If you’re interested in building DIY solar panels, this may be the most important place you discovered. Here’s why.

For every curiosity you have in your mind, there will almost certainly be a resource available to satisfy it.

Whether you want to build a solar panel by connecting individual photovoltaic (PV) cells or buy it retail… whether you are a do-it-yourself, homemade guy or a swear-by-a-brand person, we have mini-resources prepared for you.

Otherwise just write to us to request for it…and we’ll get it up just for you.

In the future, we’ll broaden our scope to include bits and pieces of other types of renewable energy generator like wind turbines.

For starters, you can browse the following pages to get up to speed with the DIY solar power world. Tell me what you think:

• Insider Solar Power Generator Review: 3 Most Common Mistakes Hobbyists Make on Their First DIY Solar Panel Project
• 3 Secrets You Didn’t Know About Building Solar Panels
• 1o Reasons Why You Should Build Your Own Solar Panel
• How To Build A Personal DIY Solar Power System With Less Than $99
• Build Amazing Home Solar Power Systems Used by Families Who Don’t Want to Pay For Their Utilities
• How To Build Solar Panel (Part 1 of 3)
•  How To Build Solar Panel (Part 2 of 3)
• How To Build Solar Panel (Part 3 of 3)
• Step-By-Step Guide To Build A 12V Solar Panel
• Solar Panel Battery — The Basics
  

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Are you ready for what Multifunction Solar Panel Inverters can do for you? Let’s jump right in…

Multifunction solar panel inverters combine the best from Stand-Alone Solar Panel Inverters and Synchronous Solar Panel Inverters. They are of course more expensive, but these are the best choice for your solar energy panels.

This type of inverter allows you to generate excess power to be stored in a battery bank. As such, you are able to use energy from the grid, from the solar panels or from stored energy in the batteries. You can even connect a standby generator to the whole setup. Let me illustrate…

During the day, solar energy panels supply your household appliances with power. At the same time, the battery bank is charged up to store energy for the night. If there is surplus electricity, they can be sold to your local power company.

By evening, the batteries will be charged up. At this time, the inverter provides AC power to the house from the batteries. If the batteries are flat, the inverter taps into the grid to charge the batteries and power up the house at the same time.

If a standby generator is used, the inverter will synchronize its power so it can be added to an existing source of power. Many multifunction solar panel inverters are not as efficient as synchronous inverters because the system must have a battery. However, they offer functions that grid-tied inverters do not.

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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

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Solar panel inverters convert direct current (DC) into alternating current (AC). This is one of the most important components that you need for your solar power generator.

You can find three types of solar panel inverters:

1. Stand-Alone Solar Panel Inverters
2. Synchronous Solar Panel Inverters
3. Multi-function Solar Panel Inverters

1. Stand-Alone Solar Panel Inverters

Stand Alone solar panel inverters has a range from as little as 100 watts to as much as 8,000 watts. Low wattage inverters can be used to power individual or small groups of appliances. At the high end of the scale, solar inverters can help power an entire home. In order to know what inverter specification you should use, you will need to first determine the total energy consumed by your household.

This information is easily available from your monthly energy bills. To arrive at the specification you need, please take into account the power loss through various photovoltaic components. Even if there’s no loss (which is impossible), it’s good to have some buffer.

When using inverters to power household appliances, it’s important to choose models that have a built-in ability to surge. Common appliances like dryers and clothes washers and other motorized equipment require a surge when you start then up. Thus your inverter has to supply this need.

Click Here To Read About Synchronous Solar Panel Inverters

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Solar Trickle Chargers are small, low-current solar panels used for maintaining storage batteries for your vehicle or boat. Why will you need to maintain them?

All batteries lose charge over a period of time because of self-discharge. By using a trickle-charger, you can replace those lost power. This helps to extend the lifespan of your batteries and ensures you have a smooth start every time you turn the ignition. There is no fear your vehicle or boat won’t move after storing away for a long time.

Since we only need a small current to maintain the batteries, solar panels will be the ideal candidate. As long as there is sunshine, you can be sure your batteries can be maintained in top condition.

But not all solar panels can be used for this purpose. You have to make sure the trickle is large enough for your battery size.

First, you’ll need to find out how big your batteries are. This information is usually written at the side of the battery. If no information is available, try looking up the model on the Internet. Most of the time you’ll find what you want.

If your battery is rated at 100Ah and you estimate that it’ll lose 30% of its power every month, you can work out the power loss per day. (This is about 1% every day.)

Next, find out the sun hours you receive at your location. With this figure, you can divide the energy loss per day by the sun hours per day to determine how much current your solar energy panels need to generate.

If you’re lost, solar trickle chargers will usually have specifications that show you what battery size its suitable for. Have fun!

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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.

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After you know where most of your household energy goes to, you are now ready to plan for your system size. For grid-tied system (without batteries and charge controllers), you only need to make sure the inverter you use is large enough to handle the power generated by the solar panels.

If you are thinking of scaling up your system in the future, you can get a bigger inverter so there’s room to handle more power. You can also get an inverter that fits the power output of your current solar panel, and then add another inverter when you bring in more solar panels. Between these two options, it’ll be more cost effective to have a larger specification if you know your plans beforehand.

For solar power generators with batteries, you’ll need a little more planning…

For a start, we’ll look at how to determine the size of your solar array. Here are the steps to do it:

1. Compute the average Watt-Hours (usage) per day

2. Find out the Average Daily Solar Radiation figure for your location

3. Calculate the number of watts you have to generate per hour of solar exposure (divide #1 by #2)

4. With the solar module you have in mind, multiply its power rating by a factor of 0.7. If you are using a Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT) charge controller, you’ll multiply it by a factor of 0.8 instead.

5. Finally, you get the number of modules needed when you divide #3 (energy you need) by #4 (energy generated by your solar panels)

After you arrive at the number of solar modules you need, you’ll also know how much space is needed on your roof. If there isn’t enough space, choose a more efficient photovoltaic module and do the calculations again. Going over this a few times, you will be able to find the solar module that’s most suitable for you and at the right price.

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In order to size your solar energy panels, you have to decide if you want a direct grid-tie system without batteries or not. If you do not want to use batteries, the size of your solar power generator will simply be what you can comfortably afford ($$). This will help you offset your energy bills, but you’ll have to draw power from the grid at night. Things will be rather different if you want to install an off-grid system with a battery bank.

Contrary to what most people think, step #1 to sizing your solar power system is to check if there is any energy wastage in your home — lights that remain turned on 24/7, pool pumps that keep running even during the night, heaters that never stop pumping hot air, et cetera. Only after you have eliminated these “leaks” can you determine how much energy (KWh) you use every day. Otherwise you’ll be spending lots of money on a larger-than-necessary solar power generator.

It’s easy to determine how much power you use on a daily basis. A quick glance at your utility bill quickly reveals the number. This is the result of those big power-sucking elements around the house. Some examples are your clothes dryer, water heater, air conditioning, refrigerators and heaters. Having your power consumption in mind, you’ll have to multiply it by a factor of 1.15 to correct for power loss through inefficiencies in the system. (Inefficiencies occur as a result of imperfect transmission through the inverter, cables and batteries.)

Even if you are not going to immediately build a solar energy panel now, it’ll be useful to go around your house to look for these energy vampires to slay. Before we go on to the next part of “Sizing Your Solar Energy Panels” series, please do this exercise. It’ll be beneficial to you in the long run and you’ll thank me for it.

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The article below shows how practical solar panels are in a disaster scene. Currently Haiti is facing one of the most severe natural calamity in recent history. In such a time as this, electricity is most needed. However most of the electricity supply is cut off and there isn’t enough mobile generators at the scene.

People are screaming for help while thousands are waiting for more medication. People who desperately need surgery are not receiving it because electricity is needed to power the equipment.

Thankfully Sol, Inc. has chipped in their effort with photovoltaic panels. Hooray! This is what Rick Schuett, CEO of Sol, Inc. said:

“We know that once our solar lighting systems are installed, we will effectively double the amount of available relief effort time by allowing aid workers and rescuers to work around the clock when previously operations had to cease at dusk. In addition, our lighting systems will provide safety and security as well as being a hallmark that civility is being restored to the area.”

Read more at:
Haiti Relief Efforts Double with Installed Solar Lights (techburgh.com)

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If you’ve ever built DIY solar panels of a considerable size, you’ll probably come across this important component — the charge controller. The role of a charge controller is to regulate the charging voltage on the batteries.

When sunlight gets brighter, solar cells produce more voltage. Excessive voltage may cause over-charging which may damage your batteries. You’ll need this component if you want to store excess electricity from your solar energy panels.

Many modern charge controller units have a 3-stage cycle:

1. Bulk Phase – During this phase, the charging voltage gradually rises to approximately 14.4 to 14.6 volts (to charge a 12V battery). It is at this stage when charging current is maximum.

2. Absorption Phase – Voltage is maintained at the bulk level for a specified time. As the battery is charged up, current tapers off gradually.

3. Float Phase – After the absorption phase, voltage is lowered to about 13.4 to 13.7 volts (float voltage) and batteries draw a very small, maintenance current until it goes through the discharge cycle.

There are several different types of charge controller to choose from — some with fanciful LCD displays and others with battery temperature monitor. If you are building your first solar power generator, it may be more practical to buy basic ones to begin with. After you’re more acquainted with these components, you’ll have more knowledge to get the most out of more advanced charge controllers. Most multi-stage, Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) types of charge controllers will do great, really.

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