DIY Solar Panel Kits

Me and my friend have made our own functional solar panels for considerably less than retail prices and we are thinking about selling them. Are there any legal issues regarding this? Would I need any special licenses or anything? Would using brand name components or parts in the panels make any difference legally? I want to know before I just go out and start doing it. Thanks!

you might first patent the design . Make sure everything is well documented . talk to patent agents and lawyers . Then instead of becoming a seller , introduce your design to established companies. They already have all the licences , lawyers, codes..etc to sell , install, advertise to buyers .

they can often make you a partner or buy your design for a lump sum .

Solar is a huge step . Best wishes

I would like to start researching solar panels and know little to nothing about them at this point. Where would be a good and very basic point to start? I am also interested in learning about homemade solar panels. I am not looking for people to answer these questions or inform me about these topics, but rather, to point me to resources (books, web-sites) that can do this. Thank you.

Magazines homepower and solar today are good sources and for building homemade solar the last site listed

Im considering a few things and would appreciate any input. I would like to start installing solar panels over the next few years as well as a homemade VAWT windmill (not too big) and black tubing to heat up water before it gets to my water tank.

1 - Install a tankless water heater. Do I go gas or electric?
2 - Install electric clothes dryer instead of gas?
3 - electric stove instead of gas?

My thinking is to go all electric and get rid of my gas bill entirely and try to generate enough electricity on my own to power all the electric appliances.

Just not sure what direction to take! I dont use much electricity ($20/mo) and my gas bill is $10 in the summer and up to $40 in the winter from cooking and heating. Ahhhh. I forgot about heating. It doesnt get too cold where I am, but I would still need heating. I would think gas is still cheaper then electricity for heating.

Any tips or ideas out there? Thanks!

I can see advantages to both options. It all depends on your intentions for going solar. Is your motivation environmental, independent living, or emergency preparedness? Do you intend to keep your utility connection and supplement it as much as possible with solar, or do you wish to be utility independent? If you keep the utility connection, then go all electric, and buy some Eden-Pure heaters for your heating needs. You will feed the grid all summer long, build up a big credit, and use the excess to run the heaters in the winter. If Independence is your goal, gas makes a good back-up plan in the event your solar does not generate a sufficient amount of power. When you say "gas" are you talking kerosene, LPG (propane) or natural gas? If you want to prepared for all emergencies, and LPG is available in your area, use it. Buy a tank big enough for a year’s supply.

Be careful of tankless water heaters–gas or electric. Many do not support preheated water conditions, and will cause problems on a solar water heated system. Your bills are quite low, you are likely very energy conscious already. Solar will be a great fit for you regardless of which way you go.

needs help please

duct tape

Hi! Not to long ago I began working on a science project to see if the temperature outside affects the electricity (voltage) generated by a solar cell. Its all been going well, until I took a break to test out some electronics for an RC plane, using a homemade chord with radioshack banana plugs. Now when I went back to the solar panel project, I get no reading. I am 99.9% positive that the multimeter is the culprit, and but im not sure why!

Thanks!

It is probably the fuses in the multimeter. There should be two.

If you have a second multimeter you can use, check the continuity of the fuses after taking them out. Otherwise, just replace them with new ones.

I’m thinking of building solar panels, has anyone done this?

You.can learn how to build a solar panel at home, it is not difficult and you can even engage your whole family to help you out. It is totally worthwhile to build your solar system as it can help you to save thousands of dollars as compared to buying a conventional system. In addition, you can save money by cutting down on your electrical expenses every month, and you can cut down on producing more carbon dioxide and do your part by going green at home!

Once you know how to build your own solar panels, you can start building for the boat, RV or the cabin you use for weekend getaways. A solar panel functions very easily, it is merely a storage unit for maintaining solar cells, and the cells will capture the sun’s rays and convert the energy into usable energy for electricity or any other purposes you need.

Learning how to build a solar panel can be done by reading through the detailed instructions you can easily obtain online, there are many guide books which you can refer to and come up with your own energy efficient and green machine. Start powering your house with the energy you have generated using the panels, if you are good enough, you can even generate excess energy which will flow back into the grid and earn some money out of it!

i am really interested in preparing a simple, homemade solar cell n in turn connecting them to form a panel. i also wanna bother about the cost. its gotcha be lower in cost and higher in efficiency.

Unless you can get someone else to buy it for you, it’s not going to be lower in cost. You can’t really beat a commercial panel, unless it’s a setup that doesn’t have to last more than a short amount of time. For example, you could build a panel without glass, but it would quickly deteriorate when exposed to the elements.

I need to slash my energy bills, go off the grid and say goodbye to the electric company! I’ve had it with these high energy bills. Buying solar panels and wind generators, or hiring someone to build and install these energy sources can cost thousands. I would like an easy step by step method on making homemade solar panels and/or homemade wind generators for off grid living and going green. I would like to learn how to do it myself and not spend a lot of money. Please provide a method on the internet on how I can make home energy and slash my energy bills.

Yes, getting off the grid is great considering the thousands you can save yearly on energy costs and with this recession, you can spend the money saved on more important things. You can make quality solar panels and wind generators yourself for well under $200 each. Go for it! I did. I came across this website, http://www.homemadeenergy.org/index_tr.php?hop=webpros7, and was able to get easy step-by-step instructions on how to build my own solar and wind power system for under $200! Got all the supplies from the hardware store and had fun building them too. Now I’m off the grid and saving big time! Big thanks to that website.

Has anyone had any experience building their own solar panels for home use? I have seen on the news lately that people are utilizing solar panels to power their hot water heaters to save on their power bill.

I found an interesting article that describes utilizing solar power in the home. You can read it here http://ezinearticles.com/?Make-Your-Own-Solar-Panels—Eliminate-Your-Power-Bill&id=3262731. It’s a pretty basic article that gives you the gist of it.

http://www.EnergyBrainiac.com To build Solar Panel and Wind Mill.
Video, comparing Home Made WindMill and Home Made Solar Panels. Very Cheap Home Made WindMill vs. Home Made Solar Panels !

Duration : 0:2:4

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