You're probably fed up of hearing about how everything is costing more money these days. Well, the good news is that I'm going to talk to you about a way that you can actually save a lot of money - and protect the environment too. For small initial investments, many people are learning how to build solar panels to provide energy to their homes and you can too.
Building your own solar panels is a fun and rewarding project. In this article we will explore 5 key steps you can follow to build a solar power system.
1. Purchase a guide - Better still, try to find a free one. A good pictorial guide with easy to follow step-by-step instructions will make the project a breeze even for the most inept DIY person.
2. Buy the solar cells - Homemade solar panels are built from scratch using surplus or slightly defective solar cells that can be purchased cheaply on eBay. With manufacturing of solar panels at an all-time high there is a huge market of cheap solar cells available for the DIY enthusiast.
3. Assemble the panels - Approximately 80 solar cells are soldered together using simple soldering techniques to produce an array capable of producing about 100 watts of power. The array is assembled to a sheet of plywood previously coated with a simple weather proofer. A sheet of glass is then placed on top of the assembly and sealed with silicone caulk.
4. Install the panels - Once your solar panel array is completed, it is important to find a good place for it to capture as much of the Sun as possible. Putting it on your roof is an obvious option but if this proves tricky then a spot in the garden away from shadows could be the best choice. If you can build a device that rotates the panels to follow the arc of the Sun during the day, you will really have an impressive solar power system.
5. Connect the panels to the house breaker system - The panels are hooked to a battery via a regulating device called a charge controller. An inverter is then connected to the battery output to convert the low voltage DC battery output to AC to match the house electrical system.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/1605854
Building your own solar panels is a fun and rewarding project. In this article we will explore 5 key steps you can follow to build a solar power system.
1. Purchase a guide - Better still, try to find a free one. A good pictorial guide with easy to follow step-by-step instructions will make the project a breeze even for the most inept DIY person.
2. Buy the solar cells - Homemade solar panels are built from scratch using surplus or slightly defective solar cells that can be purchased cheaply on eBay. With manufacturing of solar panels at an all-time high there is a huge market of cheap solar cells available for the DIY enthusiast.
3. Assemble the panels - Approximately 80 solar cells are soldered together using simple soldering techniques to produce an array capable of producing about 100 watts of power. The array is assembled to a sheet of plywood previously coated with a simple weather proofer. A sheet of glass is then placed on top of the assembly and sealed with silicone caulk.
4. Install the panels - Once your solar panel array is completed, it is important to find a good place for it to capture as much of the Sun as possible. Putting it on your roof is an obvious option but if this proves tricky then a spot in the garden away from shadows could be the best choice. If you can build a device that rotates the panels to follow the arc of the Sun during the day, you will really have an impressive solar power system.
5. Connect the panels to the house breaker system - The panels are hooked to a battery via a regulating device called a charge controller. An inverter is then connected to the battery output to convert the low voltage DC battery output to AC to match the house electrical system.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/1605854