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

A commercial solar panel system can easily cost you upwards of $20,000 to $30,000. Systems that cost $70,000 are also not uncommon. A homemade solar panels system costs only a fraction of this price, depending on how good you are at sourcing for components.

With a lower outlay, it also means your payback period can be drastically reduced. Instead of waiting for more than 15 years before your solar panels give you a return on your investment, you can perhaps achieve this in less than 10 years.

To power your entire house, you’ll need to have an array of solar panels. This means several solar panels must be grouped together. Only then can the total power required for your household equipment and lighting needs be supplied.

Each solar panel can be built in a weekend if you know how to. Therefore if you want about 10 solar panels for your PV panels array, you must be prepared to spend up to ten weekends constructing them. However you’ll almost always use less time than this. Simply because you’ll get much faster as you get more practice.

In order to learn how to make your own solar panels for your home, you’ll need to first acquire some knowledge on these areas:

1. How to tab solar cells
2. Securing solar cells to the substrate
3. How to choose a suitable material for your substrate
4. Making a solar panel frame
5. Which types of glazing to choose for your solar panel frame
6. How to waterproof your solar panel
7. What types of connectors to use for solar panels
8. How to make an inverter
9. Connecting your solar panels to the inverter and calculating the wire requirement
10. Sizing your solar panel system
11. How to install solar panels

If you have a friend who has an extensive experience building and installing solar panels for their own home, you can tap on his expertise. Otherwise you can always find guidebooks to help you.

Good guides are filled with step-by-step instructions on how to build each solar component. Not only this, they should have many illustrations and even videos that give you a good feel on how to carry out each instruction.

Guides are definitely a must when it comes to building your own solar panels. This is true even if you consider yourself a DIY expert. There are many “shortcuts” pertaining to building a solar energy system that you won’t want to miss.

Having said this, it doesn’t mean you must do everything yourself. You can pick those tasks that you love doing and leave the rest to a professional.

For example, you may enjoy building solar panels but hate pulling cables on your roof to install those panels. You can simply pick up the phone and ask for a quotation. Anyway, having built your own PV panels, you’ll already have saved a lot of money. Spending a little for installation won’t burn a hole in your pocket.

Continue Reading:

1. Homemade Solar Panels – Should You Even Roll Up Your Sleeves To Build One?
2. Advantages Of Building Your Own Solar Panels
3. Homemade Solar Panels — Common Mistakes to Take Note Of When Building And Installing Photovoltaic (PV) Panels

It takes a little skill and practice to harvest components from pre-owned or broken solar panels. Yet it is not so difficult that you cannot manage it with basic DIY skills.

You have to free the photovoltaic cells from the base it’s mounted on. After you have done this, check the solar cells for loose connections, broken panels, condensation and damaged diodes. Common problems such as these can potentially cause your solar panels to break down shortly after installation.

If the joints between solar cells are broken or loose, you have to re-solder them. Malfunctioned diodes can be replaced with new ones from your local component store. And if you see broken photovoltaic cells, you will have to source for a similar component to replace it — this can be challenging. Yet you can still make do with the broken cell in case your efforts to replace the broken solar cell fail. There will be reduced power output as a result, but this is not a grave concern.

The array of solar cells is usually mounted on a piece of masonite or acrylic (substrate) board before it is placed into a new solar panel frame. You can discard this substrate after a few years if you intend to replace the solar cells with fresh, new ones.

Using pre-owned solar panels to build DIY solar panels has its pros and cons. The most obvious advantage is the price. Used solar panels can be very cheap and some kind contractors may even give them to you without asking for a single cent. You are also less worried about breaking expensive photovoltaic panels while building your project.

On the other hand, a used solar panel’s lifespan may be significantly shorter. Their power output will also be a little lower compared to when it was new. A loose connection or a fault may hide itself somewhere that escapes your attention. As you build your DIY solar panel, trouble may spring up from these areas. However this can be managed if you’re careful in checking for potential failures.

Overall, harvesting parts from a used solar panels proof to be the best money saving method to build DIY solar panels. The only downside is the additional effort you have to put in. Yet as DIY hobbyists, we tend to take joy in such labor.

Continue Reading:

1. How To Build A Personal DIY Solar Power System With Less Than $99
2. Step-By-Step Guide To Build A 12V Solar Panel
3. How To Find Used Solar Panels

Wiring up all the solar cells in your solar panel takes about an hour or two. But if your solar panel is small and you are skillful, you can complete the task well within an hour.

Solar Cell

You’ll get better with practice.

Here is a list of things you’ll need:

1. Solar cells
2. Soldering iron & solder
3. Rosin flux pen
4. Silicon Caulk
5. 2 gauge copper wire

There are different types of solar cells available in the market. You will either see clear metallic lines or metal squares at the back of the solar cells. Both of these will work just fine.

What You'll Need...

When choosing solar cells, you have to make sure they are consistent. Which means you must use the same type of solar cells throughout the entire solar panel. This will keep things organized and make calculations easy.

Broken solar cells work fine too. But if it’s your first time building your own solar panels or if you want to generate serious power, avoid them. Stick to new or used (undamaged) solar cells.

Before you line up your solar cells, you must know how you’re going to solder them – in series or in parallel. You will have to orientate and organize the solar cells within your solar panel frame before soldering in order to avoid mistakes.

Solar cells connected in series cause the resultant voltage to add up. Connecting them in parallel results in a higher current. You must make sure your solar cells are connected so you end up with an array with your desired peak DC voltage and current.

When soldering copper wires to your solar cells, use the flux pen to help you achieve a good joint between the solar cell and the copper wire. This is especially important if the metallic surface is slightly oxidized.

After soldering all the solar cells together, test the voltage and current output.

Next, put a blob of silicon caulk at the back of each solar cell. Then attach them to the substrate and wait for the silicon caulk to dry completely before covering up the solar panel frame.

Notes:

• Many solar cells produce 0.5 volts (open-circuit) when exposed to sunlight. A 100 cm² silicon cell reaches a maximum current intensity of approximately 2 Amperes when radiated by 1,000 W/m².

• Some solar cells come with connection ribbons already attached. Thus you will have to solder them differently and ensure the leads do not touch one another to cause a short circuit.

• Heat from the soldering iron can cause burns and possible damage to solar cells. So rest it on the solar cell for only as long as necessary to make a good joint.

Continue Reading:

1. How To Build Solar Panel (Part 2 of 3)
2. Step-By-Step Guide To Build A 12V Solar Panel
3. Used Solar Panels – How To Use Them To Build Cheap DIY Solar Panels