DIY Solar Panels
The best part about solar panels are that once you build it you can have all the electricity for free, The sun produces unimaginable amounts of energy every second of the year. Earth may run out of oil but we are never going to run out of solar energy. Sure there might be some cost in setting solar panels but there is almost no ongoing cost . Infact if you learn how to build solar panels yourself, you can completely cut yourself off from the power power grid if you wish and never pay electricity bill, this is called independent or off grid living. Some people like to stay connected to the power grid even though they rely on solar energy. And let me tell you even as a fun project, building a solar panel yourself can be immensely satisfying.
In my experience most men like the challenge and thrill of trying to build something worthwhile like a solar panel on their own, but are worried if they are competent enough to embark on such a goal. Trust me, with the right guide almost anyone can build a solar panel and I really mean anyone. I am an average guy with no special skills or knowledge in anything related to electronics or electricity, infact I am in general clumsy with those things, but even I was able to easily build my own solar panel for well less than 200$ in all. I was able to build this over the weekend using an awesome diy solar panel guide called Earth4Energy. With step by step guide, diagrams and videos it was real fun and the best part was that when I finished my friends and family were in awe. Its a great feeling guys!
The DIY Solar Panel Guide that made it all possible
Eart4Energy is by far the best solar panel building guide I have come across. It is really comprehensive and detailed step by step training package that can train anyone to build quality solar panels. The package includes videos and an ebook, and one even receives lifetime updates and help after buying the guide. All you need is a saw, drill and a screwdriver and you are good to go.
As mentioned earlier the training package consists of ebooks and video guides. The ebook has 19 chapters of which the first 4 are the ones that will cover everything you need to build a solar panel.
- chapter -1 : Priot to Starting (explains what you need and how to use the guide)
- chapter -2 : How does solar power really work (Gives you an easy primer on what solar power is all about and how this is all possible)
- chapter -3 : Building your very own solar generator
- chapter -4 : Building your very own solar panel (Great easy to understand information with detailed diagrams and illustrations. This is THE chapter)
The rest of the 15 chapters are mainly bonuses that talks about other aspects like wind generators, how to buy wind turbines, how to build wind turbines, how to reduce oil dependence and other interesting aspects of going green.
The ebook is very good but the most helpful part of the training package in my opinion are the videos. I am a complete novice and with the ebook I found it bit difficult when it came to tabbing and joining solar cells and this is a part that I believe a rank beginner will have to visually see someone do before attempting. This is where the high quality videos in the package came in handy. They really contain detailed information on tabbing and joining solar cells. the good part is he shows everything and does each action in a step by step slow manner to make sure the viewer understands everything there is to know. And if anything the real work when it comes to building solar panels is the tabbing and joining individual cells together, with the videos you simply cant go wrong.
There is also a directory included in the members section once you buy the training guide. The directory contains details of how to buy the accessories like solar panel cells and other information that can be very useful indeed. There’s so much information in the members area and I highly recommend you purchase this.
What you need to build Solar Panels
I used the Earth4Energy guide to build my solar panel. Let me lay down briefly some points that anyone looking to build a solar panel will be curious of. If you don’t understand everything I lay down here, don’t worry as once you get the guide everything will be explained in diagrams, articles and videos.
- Tools to build solar panels
As you might imagine you will need some basic tools like the sawm srill and the screwdriver. You will need to build a simple container to place the solar panel. You will also need a wire cutter and soldering iron which will come in handy to solder the cells together in series. It might seem initmidating if you have never done this before but its hardly anything really, anybody should be able to do that watching the videos. Infact you will have lots of fun if you have never done this before, trust me.
- Solar Cells
A solar panel is nothing but a group of solar cells laid out in series in a container, yes, that’s all it is. The real challenge is in understanding how they can be tabbed, soldered and placed in a container.A standard 3x6inch solar cell will generate about 0.5 volt or 3.5 amps. Most people including yours truly build solar panels that give an output of 18V which means you will want 36 solar cells/panel wired in series. All this is explained in the guide. You will get a good idea of the number of solar cells to fit various needs.So the next question arises – how to get the solar cells. Ofcourse you need to buy them. Once you buy the guide you will get access to a members area that will help you with resources to buy solar cells that will eventually be used in building solar panels. You can also scout the internet to buy solar cells, ebay is a good place. Cells are usually sold in sets of 16, 72 or 108. A 108 cells set is good enough for three 36 cell solar panels. The guide will show you how to tab and solder individual cells, but it will be a great time server if you can buy pre tabbed cells. I bought 2 sets of 3×6 pre-tabbed cells(36 in all) from ebay and if you can you do the same. But ofcourse if you want the joy of tabbing cells(you can see the videos as guides) then you can buy them in sets of 36 individual cells.If you have the time then by all means by the 36 solar cells and do the tabbing yourself, the videos make it all a fun experience.
DIY Solar Water Heater – Do it yourself solar hot water heater
If you’re looking at some excitement and usability project, a DIY solar water heater is definitely one you should target. Solar water heater projects can prove to be pretty simple and with the right guidance you should be able to complete it without difficulty. Think about it, you can not only save costs on electricity but you will also be able to develop a convenient way of getting hot water for life. Even if you are not so worried about costs and don't think the added convenience of a solar … Read More...