DIY Solar Panel Kits

I’d like to build some solar panels for my house, and I have the instructions to do so. However, I live in NY, which means we get snow and ice. Because of this I question the use of glass, or at least standard glass, that might be more incline to break or chip. Would alternatives work as well? Also, I heard that an anti-reflective coating on the "glass" would increase the efficiency of the panels, but I can’t find anything that would do this unless I order pretty expensive "glass" (which sort of defeats the purpose of making the panels myself). Any advice?

You can use double strength glass, which is, as the name implies, twice the strength of standard glass. The other option is to use a tempered glass which increases the cost substantially. As far as buying pure "white" glass, you are getting well beyond reasonable cost.

Here is a list of manufacturers and distributors of anti reflective coatings, from a brief read it seems that this may not be a do it yourself project. Good Luck!

We are researching home made solar panels and are wondering if anyone has used the Earth4Energy.com kit? 555energy.com says Earth4Energy.com is the best kit to purchase. Has anyone used a kit?

Which kit did you use?
How easy was it to build?
How much did it cost to build the panels?
How many kw or watts does it produce?
Any other info on the kit or panels you built would be helpful.

Thanks!

http://www.usedsolarpanel.net/
http://www.homemadeenergy.org/
Building your own solar panel and making use of solar power not only makes for an intelligent, respectful use of the planet’s resources but it can improve the lives of all us. After learning how to make a solar panel, you could sleep soundly in the knowledge that you can make electricity to power your home and are contributing less to harmful emissions. If this is not motivation enough then read on…
Imagine for a moment, a situation where you would be smiling with glee instead of gasping with sheer terror when you receive your electric bill. Sound impossible? Well, think again. By building your own solar panel, the utility company could end up paying you for the surplus energy your DIY solar panel produces. When it cannot make electricity, at nighttime for example, you can use power from the grid.
Many countries including; Australia, Canada, Israel, Netherlands, UK, Germany, Spain and some states in the US have introduced something called a Feed-In Tariff which means customers get paid for the electricity made on their property using a DIY solar panel.
Of course, this doesn’t apply everywhere. I’m sure there are other schemes which differ from country to country, so it is important to find out which one applies to you before you make one.
So, how much does it cost? That of course relies on your budget as there are many different ways you can go about building your own solar panel. It all depends on what your energy needs are, how much of the work you can do yourself and what you are willing to compromise on. You have to consider the following things and how much they cost:
Materials

 http://www.earth4energy.com/
http://www.greendiyenergy.com/
There are DIY solar panel kits available that are ready to be assembled and have everything you need to make it, of course, these cost much more. However, it is possible to find nearly all of the materials in your local hardware store cheaply and learn how to make a solar panel easily. The only thing you may want to buy ( it is possible to make these at home but its not recommended!) are solar cells. These are what convert the sunlight and make electricity but you can buy these easily online. You can even buy broken ones and repair them, saving even more by making this.
Tools
This can be done using common tools but you may need to buy a soldering iron if you don’t already have one.
Plans
Now this is the really important part, learning how to make a solar panel. It is no good doing all the research and getting all the materials, if the plans you are building your own solar panel from do not produce a working version at the end of it all. There are loads of guides on the Internet but I would always recommend buying plans with easy-to-follow instructions on this from a reputable company who knows what they are talking about.

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I want to have power on a bus for some of my belongings. How much to do so and where can i buy the kit with a good warranty? Thanks alot!

You will not get best answer by recommending power4home.com :/
Oh and i needs to be waterproof as well..

To power the bus it’ll cost more than the bus ! ;o)
To charge your gadgets and maybe run a small inverter, maybe a couple of thousand dollars.

I have been trying to go green. But hope to buy a solar panel kit to save some money on my lights.

Living off the gird involves having some source of power (solar, minihydro, wind) and generally being very, very, energy efficient in what you use. There’s a really good magazine called home power that has lots of on- and off- grid alternative power info…

Many buildings do that. Need to know what city so I can be more specific.

ok i have found a few sites but they only say do this do that

they dont go into a lot of detail

i want one that gives me pictures/diagrams that shows me the simple steps along the way

also has to be easy to follow

thanks

instructables.com
any thing from wind turbines to rain barrels

I have a question please help! I just bought the complete 45 watt solar kit from harbor Freight http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta…emnumber=90599

plus also I got an inverter http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta…emnumber=66817 .

Can I add more solar panel let say up to 200 watt and adding two 12 volts battery using the same charges controller and power inverter?

That charge controller is notoriously cheap and burns up easily. If you are going add solar panels, also buy another charge controller to go with them. They can both be connected to the same battery bank. I don’t believe the kit comes with batteries, so you would buy whatever size 12V battery bank your power requirements call for.

The size of the inverter depends entirely on what you are going to power with it, not the size of the panel array. As long as you are not powering anything that is over the 300W rating, you don’t need a new one. Just be sure to check the details of the inverter, is it 300W continuous, or can it handle up to a 300W surge? Also, it’s a modified sine wave inverter instead of a pure sine wave inverter, so don’t plug any sensitive electronics into it. They may not work, or you may get a buzz or hum from it.

These sets must have wires, motors, and battery packs at the least.

The best source is Pitsco, I’ve included the link below. They are very oriented to educational aspects utilizing Lego.
We have bought unique individual parts from them especially for robot building associated with First Lego League competitions.

I’m looking for some advice on hot water solar panels. I’m trying to save some money on electricity. A neighbor has been suggesting solar powered equipment for some time now, and I think he’s right. It does save quite a bit of money in the long run. They’re kind of expensive though, so I’m looking for cheaper alternatives.

Solar Power is great. I installed it myself about 2 years ago, and you really do notice the change within the first couple months. Building it yourself is actually pretty tricky without the right resources. Some of the guides don’t have enough detailed information that you need when you start putting the project together.

I was having a lot of trouble until I stumbled upon a site that was offering some great resources for solar DIY projects. I went ahead and added it to the sources section below. It’s great and has everything you would need for putting your own solar projects together, including hot water solar panels. Hope this helps!