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.

Solar panel system related articles:

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

My Solar Plans is one of the latest Do It Yourself (DIY) home solar guides available on the internet. When I first saw its main web site at www.mysolarplans.com, I was quite intrigued by the way they presented their program.

Rather than using a long sales letter just like any other residential solar guide sites, they use a simple video presentation instead. This is very useful for people that do not like to read long sales cover. All you have to do is switch on your speakers and listen to what they have to offer.

As a matter of fact, My Solar Plans program is more than just an e-book. The bulk of the content is presented in video format. The e-books included are the home solar plans, parts list and material shopping list.

Behind the MySolarPlans members’ area, you get to download 7 High Definition (HD) videos on how to make your own Photovoltaic (PV) panel. The DIY solar panel is capable of generating up to 70 watt of electricity. If you want to use is to power your home, you may need from 5 to 10 solar panels.

Generally, the quality of the instructional videos is quite good. Since they are recorded in HD, everything is crisp and clear. My only pet peeve is the Australian accent of the presenter.

All in all, My Solar Plans does deliver what they promised in their video presentation which is to show you how you can reduce your home electricity bill by using solar power.

However, to successfully power your home with solar energy, you have to put in a lot of hard work. If you don’t know how electricity work and if you have never handled a hot soldering iron before, then making your own solar array may not be such a good idea. In this case, it is much better for you to outsource the entire project to a professional solar contractor.

Personally, I think My Solar Plans program can stand on par with most of the good home solar guides available on the internet. Since it is offered through Clickbank, you are automatically covered by their 60 days money back guarantee policy. If you do not see any value from the guide, you can ask for a full refund within 60 days of your purchase date.

For more information the My Solar Plans ebooks and instructional videos, click on the link below.

If you are a home owner, it is best to have the surroundings of your house flooded with lights. Having lots of lights around your house tend to keep burglar away.

However, installing lighting fixtures around your house and switching them on throughout the night can be quite troublesome and expensive. You have to factor in the cost of installation inclusive of wiring works and also additional electricity cost.

Is there a better way to increase security around your house?

If you are looking for a cheaper option, why not use the solar powered 80 LED motion activated outdoor light by Maxsa.

The Maxsa solar lighting unit is made from 80 bright LED which will provide maximum illumination and efficiency. The unit is powered by a 6 volt 4 Ah sealed lead acid battery and rechargeable using Photovoltaic (PV) panel.

Since it is solar powered, there is no need to pull wiring cable from the inside of your house all the way to the outside of your house.

To save power, Maxsa solar light has a motion detector which has a detection area of 35 feet away within a 180 degree spectrum. The LED will only power up when a person walks in front of it.

How bright it the lighting unit? On a full charge, Maxsa solar light can give out the illumination equivalent to a 40 watt halogen bulb. The good news is, you don’t have to spend an additional dollar for outdoor lighting because the power comes from the sun.

The unit is also relatively small measuring 10 x 9 x 7 inches and weighs only 4.6 pounds. Maxsa solar outdoor light is available from Amazon.com for $77.89 and comes with free Super Saver Shipping.