient amount of solar energy to supply power to an entire house. The natural benefit of a solar cell system is that it will enable production of large amount of electricity by assembling a number of solar cells to construct solar panels.

Another advantage with a PV energy system is that it can facilitate generation of additional units of electric power by simply combining more number of Photovoltaic panels.

There are different types of solar panels with numerous power generation properties and depend upon the type of material used to construct panels. Thin-films, mono-crystalline or polycrystalline components can be used to build solar cells. The thin-film solar cell comprises alloys (amorphous-silicon) that can be stocked in thin layers placed on a base.

It will be fairly elastic depending upon the ‘substrate’ utilized and is thus more suitable in specific conditions. In contrast, a mono-crystalline cell is developed from single silicon crystal rod and is, therefore, more sturdy.

The silicon rod is chopped into thin wafers so that a proper foundation is provided within which solar cells are developed. Polycrystalline solar cells are produced from various silicon crystals that are heated and later cooled in molds to produce ingots of silicon. The ingot is subsequently sliced into wafers and a cell is produced similar to thin-film solar cells.

The efficiency of a solar power panel installed at home is appraised by the ratio of the output to input electric power. The efficiency factor of PV panels normally varies from 10 to around 19 percent.

The cost of each solar panel will depend upon its efficiency rating. In order to obtain a higher efficiency rating in solar power generation, one has to spend more money for each panel. Those planning to install a new solar panel should compare the cost of installation with estimated savings in the long run due to higher efficiency factor so that they can make a suitable decision regarding the choice of Photovoltaic system.

In order to choose the proper set of PV panels that meet his energy requirements, one should have a good understanding of certain specific parameters that could form the basis for making a decision. The major parameters that one should take into account in order to evaluate various solar panels comprise ‘efficiency’, ‘rated power at STC’ (Standard t Test Conditions) and ‘rated power per square foot’.

Efficiency factor is expressed as the ratio of power generated from the solar panel to the input power of sunlight absorbed by it. Rated power at STC quantifies the total wattage of power generated from the solar cells under normal test conditions.

The rated power per square foot denotes the electricity generated from the solar panel at Standard Test Conditions per square foot of the panel’s surface area. The latest designs of home solar kits make the best use of sun light to generate electricity at peak efficiency levels and are now the most feasible choice to tap this type of renewable energy to meet energy requirements for residences.

Many people think that maintenance and care of solar panels is very difficult but in fact it is quite simple and easy. Since the Photovoltaic (PV) panels have no moving parts hence regular maintenance is not required.

But in any case maintenance is very important for everything we use. Solar panels need periodic cleaning and small repairs are must which will enhance the life of the solar panels. Regular maintenance not only increases the lifespan but makes it look good.

If the roof is flat then the PV panels are installed flush on the roof, you have to ensure that the solar panels are not covered with snow or leaves. Such an activity requires need based cleaning of the panels, because if you do not clean it, the performance of the solar cells gets affected.

Even partial cover will not be desirable as it will not produce sufficient power. Such incidents make the solar panels ineffective, and production capacity suffers. Those panels which are installed on angles are easier to clean as compared to those which are installed on the flat roof.

Since snow does not get accumulated on the angled panels, but the dust leaves and bird droppings can create problems. Hence regular cleaning is must which should be done on regular intervals.

Some of the manufacturers suggest that cleaning is not required more than once or twice a year, but as a precaution one must clean the solar panels on quarterly basis that is once in three months. You may clean it additionally if the area where you live is quite dusty.

There are other precautions also which one must take in protected the wires. Squirrels and rats are often problem creators by chewing the wire and birds can sometimes build nests under the Photovoltaic panels. You must occasionally check all these things on regular basis, so that the power supply is not interrupted.

It would be good for you keep watch on the trees near your house, ensure to trim the branches regularly so that sunlight does not get blocked. You must regularly inspect cracks and any other damage and also look for water seepage due to rains. Most of the maintenance can be handled by you, but occasional professional help can be a great idea.

There are many companies which are masters in the maintenance. Such companies carry periodic checks to see the working and conditions of panels and wires including the mount brackets. The change of transformer fluids should be done every two to three years.

Buying and installing the solar panels can save you lot of money, you can recover the cost within few years, since it very easy to clean and maintain, one should not hesitate in the initial investment. Getting solar power that is free can be real life time experience, if your PV panels are producing surplus power, you can sell this power to the power companies and earn substantial income.

Your proper maintenance of the panels can give you optimum results and you can enjoy free neat and clean energy for lifetime.

Solar power is the conversion of sunlight into electrical energy, either directly with the help of Photovoltaic (PV) cells or indirectly utilizing concentrated solar power (CSP). Concentrated solar power systems make use of lenses or mirrors and tracking systems to focus a vast area of sunlight into a small powerful beam.

Solar panels comprising several Photovoltaic cells convert light into electricity due to the ‘photoelectric effect’. Solar energy is a free and renewable form of energy. It is worthwhile installing a solar energy system at residences in view of several advantages.

Those who have done a cost-benefit analysis of installing a home solar power system might immediately decide to switch over from a traditional energy source to a solar energy system for their homes. However, in order to fully appreciate its utility, advantages and costs, it is advisable to widen their knowledge on solar technology.

Solar power is useful for lighting, operating home appliances such as refrigerators, electric stoves for cooking food, water heaters and heating the area inside rooms and running air conditioners and various other equipment. The surplus energy available after meeting all household requirements is stored in special battery bank, which can be used during nights or during cloudy weather conditions.

Although it will obviously cost a fairly large amount to install a home solar system, after the initial investment and some maintenance expenses, there will be considerable savings on the monthly electricity bills.

Another advantage in having a home PV system at is that electricity companies will purchase any surplus power that is no longer required.

Those who have installed solar panels will soon be pleasantly surprised to find that the electricity consumption from traditional power source has drastically come down and consequently, a substantial drop in electricity bills. A solar panel is also very useful for growing plants in a ‘greenhouse’.

Greenhouse is built on the roof-top with transparent plastic or glass on which a solar panel directs the heat from the sun warming it up thereby, facilitating the growth of plants.

When talking about a home solar power system, a question that normally comes up is how much does it cost? The cost of a complete system varies depending upon its power generation capacity. It is, therefore, important to assess the requirements of electricity for his home, before making a decision to buy the system.

It would cost a minimum of $4000, if someone would like to have a home solar energy system installed at his residence by an expert in this field. In contrast, there are numerous websites that provide videos and instruction manuals so that you can build his own PV panels via Do It Yourself (DIY) approach for a budget of less than $200. You will need 8 – 12 panels in order to fulfill the energy requirement of a small house.

All materials and tools needed for the job are easily available in every local hardware store. If more number of solar panels is installed, there will be a lot of surplus energy that can be sold to power generating companies. In other words, installing a solar power system will not only help in saving substantial amount of money but also facilitate in generating additional income too.

The present state of economy is in a bad shape all over the world. In these difficult times and with ever increasing prices, people are finding very difficult to maintain their current lifestyle. Many people are not in a position to satisfy even minimum requirements of their families.

In such a scenario, a home solar power system will help people to afford certain items, which were not within their reach earlier. Moreover, people having an alternative energy system at home will be able to preserve environment and contribute their bit to a pollution- free environment.

As the Government is providing support in the form of tax incentives and subsidized equipment, many homeowners might be thinking of going green by installing solar power kit on their home to not only contribute to environment preservation but save on their energy bills as well. But the solar power system need spare space to install the solar panels known as installer.

This short blog post provides the following 9 points that should be kept in mind when deciding where to put the solar power kit:

1. Solar panels need to be installed facing sunshine.

In Northern Hemisphere, the Photovoltaic (PV) solar panels should face south to get maximum sunshine. So it doesn’t matter whether you install your panels to your rooftop or on the ground or on out building such as shed or garage, the only deciding factor should be availability of south facing section to get maximum possible sunshine.

2. Any obstruction to sunshine decreases the panel’s efficiency.

So it should be taken into account that the place you are considering to install the panels shouldn’t have shades resulting from your trees, your neighbors’ trees, vents, air conditioning units, and any other obstructions that could shade your panels.

The solar pathfinder can be used in finding the sun’s angle changes over the course of the day as well as in different seasons round the year. These solar pathfinders can be obtained from most of the solar stores.

3. The life span of a solar system can be around 20 to 50 years.

So they are going to provide you energy for a long period of time. Obviously, you should keep in mind that over the period of time the panels need to be shade free. So it would be good to keep your panels away from your trees and bushes unless you are prepared to trim them.

4. Generally solar panels are installed at 45 degree.

At this angle, they tend to clean themselves but in some areas, where dirty rain, heavy dust or snow accumulates, the solar panels need to be manually cleaned using garden hose or a long handled broom. So if you put them on roof tops it might be very inconvenient and dangerous to clean them.

5. You should have a rough idea about the space requirements.

The common take around one square foot of space per ten watts capacity generation so if you planning a 3,000 watts capacity installation for your home you will need 300 square foot area.

You will also need 3’ by 3’ area near your electronic meters to install the necessary components. Moreover, if you want a batter bank as well, you will need space equivalent to large chest freezer.

6. The angle of the sun changes .

Over the course of the say as well as during different seasons over the year. The tracking system automatically follows the sun and maintains the optimum 90 degree angle to the sun. But if you planning to install them without a tracking system you can adjust the angels manually or fix them at the angle equal to the latitude.

For example, Spokane, Washington which measures 48 degree latitude will fix the panels at 48 degrees from horizontal. Adjustable panels produce more energy so it will be good idea to keep them at optimal angle.

7. Solar panels produce direct current.

DC is prone to transmission loss so it requires more expensive high quality wire. Naturally, if the units are placed at larger distances from home, they raise installation cost. So, closer units are very cost effective.

8. It is also expected from you to behave like good neighbor.

You solar panels might cast a shadow to your neighbor’s yard reducing the output of his bushes or block their satellite dish. It will be good idea to consider and consult your neighbors as well.

Although, most of the municipalities are themselves promoting renewal energy and should have no objection for your solar system, you should make sure that you don’t violate any terms and conditions imposed by the planning authorities.

So giving a visit to local municipal office and talking to someone with authority on the matter would be good idea to ward off any future issues.

9. Save money with Do It Yourself (DIY) approach.

Solar panels installations cost a lot so if you plan to do it yourself you can save quite a good amount of money as nowadays kits are very installation friendly and can be easily installed. But it should be kept in mind that working at higher places can be dangerous and you are not afraid of heights.

So it is recommended that you should obtain the permits. By obtaining permits you will be sure whether you are allowed to install the kits by yourself or not. As any wrong connection can damage the entire system, you should always have a licensed and very experienced electrician doing the final connections and preferably all the connections.

There are many advantages of using solar power. The main advantage is that maintenance is less as it does not have any moving parts. When there is sunshine, you definitely get free electricity.

With improvements in technology, system efficiency has gone up and costs have come down for sure. This has made it possible to tap solar power for many more applications.

Though solar power offers so much when it comes to clean energy production, some problems, with solar panels and equipment required to bring system power output to your home or any other point, do crop up.

The solar panels that are available commercially are relatively trouble free. These are generally Photovoltaic (PV) systems and come with a guarantee for their construction and power output for a specified period of time. You may be aware that the efficiency of solar cells comes down over a period of time. Often, it takes more than twenty years for this to happen.

Very large installations like home or business power supply units use commercially available panels. It is true that the technology is well established over the years, but problems like failure of components do happen over a period of time. Smaller units or do-it-yourself (DIY) projects face more problems, if utmost care is not exercised at the time of construction.

Almost always problems are due to electrical faults in the panel and along the supply chain of controllers. Fires have happened due to short circuit in solar panels, but very rarely. If moisture is there inside a panel that is operational, there can be a lot of problems. It obstructs light and slowly corrodes the electrical contacts.

Corrosion in turn increases resistance to current flow and the efficiency of the solar cell reduces. This causes a knock-on effect. Once one cell becomes weak due to corrosion, the nearby cells also get affected due to heating and current flow changes.

If the power output rating of the panel is high and greater resistance is developed, the potential for shorting and serious damage to the panel are very high.

Problems do come up in solar system controller and inverter as well. Sometimes animals cause damage to the wiring. If the power output is coming down slowly, it could be due to the problems in the solar array.

Each panel’s output will have to be checked to find out if it is due to one panel or the wiring of the cells within the panel. The container that you construct for your do-it-yourself solar panel must be watertight and secure. It is recommended that you use a sealed aluminum casing and silicon sealing to prevent moisture entering the system.

You can also attach a packet of silica gel inside the panel to absorb the small amount of moisture that will be present in the air inside the panel. It is a good idea to use a comprehensive guide to build a safe and secure solar panel, especially if you are planning to make a solar panel by yourself.

If you are planning to set up your own home solar energy system, one of the key components you’ll need is the power inverter. With so many different models of power inverter, which one should you choose? This post will list out 4 types of inverters in the market and I hope it will help you in your selection process.

1) Square Wave Inverter

Among the various types of inverters designed to provide electric supply when supply from the main source is not available for reasons like tripping in the main grids, fault in any of the equipment under use for power production and transmission etc., a square wave inverter costs lowest; but it ranks lowest in its efficiency too.

The supply from such an inverter may cause damage to some gadgets that are sensitive. Square inverters can supply power up to 500 watts and can be connected using a cigarette lighter fitted to cars. However, use of square inverter is not advisable for domestic solar power system for its inefficiency and possibility of damaging the equipment.

2) Modified Sine Wave Inverter

A modified sine wave inverter has gained in popularity over the years because it is economical and acts as a power source when needed with least possibility of causing damage even to most electronic gadgets in domestic use.

The pattern of the electric power these inverters produce wave that can be categorized somewhere between a sine wave and a square wave giving them a popular name of “quasi-sine” inverter.

Here a word of caution; these inverters are not suited for running gadgets that involve motor speed controls or timers. For such equipment a different type of inverter is needed.

3) True Sine Wave Inverter

The waves that emanate from a true sine wave inverter are more or less like a pure sine wave curve. Though falling in the category of the costliest type of inverters, the benefit in using them is that they produce power which is qualitatively better than the power supplied by the utility companies!

These types of inverters are suited for delivering power to any AC electronic equipment; they behave excellently to cope with variation and cut off/on power as is needed by the AC load.

4) Grid Tie Power Inverter

This type of inverter is needed when you intend using solar power to support power received from the utility source. It efficiently relays power from solar panels to various electrical appliances in use at your home; because of reduction in actual power drawn from the main supply grid, benefit of reduction in power bills is achieved.

The input voltage for power inverter are available in three power ratings; 12 volts, 24 volts and 48 volts. You may choose an inverter of right voltage depending on the distance between the solar panels array and your set of batteries. The specifications of the cables depend on the magnitude of voltage. It is important that the solar panels, inverter and battery pack match in their voltage rating.

Despite the knowledge you thus acquire, you should not hesitate to take technical advice before you choose an inverter of the right type and specifications so that it gives you hassle free service.

Build Your Own Solar Panel Guide

One of the best ways to save money on a residential solar power system is to build your own solar panel. If you are good with hand tools, you can make a Photovoltaic (PV) array for around $150. What you’ll need is a step by step instructional guide.

Read some of the Earth4Energy manual reviews and learn what the top selling DIY solar array ebook on the web has to offer. Also, remember to check out the Earth4Energy download page for more information.

==> Click here to visit Earth4Energy now!