Build Your Own Solar Panel

You may be surprised how easy it is to build your own solar panel. No really… I am not joking. It sounds like a huge endeavor right? You have to find the solar cells, figure out how to chain them together, then put together the electronics to capture the energy and then feed it into your existing power source (you don’t want to rely on solar power, what happens when you have a cloudy week???) But really, trust me, it isn’t that hard.

The fact of the matter is that you can build your own solar panel through parts found at your local hardware store. Looking to save a few extra bucks? It is actually pretty easy to find damaged solar cells online and reuse the portions that are undamaged.

It really only takes a few days, a little bit of patience (and not really even that much) and a good set of instructions.

Building Your Own Solar Panel

Most build it yourself solar panel kits have the few basic necessary parts, which include:

• Mono-crystalline solar cells
• Plexiglass (for protection)
• Misc. lumber (for the frame)
• Caulk
• Wiring
• Jones plug
• Diodes
• Paint (optional)

As you can see most of the equipment can be found almost anywhere. The solar cells pop up for sale online and are often available locally as well. Experienced DIY-ers will be able to build their own solar panel in a few hours at most. Where if you are a novice it might take you a few days but you will be surprised at how easy it all comes together.

Getting Detailed Solar Panel Building Instructions

One of the most important aspects of developing building your own solar panel is having a good set of instructions. With out good instructions and good help you are likely to run into a situation where you end up with either a sub-performing system, or simply are unable to move forward. There are a lot of nuances and tips that can really improve the amount of power you get out of your solar panels. A well designed guide will help you pick the best place to mount it, the best cells and the best components for maximum power (and energy savings).

After reviewing some of the top kits out there, I can’t recommend the following enough:

• Green DIY Energy (our fav!)
• Home Solar Energy
• Power4Home

Build Your Own Solar Panel

At the end of the day, it is worth it. I can’t encourage you enough to actually go out and build your own solar panel. The benefits are endless… not only is it not that difficult, but it also saves you money, qualifies you for tax rebates and helps save our environment in a drastic way. Would you spend three days and $250 to save thousands and our earth? I would sure hope so!