DIY Solar Panel Kits

I get the part of the solar panel, but the wiring of components gets me down. I don’t want an independent circuit, i want the energy to go directly into the house to save on energy.
I want to know what component/s to use and how it works, because i don’t want to be completely clueless. I have been in an electrical course so i understand well, but my memory is not at is best.

i ask this question because the parts are all there to buy, but most don’t explain what they do or how they do it. I want to be able to make an educated dessication on what to use.

A DIY will probably not save or make the money you hope for. There are scam guides on the internet that say you can make your own panel, but that sort of panel is not only expensive for the power it produces, it will generally be illegal to connect to your house wiring. Most places require compliance to the National Electrical Code, and that means that the components you use must have UL or a similar safety rating. No homemade panel will have UL.

It is possible to install your own commercially made panels in some places. In some states, this will invalidate your rebate. In some countries (Australia), a self-install is outright illegal. If you want to see what we did in terms of self-install, our page is at http://www.angelfire.com/ca2/roderick/solar/photovoltaic.html - go to the bottom and click on the video.

Are the plans on this website http://www.earth4energy.com really a reliable and affordable way to make solar panels at home?
I am worried it is a scam website

I watched the video and they are selling you information you can get for free somewhere else. Check out ‘Backwoods Home Magazine". They have a web-site and offer back issues on all their magazines for $5.00. They also offer instruction manuals on everything including solar energy and panel making. They have to cover their printing and mailing costs. If you want something absolutely free go to the library and do a search. You can check the books out or make copies there.

I made three 36 solar cell (3×6 .5V 3.5A) panel and had it hooked a up to an old car inverter. I was on line looking for a cheap grid tied inverter. I came across the Enphase micro inverter and was wondering if i could use one of those. Will it work?

I like your optimism about solar power but unfortunately the utility company does not share your enthusiasm.

Installing a grid tie inverter implies that you wish to connect this solar array to your home AC electrical system and that is not allowed without prior certification. A reversible electric meter will also be needed if you want to connect the grid tie inverter directly to your home.

On its own, the grid tie inverter will produce an unstable amount of power since the solar panels only collect power in 50% or greater sun exposure. If you had a light bulb connected to the inverter, you would see it light up and go off as clouds pass by your home built solar array.

The great news is that you can enjoy the benefits of solar power by adding the following parts to your existing solar array:
1) MPPT Solar Controller to recharge an automotive battery - http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/5510020/how_does_a_mppt_solar_controller_work.html?cat=57

2) A Gel Cel or automotive battery to hold the solar power.

Once you have those parts connected, you can run an extension cord to your security lights to power them at night with the solar power you have collected during the day. Later, you can expand your solar array and power numerous appliances like a refrigerator in your garage or even a freezer.

I have been using solar power for several months now and deeply enjoy the ability to create renewable energy.

I wish you luck with your efforts as well!

Looking to build my own solar panels… Any sites anyone know of?

for sure, this site is great

(Double - glazed window)

Thanks

You might want to ground it just in case. Connect a copper wire from the panel to a grounding rod stuck in the ground.

(double - glazed window)

Thanks

No. Not anymore danger than that of the entire house.

Hi, We have a cabin which is approx. 1,000 sq ft with approx. 500 sq ft of workable roof space (according to astrum) The system we could able to get would produce approx. 5-6 kw of energy for our home. Does this estimate sound accurate? I don’t really have an issue because i realize it is just an estimate - But i can’t afford this amount of money for a solar system. Does anyone have information about companies the will lease solar panel systems in Pennsylvania? Or maybe some information on DIY solar panel kits? Actually any information on how a may be able to afford solar power would be very helpful. Thank you in advance!

Cool question!

First, I am assuming you are off the grid, in other words the cabin has no connection to the power grid. A grid connected system is going to require the technical assistance of this company and you will be prey to any costs that they want to charge.

The good news is that you can tell Atrum Solar that you only want 100 watts of solar power on the roof and federal regulations allow you to expand its capacity at your own pace. Make sure you tell them that you want the system to have the ability to handle at least 2000 watts of solar power in the future so you can expand as much as you want without buying more equipment.

Second, I encourage you to build your own solar system in the interim. Total cost will be less than $1,000 and you can power a television along with some lights with no problem at all. The solar panels you buy can be connected to the system that you eventually purchase.

The biggest gain from building your own solar system or DIY is that you will understand the costs of the technology and can fight back against over priced estimates. Here are some of my articles on this subject:
Increasing Inverter Capacity with the Black & Decker PI750AB: Solar Project Part 4
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/5547078/increasing_inverter_capacity_with_the.html?cat=6

What Do Polycrystalline Solar Panels Have to Offer Over Monocrystalline Solar Panels? Solar Project Part 5
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/5566608/what_do_polycrystalline_solar_panels.html?cat=57

I am not paid by any solar company or electric utility for my advice. I am doing this to advance the knowledge of solar power.

I have 2 small (2"x4") solar panels and I need to find the simplest way to use them to charge an ipod without using any batteries. I thought about just connecting them to a female usb connector but I remembered ipods dont work with generic chargers. any ideas?

You need to find out what is the needed charging voltage for your ipod….
and then you need to find out if you can get the sort of voltage out of the small solar panels that you have. If you can get the voltage from your solar panels, that is good but then another requirement is the current, if the panels will not supply enough current to charge your ipod, that will be a problem.
Do you have any output rating info on those panels?

after seeing this —> http://www.altestore.com/store/Kits-and-Package-Deals/Off-Grid-Residential-Systems/c567/ and searching Rip-Offs dot com , I think that I can’t believe in Earth dot com MotherEarth catalog , etc. I’m a jack of all trades which makes me a Fool and a master - of - none , but don’t fool me thrice ! Is there a good link to build this mouse-trap or should I just max-out my credit card for a pipe-dream ? Maybe I should forget PV and just sweat copper pipes for solar water… BTW: I love removing old TV antennas and installing FREE-to-Air TV service for semi-retirement in NOLA. What’s your input [GI-GO]

I just looked at what you are referring to.

In short, the answer is a resounding NO.

They are only 4.5 - 12 watt max sub units that can produce that only under the absolute best of conditions. Additionally, in order to make any real use out of them, you would have to take anywhere from 8 - 10 of the larger units to store enough to run only minor electronics for a while. Say you wanted to run one brushless motor for 1 hour. You would need to store the equivalent of 36 volts at 600 watts. These panels will let you store enough for an 1/8th charge, at max capacity for a day, on an average auto battery.

It’s not worth it unless you create a full array.

I’m planning to construct a solar powered ventilator. I have several questions.
If I use just one 12v dc solar panel (PV Module), how many fans( CPU Fan) can I operate?
Do i need a battery and a charge controller?
What about DC input?
How do I set up the system with the basic equipment to operate this solar powered ventilator project of mine?

Tips and links to other websites are are very much appreciated. Thank you for sharing your knowledge.

P/S: I am not an electrician neither an engineer in any engineering field. I just want to learn and invent something for the sake of inventing only.

Very general answer. What you plan is difficult if you want to make it perfect. If you want to make it quick and dirty for fun, it could be a neat project.

A CPU fan is a great little thing to power because it is very well balanced and takes little energy.
Try to get some data on the fan. I am just guessing, but it is bound to be much less than 5 V DC.

If you want to play around, get some rechargeable batteries. See how many batteries, hooked in series, it takes you to power the fans. The fan has a little cable. One lead is positive and one negative. You might find that from 4 rechargeable batteries, you can run one to four fans for some period of time. Try a parallel configuration and see what happens.

Use the solar panel to charge the batteries. Use the batteries to power the fans. The reason is that the fans will then always spin at their usual rate, and they can spin even in the dark.

Get a good sense of what is positve and what is negative on your batteries and leads. Be careful not to mess up your panel by using positve and negative incorrectly.

Good luck.