Due to skyrocketing utility bills homemade solar panels are becoming more popular with homeowners than ever and they are not that difficult to assemble. Typical project from start to finish only takes a few days to complete. You can purchase kits and install the panels yourself making them a fraction of the cost of commercial installations. They are also uncomplicated to fix when you have the crucial materials on hand when needed.
Because the solar cell or photovoltaic cell is made of special material called semiconductors converts sunlight into electricity makes it the most important aspect of your project. Use caution when selecting solar cells for your installation. High quality solar cells are sometimes difficult to find. Utilizing reliable online sources is a viable solution as quality solar cells may not be readily available at your local hardware store. With the advent of the new silicon nitride multi-crystalline cells, which are rated as high or even higher efficiency than similarly sized mono-crystalline cells, makes them the premium choice for your project adds addition expense but well worth the selection for your return on investment. Quality is pretty much across the board when major brands are your choice so stick with the major brands.
When converting your power consumption and power production use caution. Check every appliance label to determine the wattage used for the load used off solar. If it doesn't give you the wattage it could tell you the volts and amps used.
Next you have to calculate the watt hours used. Take the wattage rating of each appliance and multiply that by the amount of time it will run. Adding all your appliances together will give you your total consumption for the day. It is imperative you have the correct calculations. Not enough sunlight to power your appliance causes the use of your battery pack. Running your batteries in the red over time will damage the batteries.
Consider Mitsubushi, Sharp, Kyocera, Trina and or Suntech when choosing your options for quality photovoltaic cells.
The second most important component is the frame. It should be made of wood that is sealed and painted properly. This insures proper function of your solar cells.
It is suggested that you may save as much as 80% on your electric bill by installing the correct solar panels. In some cases some have come completely off the electric grid or even sold the excess electricity produced back to the electric company with small homemade solar panels on their roofs making them the smartest invest for both the homeowner and the environment.
Going green with homemade solar panels could possibly be the perfect project for the DIY enthusiast. If you can follow good instructions this is the project for you. Of course saving money is always a good thing to do but reducing our dependency on foreign oil and fossil fuels and reducing our carbon foot print is not only good for us but good for our planet.
Good Luck ... Go Green
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