More Weekend DIYers are Making a Solar Panel as a Hobby
I like to make stuff. My workbench in the garage has always got two or three projects going. So, when a buddy of mine told me he was making a solar panel a few years back, I had to get in.
At the time, it seemed to me like an insanely complicated project. After some research though, I’ve found that more and more weekend DIYers are making a solar panel as a hobby.
Here is an example of ways people have built their first solar panels for their home or shop. It’s actually very easy and inexpensive and works great for harvesting energy from the sun. Keep in mind that this is just one way you may wish to try for your solar panels.
You can build a solar panel in a few different ways. You can choose to use individual solar cells or kits that have mini-panels that are already pre-wired. All you have to do with the mini-panels is solder enough of them together to make one large solar panel.
First you have to determine your overall size so you know what size frame you’ll need. You can start off with a thin board which will be used to mount the solar cells or mini-panels. Holes will have to be drilled in the board for the wiring.
Click here for the Guide to Making a Solar Panel
You’ll use glue to attach the cells to the wood board. Once the glue is dry, you’ll wire each mini-panel together with a soldering gun. Once it’s all set, you should be ready to test it to see how much power you can get from the sun shining on your panel. While some beginners use mini-panels, others choose to get several solar cells and connect them all together to their desired size. While this is somewhat more tedious, the savings in electricity can add up quite quickly when several of these are used.
There are different methods you can use when building solar panels for your home. Many home building stores offer ready-made panels that are a good choice if all you want to do is install them and aren’t all that interested in what makes them work, etc. However, you won’t be saving as much money as you would by building the solar panels yourself. And, after all, isn’t saving money a main factor in why you’re going with solar energy in the first place?
In your search for the perfect kit or manual for building a solar panel, you’ll find many choices to choose from, with some being more recommended than others. One that comes to mind is Earth4Energy, which is a great guide for building a solar panel for your home. You’ll be provided with page after page of detailed directions, pictures and even some videos to really help get you going building your solar panel. Everything you need to know to start producing and harvesting your own energy you’ll find there.
Here’s a Look at Some Homemade Solar Cells Soldered Together:
If you’re one of the many that have shied away from making a solar panel and solar energy systems because you felt you couldn’t afford it, you’ll soon learn that the time has never been better and the prices have never been more affordable for building your own solar panels. Even if you’ve never built anything before in your life other than model cars, you’ll find it’s very easy to build solar panels for your home. The more you build, the easier they are and the more energy you’ll save in your home and energy saved is money saved. Some enterprising folks are even turning this into a little business by making a solar panel and reselling it on Craigslist or eBay.
Once you’ve built your solar panels, you’ll need to decide how to put it into a solar energy generator or build some other kind of solar panel energy collector or unit to harness the energy provided by the sun each day. You’ll find there is a lot of helpful information to be found that will help you gain knowledge on harnessing solar energy and cutting back on your energy usage through solar power.
If you decide that making a solar panel sounds like fun, I wish you the best of luck! I’ve spent a lot of time in the last few years on all sorts of renewable energy projects, and I know you can do it!
Best of luck,
-Sam
Click here for the Guide to Making a Solar Panel
