Posts Tagged diy solar panel

Building Solar Panels To Protect Our Planet

Posted by outside_voices on Sunday, 9 May, 2010

Before learning how to build a solar panel, you would have noticed fossil and nuclear fuel have been causing problems in our green environment. But beyond that, we are also becoming very dependent on these options, and the majority of what we use is produced outside our own countries. This also leads us to dependence on the foreign exporter including the fluctuating pricing.

The sun is a natural energy, and maintains the earth’s ecological balance. Oil and its derivatives, on the other hand, produce a great amount of pollutants. To supply the average home with electricity for a year, 22,000 pounds of carbon monoxide will be produced during the processing of the required oil.

In many aspects, building solar panels is an effective way to protect our planet, plus the maintenance on the solar panels is fairly minimal, aside from the mechanical parts. Not forgetting solar energy is a natural resource; therefore, it is free and unlimited in supplies. The pricing is extremely volatile as well, dependent not only on current supplies and demands but on political situations too.

Solar panels do not create noise pollutions. They are relatively silent to operate. If you have ever come across oil drills, rigs, and pumps, you’ll know that living with these systems are a soar to the ear. They can be heard in quite a large radius. As oil becomes more in demand, the locations of these generators are appearing almost everywhere. Therefore, many residential and farming communities are being forced to deal with this form of noise pollution.

The use of solar energy is free; however, the start up costs and installation can be rather costly. This does tend to pay off eventually through the savings from electrical bills. On top of that, there are tax breaks offered in many locations by governments to encourage the use of solar panels. Remember to check with your area for such existing incentives to maximize your benefits. If you want to save more money on the start up and installation, you may want to do the installation yourself.

There is quite a number of useful DIY solar panel installation guides around that teaches you how to build a solar panel step-by-step. Looking into these alternative sources may be a better choice for you to get your solar panels up in a much affordable way.

How To Build DIY Solar Panels To Save On Electricity

Posted by outside_voices on Thursday, 18 March, 2010

Find out how you can build you own DIY solar panels to generate up to 80% or more of your electrical needs, and reduce our dependency on fossil fuels.

Solar panels are one of the easiest and least expensive answers to our global needs of reducing our dependency on fossil fuels. The United States itself accounts for more than 25% of the global oil usage. By using solar panels, we are able to reduce our dependency on imported fossil fuels.

If more people were to build their own home solar power systems, the world could reduce its dependency on fossil fuels by up to 50% or more. In a residential application, it's possible to generate up to 80% or more of your electrical needs using solar panels.

Once you've acquired the parts you need, and accomplish building the DIY solar panels, then the energy they produce is free for your use. Just imagine how much you'd save if you could cut your power use by half, and how quick the solar panels will pay for themselves. If your monthly electrical bill is $150, and you can cut it by half, saving $75/month, and it cost you $375 (usually less) to build it, then it will pay for itself in 5 months. From that point on, you'll be saving $75/month. What could you achieve with an extra $900/year? You may think that building a DIY solar panel is complicated or too technically advanced for the average homeowner, but if you are handy with common hand tools and can solder, then you can build your own DIY solar panels in a weekend or two.

Once you have your tools together, you'll need to find your materials, most of which you can probably find on eBay for a really good price.

We all need to be more aware of our impact on the ecology on a global scale and take steps in reducing our carbon output by a drastic amount, if we want our grandchildren to have a place to live. Just imagine how much cleaner the air would be, not to mention how much lower your electric bill will be. Learning how to build a solar panel isn’t really a difficult task when you know how to get started along with the right tools work with.

DIY Solar Panel - The Pros and Cons

Posted by outside_voices on Sunday, 13 December, 2009

DIY solar panels have become the key to meeting today's energy requirements. Having a solar panel installed on your home through photovoltaic power systems is the most ordinary method of converting sunlight into usable electricity. There are actually numerous benefits of installing a DIY solar panel.

  • A DIY solar panel is known to have long functional life. They can last for 30 to 40 years
  • Generating electricity through DIY solar panels is entirely a silent process. It will not give you pestering sounds as gas motor or noisy diesel does.
  • DIY solar panels provide some sort of a shade to your roof. The part from where the photovoltaic panels are positioned is not affected by the sun's heat thus resulting to a bit cooler upper floor of your home.
  • our returns on the investment can be back in a very fast time frame
  • DIY solar panels do not need any maintenance. Once it is installed, it is already considered as a maintenance free energy production system. If it has battery, all you need is to periodically check the batteries.

There are a few detriments to using solar power that you must be mindful about. These should be considered when you decide to have solar power systems installed in your home.

  • Once a DIY solar panel is installed, it is already a part of your house. Therefore, when you decide to move into a new home, the system will stay with your home and you can’t bring it along wherever you are moving to
  • It doesn’t work that well for huge gadgets that utilize an electric heat component. This will not work for devices such as an electric range or oven, electric heater or an electric full house heating system
  • If you are planning to change your roof, it will need some extra work and money as the solar panels and other installed hardware must be removed from your roof. Once the re-roofing is done, you’ll need to re-install and re-configured the DIY solar panels.

Before you come into a conclusion, weigh the pros and the cons. It is still up to you if you want to take the benefits of the sun's gift and enjoy it while you save tons of money on your electrical bills.

Discover 3 Design Flaws To Avoid While Building DIY Solar Panels

Posted by outside_voices on Tuesday, 1 December, 2009

As with projects where a person has little experience, it won’t be uncommon for mistakes to be made when building a DIY solar panel for the first time. This is quite normal as a person goes through a learning curve.In pointing out the most common mistakes that beginners make, an experienced DIYer’s advice can be quiet valuable. In a similar fashion this article attempts to do the same – shorten your learning curve.

Common Mistake #1: Poor planning and design – Battery storage capacity and number of solar cells required

This is obvious to anyone who has been involved in construction projects. Fact is that most of us are guilty of this. Raw estimates do not provide a basis on which we can expect accurate results. How silly. Launching into a project with no forethought may give the appearance of saving time but you will pay for it down the track.

Even the smallest most insignificant step requires proper calculations. You’ll want to make certain that you have enough storage capacity for the power your generate?

Common Mistake #2: Improper design and materials for solar panel casings

Your solar panel will be placed outdoors where it is exposed to the elements. Therefore it is important to design a solar panel casing that has enough structural support and is strong enough to brave the wind, heat and precipitation. The problem for most beginners is that they have no clue. Without the correct design and dimensions they will get a weak solar panel frame. Because of this many of them construct flimsy frames that cannot withstand a strong gust of wind. It may be apparent to you that solar cells can break easily. Caution and care would not go amiss as you handle them. The panel frame needs to be really strong in order to withstand any bending or breaking during site installation.

Common mistake #3: Failure to Seal Your Solar Panels

Over time without the right seals water vapor will seep in. They corrode metallic parts and encourage mould to grow. This is the time when some of your DIY solar panels projects break down. The correct type of sealant will prevent vapor from getting into the recesses of your solar panel.

By knowing and avoiding these 3 pitfalls, you are already on the way to building a successful DIY solar panels project. Pitfalls or mistakes may be encountered but most of them can more than likely be easily fixed. They will not promote the success of your project. When building your first DIY solar panel keep these points in mind. To help avoid these and other pitfalls get the help of an experienced DIYer with this highly recommended DIY solar panels guide.

How To Get Free Renewable Energy To Power Your Grid Tied Home with DIY Solar Panels

Posted by outside_voices on Sunday, 29 November, 2009

The growth in DIY solar panels has really been because of advances in technology making components available in a local hardware store and becasue of the easy to follow instructions and video guides that are available. With increasing demands for fossil fuels by industry and an increasingly aware population of the benefits of renewable energy, the solar power industy is set for increasing growth as solar panel technology improves. For the average person who does not have much technical knowledge is best understanding the basics of diy solar panels in order to determine whether it is viable option and getting their minds around installing various on and off grid systems.

Want to take advantage of solar power in your home? If you are looking to save energy costs with a few solar devices or build a solar powered house our recommended guide will show you how to put solar power to work for you!
Make sure you know exactly what the guide covers as it will make all the difference in costs and the kind of materials and equipment you invest in. Here are a few pointers.

It should be a hands-on guide that is easy to use and is packed with tips for making your home more energy-efficient though solar power—and helping the planet at the same time.

 

  • How to survey your home to determine your current household energy efficiency and use, and evaluate where solar power would best benefit you.
  • To empower your decision making for any any project you will want to be able to calculate the return on your investment.
  • Before you begin implementing your project you’ll have to decide whether you can handle it on your own or whether a contractor will be required.
  • Choose and install your best solar system
  • Handle small to large solar projects including diy solar panels
  • Heat and cool your house with solar energy
  • Install exterior solar lighting
  • Handle swimming pool, water heater, or ventilation solar projects
  • Create greenhouses or solar rooms
  • Build, buy, or sell a solar home
  • Finance your solar investments
  • Take advantage of tax rebates and incentives associated with solar power
  • Avoid the worst diy solar panels mistakes.

While making DIY solar panels can be a more attractive option, let us look at some alternatives

Ready made PV Panels to go
Solar energy providers also install PV panels when you buy from them. An easier and less time consuming option, would be to get these panels. However they are more expensive than diy solar panels. You will simply need to make a cost benefit analysis of your time and money in order to make a choice. For some it’s a toss up while others will walk a mile out of their way to save a dollar. After any consultation, you need to make the final decision about your property. Positioning of your solar panel is key to a simple installation process of your panels.

PV Panels – Solar Energy Kits
For the technically challeneged an easier option would be to get a solar panel kit. Small savings can still be made with this option. Buying these kits are cheaper than ready made PV panels. Kits that include PV solar panels usually also come with detailed instructions for assembly and installation. Be sure to check and see if mounting equipment is included or will need to be purchased separately in the kit you purchase and budget that in while you are deciding.

DIY Solar Panels
Building DIY solar panels is the only real option to save money on the whole project. If you were under the impression that solar energy kits and retail pv panels could be easily installed then you might want to retihnk that as it is a lot harder than your first impression. Making peoples homes green is an unrealistic objective unless the government is prepared to offer major tax incentives. A tax deduction on a solar water heating system, does not equate to a deduction in the actual cost that you will have to pay for the actual system. A lot of people do not have that kind of money. Currently if we were to green our homes it would only really be done if the technology and products were effective and affordable or if it were mandated by federal law. There’s no other way that the average Joe and Jill can afford this otherwise – both in money and time.

Learning a new skill can be a heap of fun and you’ll find that time literally flies by. In the process of learning to build DIY solar panels you will also find yourself being able to help your friends and family. You’ll find that labor and materials are the biggest expenses with solar panels. What a great way to help yourslef and others at the same time. Freeing yourself and your home from the energy companies is a step in the right direction.

Do you know what it is like to be a victim of a massive power outage? It is never convenient to be without power in the aftermath of a natural disaster. Imagine saving your family the need to miss important news updates, to go without hot meals, hot showers for that matter. If you put in your own PV solar panels it would guard against your family having to do without comforts they may take for granted.

If you are still undecided or even if you’ve decided to take the plunge and are ready to begin building a DIY solar panel – solar collectors, today you need to sign up for our email course. We offer great tips and advice for anyone interested in DIY solar  panels and wind power generating projects. No matter what the reason is that brought you here. Your success is what we would love to see and hear about. You can get a comprehensive easy to use and follow DIY solar panel guide here.