In general, climate has a direct influence on sunlight intensity. Different conditions (as listed below) may restrict or permit the use of solar panels on your property:

1. Sunlight.

The southwest part of the U.S. gets the most sun while the northern states (and Canada) gets the least.

Obviously if your area doesn’t have enough sunshine, it won’t be cost-effective to install solar panels. But how much is enough?

Studies show that the amount of sunlight we experience across the United States is more or less within 20% of the sunshine level in Florida. This makes it possible for most households to have solar panels on their roofs.

Occassionally, there may be shade issues at specific locations, but this can be solved in one way or another.

Generally, the more sun your home experience, the better (and faster) return you’ll have on your investment. You can get data about the sunshine your area experiences from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). They recorded sunlight data on 239 locations all across the United States:

http://rredc.nrel.gov/solar/pubs/redbook/

2. Cloud

If you are living in a cloudy region, it is still possible to use solar panels. This is because solar energy is present although it’s diffused. Surprisingly, there is an advantage to this. The orientation of your solar panels becomes less important since light is coming from different directions.

3. Snowfall

Snow covers your PV panels and weighs them down. Some parts of your property may accumulate more snow than others. This may be because some spots are warmer than others. You will want to locate your solar panels where there is least snow accumulation.

4. Fog

Pollutants, fog and smog in the air affect sunlight intensity. If this is an obvious concern, you (or your contractor) should measure the sunlight intensity at your area to determine if you can get enough solar energy on a long-term basis.

5. Temperature

PV panels are affected by temperature. The lower the temperature, the better its performance. You can generally get more power output from a cold, cloudy day than a hot sunny day.

6. Air Density

Air density affects the amount of sunshine you receive. However its effect is marginal compared to the other factors. If you live on the mountains where air is thinner, you receive more sunshine. The air temperature may also be lower. Thus your PV panels will likely be more effective than when it’s installed at sea level.

7. Wind

Strong winds can damage your solar panel installation by tearing it from its mounts. But this, by itself, should not deter you from using solar panels.

To handle strong wind, you can either (i) use stronger mounts for your solar panels, (ii) use vegetation to block the wind, or (iii) use wind turbines to dissipate its force and to generate more electricity.

Some wind is actually good for solar panels. It helps to cool them down by bringing heat away. This helps to enhance its efficiency.

Continue Reading:

1. 7 Different Ways of Using Solar Energy At Home and In Your Office
2. Survey Your Household Energy Usage Before Installing Solar Panels
3. Before You Install Solar Panels, Plug All Your Air Leakages

So how do you know if building a do-it-yourself solar panel is the right thing for you?

There are a few guidelines that can help you along. In this way, you won’t ever have to get into a project just to abandon it mid-stream.

You should build your own DIY solar panel if:

1. You are able to work with simple tools and have a weekend to spare

Thankfully, all it takes to build a reasonably sized solar panel are simple tools and a weekend. If you have browsed through the free book titled “How To Build A Solar Panel”, you’ll understand it doesn’t take much. (Download it now, if you haven’t…)

This assumes you have already gathered all your materials and have them cut to size. In fact, if you already had some DIY experience, you can even build a solar panel (not the complete set to power your entire home) in an afternoon.

However do note that integrating your inverter and the battery bank into your power system certainly requires planning and installation. And this takes up time as well.

2. You are not willing to invest much into a solar power generator

Cost is the main reason people build their own solar panels. This is understandable. You can easily burn at least $20,000 (depending on the size of your house) to install a solar energy generator. And things are not getting any cheaper…

With homemade solar panels, you’ll only have to part with a fraction of this cost. This means you’ll get your returns on investment sooner. And your home may be worth a lot more than it originally was without spending a ton of money. In some states, you can receive tax breaks just by using renewable energy like solar power.

In terms of dollars and cents, it certainly makes sense to build your own photovoltaic panels.

Of course, there is no point in starting a DIY project if you simply have no time or are totally uninterested in picking up even a screwdriver to put the solar panel frame together.

Needless to say, if you have spare cash (to the tune of $20,000) to burn, it can be quite fun to watch the contractors climb onto your roof to slap on a few pieces of solar panels while you sit at your garden with a can of beer in your hand.

Seriously, you have to take some time to decide for yourself if building homemade solar panels is for you. Otherwise you can start a DIY solar panel project and leave it uncompleted, shelving it for years in your garage.

Continue Reading:

1. Homemade Solar Panels
2. Sizing Your Solar Energy Panels – Part 3
3. Solor Panel Inverters – Synchronous Solar Panel Inverters

Sealing Off A Crack

Before you install solar panels, you need to perform an energy audit.

This serves a two-fold purpose – to determine the size of your solar power generator and to identify sources of energy wastage that can be avoided.

As you are doing your household energy audit, it is useful to check for air leaks. They account for as much as 5 to 30 percent of your energy wastage (when it comes to heating).

If your windows and doors are closed and you feel an air draft, you have a good chance of cutting down wastage simply by plugging the leaks.

The best time to test for air leaks is when it’s cold outside and warm inside. You can feel cold air quite easily this way.

A pressure test can quickly surface any leakages around your house. All you have to do is close your doors and windows, turn off all heaters and turn on your exhaust fans to full blast.

In this way, the pressure inside your house is slightly lower than the outside. Thus more air will flow through those leakages to equalize the difference in pressure.

Go around the house and look for leaks. Pay more attention to windows, doors, electrical outlets, switches, hatches and joints. Once you find a leak, mark them out immediately.

Before you seal off those leaks, you have to turn off the exhaust fans.

You can use transparent silicon caulk to plug all your air leakages. The best way to handle this is to use a caulking gun that has a pressure relief gasket. This allows good control of silicon flow as you plug those leaks.

Another way to plug air leaks is to use an aerosol can of expandable insulation. This is difficult to use, initially, as it is hard to control its flow. But it works very well. So if it’s your first time using this, get some practice on used magazines.

There may be several places that leak air. Windows and doors are easy to handle. But if you have to climb up to your roof, remember to take precaution so you won’t risk falling.

After you’re done plugging up the leaks, repeat the pressure test. Then mark out those areas you have to work on again and get cracking.

You can also check for leaks outdoor. Most often, they appear in cracks, around faucets, pipes, electrical wiring and electrical outlets. Unfortunately there is no way you can feel for air leaks outside your house.

The only way to handle this is to do a visual inspection. If you suspect a leak, give that area a touch of silicon caulk.

After you are done plugging all your air leaks, your heating system can be more efficient. Thus your indoor temperature can be maintained using less energy.

Continue Reading:

1. About
2. Sizing Your Solar Energy Panels – Part 3
3. 7 Different Ways of Using Solar Energy At Home and In Your Office

Home Solar Panels

You may aspire to build a full-scale solar panel system for your house. This is awesome, because you’ll be able to start reducing your utility bill (or eliminate it) and also help the environment at the same time.

However if you are doing every part of the installation yourself, you must be aware there are dangers involved. If you are not careful, serious injury or death may result.

Remember: Safety first.

Always ask yourself what you will be handling and the skill set (experience) you have. If you are a first-timer, you may find expert help useful.

Generally, if you take precautions and follow the usual safety procedures, you should be able to make your own PV panels without any issues.

So what are those dangers?

Here’s a list of them. Read them carefully and think of what precautions you should take when you’re doing those tasks:

1. Handling high voltages in grid-tied PV systems

Only qualified personnel should be meddling with different connections to the grid. In most areas, unless you are licensed, you are not allowed to make connections to the grid anyway.

Hire an electrician if you are not 100% sure. They are not too expensive and risking your life just isn’t worth the savings. Voltages at the mains are seriously high and it can kill.

Also, if you use the wrong cabling or make connections in the wrong configuration, you may have problems with your home insurance. You could also have a hard time selling your house until some licensed personnel fix this.

(The government doesn’t want to give you a hard time, they’re just trying to keep things safe.)

When handling any power cable or electrical connections, wear an insulating glove. Do it even if you know it isn’t connected to the mains or the breaker switch is off. You can never be too sure.

2. Installing solar panel on roofs

It is dangerous to be up on the roof at any point in time. Most people have no idea what it is like to work on roofs. Not only do you have to be carrying the solar panels (which are pretty heavy) up the roof, you will also need to pull cables, fix mounts, worry about the alignment and be moving back and forth all the time.

To make things worse, there could be strong winds blowing across your roof. This may cause you to lose balance, especially when you’re carrying those heavy solar panels.

Always wear a safety harness to prevent falls.

3. Handling batteries

If your full-scale solar panel array is not grid-tied, you’ll almost always require many batteries to store electricity. Batteries are pretty safe. But if their terminals are shorted, batteries will produce tremendous amounts of heat causing fire or even explosion. You may get burnt.

Even when they’re connected correctly, you may also see some sparks as you connect jumper leads to battery terminals. (Do not be alarmed.) This is because there are so many batteries connected together and you are dealing with pretty high current.

Always wear an insulating glove and be very sure of what you intend to do before making those connections.

Please don’t get the idea I’m discouraging you from installing your own solar panels. What I’m trying to say here is safety comes first. Building solar panels are fun and you can make them real fast.

But when it comes to roof installation and connecting inverters to the grid, you must be sure you know what you are doing.

Otherwise it is wise to just part with a little money and get professionals to do it. They are fast and will probably do a better job than you. (At least for now..)

Continue Reading:

1. Building A DIY Solar Panel – My Personal Experience
2. How To Build A Solar Panel Charge Controller
3. Homemade Solar Panels — Common Mistakes to Take Note Of When Building And Installing Photovoltaic (PV) Panels

But are their claims credible? And if it is really possible to build your own solar panels at home, what are the skills, tools and materials needed?

This article goes further to find out whether it is really true that you can build your own home solar panel system for only a few hundred dollars.

Making Your Own Solar Panels

There are many solar panel manufacturers in the market. Some examples are Sharp, Suntech, First Solar, JA Solar, Yingli Solar, Trina Solar, Motech, Qcell, Canadian Solar, Gintech, BE Solar, et cetera. The components that they use to make commercial solar panels are can be found in the consumer market.

The main parts they use to make solar panels are solar cells, a solar panel frame, diodes, solar tabbing wires, a piece of glass (as cover) and a substrate. You can purchase these components easily on the Internet.

Therefore if you have DIY skills to put these components together, you can make your own homemade solar panel. After all, those people who work at the assembly lines producing PV panels do not possess special talent. Neither do they have extraordinary skills. All of them are trained to perform repetitive tasks that are as simple as household chores.

However, if you want to build your own solar panels at home, you’ll have to design your own circuit. Otherwise you’ll need to follow a proven blueprint. If not your solar panels may not provide your with your desired voltage and current output.

Thankfully, construction plans and electrical wiring charts are available on the Internet or bookstores. Once you choose the correct design for your house, you can simply follow its design to make your own solar power generator.

Ok…so what does it take to build a homemade PV panel?

Surprisingly, to build something as advanced as a solar panel, all you need are the following skills:

a. Soldering

You have to do a lot of soldering and do it well. Dry and cracked joints introduce unnecessary electrical resistance, which affects the performance of your PV panel.

b. Using adhesive and sealants

You have to know how to adhere the solar cells onto the substrate. On top of this, you’ll want to encapsulate you solar panel properly. Thus you have to learn how to use sealants as well. Thankfully, most people get proficient in applying silicone elastomer after only 5 minutes of practice.

c. Sawing and filing

If you are building everything from scratch, you’ll have to know how to cut aluminum angles and file its burrs away. Otherwise you can always buy ready-made aluminum manufactured specially for building DIY solar panels. The substrate and glass cover can also be cut to size before they are delivered to you.

So far so good…it seems if you are interested in making DIY solar panels, only basic skills are needed.

What about the cost?

After adding up the total solar component costs, I’d conclude that you are indeed able to make a solar panel without spending more than one hundred dollars.

For this amount, you will be able to make a wooden-framed solar panel that produces at most 60 watts of power at 18 volts. This is sufficient to charge a 12-volt battery.

However most people wouldn’t only want to charge 12-volt batteries. They want to power their entire house with solar electricity! Thus if you intend to install a (sizable) 5-kilowatt system, you’ll need about 84 pieces of homemade solar panels.

At this scale, you’ll need to spend at least $8,400 to complete your home solar power project. And you’ll have to take time to make all 84 panels over a period of time.

Fortunately, you don’t have to wait till you build all the solar panels in order to enjoy the fruits of your labor. You can build your first few PV panels, and then add more when you have the time and money.

So far, this cost only involves PV panels. You’ll also be required to buy inverters and deep-cycle rechargeable batteries. Inverters are not as costly as batteries, but good ones can set you back by a few thousand dollars.

If you build a grid-tied (or intertie) solar energy system, you won’t need rechargeable batteries. For off-grid systems, you’ll require many rechargeable batteries to provide you with electricity during the night when there is no sunlight.

All in all, you’ll have to spend more than $10,000++ if you want to build a 5-kilowatt solar energy system. Thus all that talk about being able to build solar panels that can power your house for only a few hundred dollars is B.S.

With this budget, you can only build a very small solar power system that can run your workstation. But the good news (as I mentioned) is you can start small, and then add more solar panels when you have more resources.

Note: Buying budget solar cells with low efficiency only takes up more roof space. It’ll be better for you to spend a little more to buy good solar cells so each panel can provide you with much more power.

After all, can your roof really hold all 84 PV panels? …

I understand the costs involved. And I really want to build my own solar panels. How do I begin?

The best way to start is by getting some education. Even if you are building your homemade solar panels according to a blueprint, you have to understand why you are doing what you are doing.

It doesn’t make sense to follow any instructions blindly. When it comes to photovoltaic projects, incomplete understanding doesn’t help at all.

You may end up with solar panels that don’t perform to expectation. In the end, you’ll only be wasting your time, effort and money. In the worst case, you may end up damaging your solar cells.

There are many books available on the Internet, bookstores and in the library that can help you.

As you read through these materials, understand the general principles behind solar electricity generation. Then get familiar with each part of the home solar power system. If you can, learn how to do solar calculations.

With this, you’ll be able to make sense of what you are doing as you follow a blueprint. And you’ll be proud of yourself for making your own homemade solar panels that actually provides electricity for your household.

Continue Reading:

1. About
2. Homemade Solar Panels
3. Homemade Solar Panels – Should You Even Roll Up Your Sleeves To Build One?

This is the third and final part of the “Sizing Your Solar Energy Panels” series. Have you done some calculations for your future solar power system yet? If you have been doing those mini exercises, you’ll most likely find a suitable solar panel for your home by now.

The next step requires us to find an appropriate-sized battery bank, inverter and charge controller. Let’s look at each of these:

1. The Inverter

The inverter you choose has to be sized according to the demands of the alternating current (AC) side of the circuit. Therefore you will choose a specification according to the loads in your house (with a little buffer in case you increase your loads over time). Pretty straightforward.

2. The Charge Controller

You’ll at least need a basic charge controller to begin with. Until you get fussy about how advanced you want this component to be, more affordable models will do just fine. You’ll need to get a specification that fits the output current (Amps) of your solar panel arrays. If you intend to scale up your solar power generator, you’ll do better with a larger charge controller with room to accommodate more solar panels than with two smaller-sized ones.

3. The Battery Bank

The size of your battery bank depends on how you want to use your solar panels. You can size your battery banks such that it can get you through thick clouds that pass by, or you can size them so you can get through three solid days of solar eclipse and a power outage at the same time. It really depends on you. But take note that over-sizing isn’t always realistic. You have to take into consideration the space they occupy and the how much they’ll cost you.

If your home is grid-tied, provided there aren’t frequent power outages, the size of your battery bank isn’t critical. Just size it to take care of cloudy days will do. You can still maintain your lifestyle by drawing power from the grid.

When you design your battery bank, you’ll have less power loss (through wires) if the voltage is higher. If you are able to design a 48-volt system, you can conserve more power than when you use a 24-volt or 12-volt system.

Continue Reading:

1. DIY Solar Panels — Charge Controller Basics
2. Sizing Your Solar Energy Panels – Part 1
3. Sizing Your Solar Energy Panels – Part 2

Solar Panels Installation

Buying (or making) solar panels is an investment you make toward a better future. For every investment you make, you have to find out the risks involved and its potential payback.

This is the same whether you invest in equity, put your money in the bank or use it to buy a solar energy system.

Even if you know (or have an intuition) that investing in solar panels for your home is a great decision, it doesn’t hurt to estimate how this decision can help you financially.

First, let’s look at the big picture: There is an upfront cost for owning PV panels, and this hurts initially (for many of us, at least). Thankfully this is about all you’ll pay for the next 30+ years, as long as your solar panels last.

When you add up the total cost of your utility bills for the next 30+ years, your perspective will change. This is because it will almost always be more expensive. To make things worse, energy rate only goes skywards over time. And the bill you’re paying now will probably double in 30 years time.

Do you remember what the energy rates were 30 years ago?

Next, in order to know how long it takes to recoup your investment, we have to consider the total upfront cost for a commercial solar panel setup.

Here is a list of things you have to invest in:

1. Equipment cost. This includes your PV panels, inverters and rechargeable batteries, if applicable. This cost can be paid in one lump sum, or you can get financing from the bank or the supplier. When a loan is involved, you also have to include interests to the total cost.

2. Installation cost. You can hire a professional installer…or you can do it yourself, if you are handy with these tasks. Installers can charge you an hourly rate or quote you a net price for the installation job.

3. Maintenance cost. You’re lucky…solar panels need very little maintenance. And damages are usually paid for by the warranty.

4. Miscellaneous costs. There are other costs involved. You may have to pay for permits and fees to carry out solar panel installation on your roof. Although rare, there may also be taxes involved as the value of your home appreciates due to solar installation. When your solar panel has reached the end of its lifespan, you may also have to pay people to haul your equipment away.

Fortunately, the costs above are defrayed by subsidies and rebates that you may be qualified for. Your utility company, the state and federal government or even the manufacturer often provide these benefits.

Part 2 of this series talks about how long it takes to recoup your investment in the light of the above costs. The article also illustrates how much savings you can expect by installing solar panels at home.

Read on…

View Part 2 here:

http://www.diysolarpanelsworld.com/how-to-determine-the-payback-for-your-solar-panel-investment-part-2-of-3

Continue Reading:

1. Building A DIY Solar Panel – My Personal Experience
2. Why Are Solar Panels The Best Investment For Your Home?
3. Survey Your Household Energy Usage Before Installing Solar Panels

Let’s take a look at Synchronous Solar Panel Inverters…

2. Synchronous Solar Panel Inverters

Synchronous solar panel inverters are also called Grid-Tie Inverters. If you want to have a grid-tied solar power generator, a synchronous solar power inverter will suit you well.

This type of inverter takes the electricity generated by your solar generator and feeds it to the distribution panel in your home. The power is either used by the appliances at home or flows out to the utility grid. If you generate excess power, you are able to sell the energy to your utility company at the rate you’re charged.

When there is no solar energy available during cloudy days (and at night), the system seamlessly taps into the grid supply to make up the difference in power.

As such, you are able to use energy from the grid or from the photovoltaic panels. With this design, you will not need to worry about an increase in energy consumption. In case the solar panel system you design is a little too small, you can use the grid power to supplement your consumption.

Next, let’s go see what a Multifunction Solar Panel Inverter can do for us…

Click Here To Read More About Multifunction Solar Panel Inverters

Continue Reading:

1. About
2. Sizing Your Solar Energy Panels – Part 3
3. Solor Panel Inverters – Stand-Alone Solar Panel Inverters

While you are working on your solar panels or solar heaters, you can also explore other small projects that can make your house a better place to live in.

Here are some projects that take you less than a day to implement. And many of them are very helpful in lowering your energy bills as well.

Most of them do not cost more than $100+, so if you have a little time and a little cash, you can begin right away:

1. Install solar screens

Solar screens help to keep your house cool during summer. It prevents heat from coming into your house through the windows. As such, your air-conditioners will not need to work as hard.

Most solar screens are quite affordable. The best ones are those with a metallic, reflective surface. They reflect radiation away instead of absorbing it. They are also pretty durable.

2. Solar ventilators

Ventilators can be installed at your attic, powered by solar energy. During summer, you can activate these fans to pump the heat out of your interior. This alone can cool your house considerably.

All you need is a small fan, a small vent that comes with a cover and a small solar panel. You don’t even need rechargeable batteries. It stops working when it becomes dark, but you won’t need it at night.

Try it.

When the weather gets colder, remember to cover them properly so heat doesn’t escape through these vents.

3. Solar powered air circulation

When you heat up your house, warm air rises to the top. They are all trapped at the ceiling or attic. Heat is not distributed evenly. You can install a ceiling fan to push the heat down, or use solar power to pump warm air down to ground level.

The effect: Your home warms us faster and you’ll feel more comfortable.

For this project, you’ll need a small solar panel, a set of rechargeable batteries, a long pipe and a small exhaust fan.

4. Landscaping

Planting trees, scrubs and bushes around your house can give you many benefits. You will not only create a beautiful and rejuvenating environment… You can prevent bitter cold winds from blowing against your house in winter and shelter your house from strong sunshine during summer.

5. Install solar light tubes

Solar light tubes allow natural light to enter your house while keeping the heat and precipitation out. They cost a little more. But you can experience the benefits of full spectrum lighting in your room without expensive illumination technology.

Continue Reading:

1. 7 Different Ways of Using Solar Energy At Home and In Your Office
2. Challenges and Difficulties In Using Solar Panels And How To Overcome Them
3. Survey Your Household Energy Usage Before Installing Solar Panels

Making A Homemade Solar Power System

When building and installing homemade solar panels, there is a fair amount of trial and error involved. This forms part of your learning curve.

There are also mistakes you might make that are totally avoidable. These “detours” can discourage you especially if it is your first time building your own PV panels.

Here are some common ones to take note of when you work on your project. When you avoid them, you should arrive at a good product that is ready to serve you:

Common mistake #1: Trying to build the solar panel frame first

We have to draft out a plan for your solar panel construction. However many of those plans, as we know, often require minor tweaks. At times (although quite rare) certain designs do not work at all. We’ll learn what these are as we start building more complex PV panels.

The way to build a PV panel is to adopt an inside-out approach. First get your solar cells together on your workbench, and then cut out the substrate. After you have mounted all the solar cells on the substrate, you are now pretty sure what the dimensions of the solar panel frame must be.

You’ll be left high and dry if you have completed the frame, only to find out later it is not deep enough to contain your solar cells. Also, there is no advantage in building the solar panel frame first. Thus you’ll save yourself a lot of (potential) trouble if you can build the frame only after you have mounted the solar cells.

Having said this, people who follow proven solar panel blueprints to the tee will not be susceptible to such mistakes. Yet this is a good habit to have, since you’ll sooner or later design your own blueprints, isn’t it?

Common mistake #2: Not allowing solar cells to expand and contract

Solar Cells Expand and Contract

Solar cells expand when it’s heated by the sun and contracts when it is cold. If there isn’t sufficient consideration toward this, your solar cells will crack after some time.

By then it is a great hassle to repair this damage. You have to climb up to your roof, loosen the mounts, bring down your solar panel, open it up, do lots of testing, etc.. You know what I mean.

One important thing you must do is to mount the solar cells on a just one blob of silicon caulk. If you spread the silicon adhesive on its entire surface, you leave no room for expansion. Thus the glass structure will weaken and crack after several cycles of expansion and contraction.

Common mistake #3: Sweating the small stuff

The fact is some of us are perfectionist. This quality, even though is good on some occasions, cause many to stop dead in their tracks while making a homemade PV panel.

You know you are one when you try to do these things before your PV panel is completed:

a. Trying to sort out small blobs of glue that overflow the joints
b. Filing off burrs at inconspicuous corners
c. Worrying about how to align your wiring

Fine details can really be sorted out later. In reality, there isn’t a mistake you make that cannot be resolved. After all, making mistakes are part and parcel of learning.

The best time to make adjustments and improvements is when you have more or less completed your project and have gained more confidence. Your DIY skills will also be more polished by then.

To save time (and effort), there are also many small little parts (like brackets and mounts) that you can buy from hardware stores or specialty stores. They do not cost much. If you make these yourself, you’ll not be able to spend more time on important parts of the project.

Common mistake #4: Not wearing a certified safety harness when installing PV panels

Many folks use a piece of rope or an old harness kept away for many years. BIG mistake. If you were to fall, the joy of making your own solar panels is totally robbed. The savings will also be entirely siphoned into your doctor’s cash-lined pocket.

Beg, steal or borrow…use a certified harness to keep yourself safe.

Continue Reading:

1. Insider Solar Power Generator Review: 3 Most Common Mistakes Hobbyists Make on Their First DIY Solar Panel Project
2. Have Your FREE Bonus eBook “How To Build A Solar Panel” Emailed To You Now:
3. Building A DIY Solar Panel – My Personal Experience