Building your own solar panel is a fun and educational project plus not to mention, a very cost effective solution for reducing costs in utilities.
A solar cell on its own can not really produce any real work. The individual solar cells are wired together to produce a maximum power output, so that appliances can be powered. A solar panel is really a collection of solar cells wired together for a desired power output.
You have 3 options when looking for solar panels:
- Purchasing from supplier
- Purchasing in bulk
- Building your own
Purchasing from supplier – This method is expensive, but the advantages are, you get a warranty and in some instances, you may also receive a re-payment plan. Government subsidies are also available.
Purchasing in bulk – This is the cheapest method of getting really cheap solar panels, and is often referred to as “buying power”. Usually to be able to purchase solar panels at the lowest prices possible, you will need at least $35,000, for a shipping container full. The prices can be in the range of $1 - $2 per watt.
Building your own – Building your own solar panels is at the top of the list for cheap solar panels. Building your own solar panels also gives you the added advantage of building solar panels from broken solar cells hence, the cheapest solar panels available are the ones you build from broken solar cells.
Solar panels built from broken solar cells don’t look the best, but is the best way to cut power costs. It’s the best way, because it is the cheapest method currently available. There’s no need to worry about the way it looks, as the solar panels would be on top of a roof doing its job in saving you power costs.
By utilizing the “broken solar cell” method, saving 100% of power costs is more practical because of such low costs.
If you are interested in building your own solar panel, then below you will find 3 out of 10 of the best guides we've reviewed.
Does the idea of installing your own solar panels sound like a project you would like to take on? More and more homeowners feel the same way. If you are familiar with the basic electronics that are involved, and you are handy with tools, then go for it. But be aware that installing a grid tied solar electric system is more complex than typical electrical work. Here are a few tips to keep in mind to make the job go more smoothly.
First, check with your local governing building department (city or county) to see if a permit is required. If so, find out if it requires that any of the work be done by a licensed electrician or electrical contractor. You may still be able to do some of the work that does not involve direct electrical connections even if a licensed professional is required.
Next, make sure that the system you are installing is properly designed for the amount of power that your house will require. This may sound obvious and like overkill if you have already spent weeks or months pouring over catalogs or on the phone with equipment vendors. But even when you are doing your own installation and have planned it yourself every step of the way, it does not hurt to double and triple check your calculations and your equipment list.
You could even ask the city or county inspector who will be issuing your final permit to review your game plan. It would be much better to catch a mistake now than to find out during your final inspection that you did not plan for enough solar panels to do the job properly. As a bonus, you will also be getting to know your inspector early in the process. He may turn out to be someone who could be helpful if you run into problems during the installation. And at the very least, you will already have established a good working relationship.
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