Do-It-Yourself Solar Panels Electricity

As you may have realized by now, the (semiconductor) material used is largely responsible for the efficiency of energy conversion — from sunlight to electricity. As scientists discover better semiconductors and better production techniques, photovoltaic cells become cheaper to produce. And as the demand for solar panels increase, economies of scale drives the price of solar cells to the value we know today.

Recently, many hobbyists are getting interested in building for themselves homemade solar panels. This further reduces the cost of introducing a solar power generator into their house. In fact, most of them are able to gather materials from used and broken solar panels to construct fully working (restored) panels at a tenth of the original cost.

However, before you commit to a do-it-yourself solar panel project, you need to consider what you’ll be using it for. Beginners tend to build smaller panels to power their garage lights or garden sprinklers. More experienced enthusiasts often challenge themselves to generate all their household energy needs with several pieces of homemade solar panels installed on rooftops.

If your aspiration is to build a grid-tied or off-grid system for your home, you’ll need to determine the size of your solar energy system needed. Then you’ll know the type and quantity of batteries to buy and what inverters to use. You’ll also need to cater sufficient space in your home to house these electrical items safely.

As many of the DIY solar panels are built from used solar generators, their efficiency may not be as good as off-the-shelf panels fitted with new photovoltaic cells. Therefore it is important to keep the efficiency as high as possible.

This can be achieved by keeping the solar panels as cool as possible. Because efficiency drops as the temperature of photovoltaic cell rises. If your solar panels are installed on the rooftop, you need to ensure sufficient gap between the roof and panels so cool air can pass through to bring away excess heat from the solar panels.

Another way to ensure maximum electricity production is to locate your solar panels at a place with the most sunshine throughout the year. This means the panels should be tilted toward the south (if you’re living in the northern hemisphere) and there should be as little shading as possible.

If your location allows you to generate sufficient energy for your household needs, you’re in luck. With your own set of do-it-yourself solar panels, electricity cost will no longer be a concern as long as the sun is shining for you. You’ll also enjoy shorter payback periods than similar commercial models because DIY solar panels are cheaper.

Continue Reading:

1. About
2. Homemade Solar Panels
3. Solar Panel Efficiency — How Does Dirt on Your Solar Panels Affect The Amount Of Electricity Produced?

The Energy Star Label

There are many reasons why you must have a home that is energy efficient. Its long-term effect is simply amazing.

Best of all, you don’t have to sacrifice your current lifestyle and comfort at home to have this.

Here are some guidelines that can help. When practiced, you will inevitably lower your monthly energy bills and make your home more environmentally friendly:

1. Be Smart On Lighting

Many homes have a number of lights that are left on at the same time. For some, lights are kept on till the morning.

People reason that lighting is important to create ambience and prevent theft. This is true. And if you are of this persuasion, your best alternative will be to use energy-saving bulbs and super-bright LEDS.

You can also consider using motion detectors or timers to limit the operating time of your lights.

For outdoor and garden lights, you can use solar-powered lamps instead of incandescent bulbs, which drains energy. Since they’re located outdoor, they’ll run very well with ample sunlight throughout the day.

2. Get Energy Efficient Appliances

Household appliances, together with your heater, consume most of the electricity you use. The Department of Energy and the Environmental Protection Agency has implemented a system for consumers to identify energy efficient appliances.

Common electrical items are labeled with an Energy Star sticker to inform you about the estimated energy consumption for that particular model.

The next time you go shopping, read these labels before you buy your next appliance.

3. Use Your Refrigerator Wisely

Refrigerators are kept on all the time. It does not take a lot of energy to maintain its interior temperature. But when you open its door to take anything, cold air escapes and your fridge has to draw power to keep its temperature.

Therefore use the ice dispenser, if you have one. The door remains closed while ice cubes are dispensed. And do not keep the fridge door open for too long. If you can, increase the temperature of your freezer and cooler sections. Often, we turn the knob to the coldest setting. This is quite unnecessary.

If you clean your refrigerator’s cooling coils twice a year (by vacuuming it), your compressor maintains its efficiency. Otherwise if dirt builds up around it, you refrigerator has to run all the time just to maintain its temperature.

4. Cut off phantom loads

For most of us, even after we turn off everything in our house, the power meter still spins. This is because many electronic items still eats up power when they are shut off or put on standby.

A good solution for this is to use a power strip. Once you turn the power off, all the connected electronics get turned off. No more power is drawn.

5. Clean smart

Use upright vacuum cleaners instead of central vacuums. Instead of a dryer, use a clothesline (if possible). If you have to use a dryer, make sure the lint filter is cleaned before every wash.

View Part 2 of this series here

Continue Reading:

1. Home Solar Power — Different Ways of Harnessing Energy From The Sun To Reduce Energy Bills
2. 7 Different Ways of Using Solar Energy At Home and In Your Office
3. Survey Your Household Energy Usage Before Installing Solar Panels