Free Energy for Home

The sun is shining, and the only cloud in the sky is the latest power bill that appears to go up monthly...

The answer may be that you have to seriously examine how to build your own solar panels, and here are some tips that just may help...

Check out the online special deals for materials and save money on the construction cost. In addition, there are many suppliers who will offer you everything that is required to get the job done, as well as plans and advice on assembly.

The various tools needed to build your own solar panels will likely already be found in the workshop and include hammer, saw, soldering iron, screw drivers and a knife.

The materials list is a little longer but most people already have some timber to make the frame for mounting the panels on the roof and the screws and wood panels to make the housing for the cells.

Buy pre tabbed photo-voltaic cells and the tab wiring to connect them. Some eva glue, solder and flux, plastic sheeting to cover the lid of the housing and also blocking diodes to stop current reversal, and the project can be started.

The next step is to make a cup of coffee and make some decisions on where the panels are going to be sited. A south facing slope of 30 that isn't in the shade      in the path of natural pests is required, and if possible one that will allow wiring to be easily conducted into the area you choose to house the storage batteries.

When starting to build your own solar panels, allow a weekend and clear a space on the workshop floor that is clean and free of dust. The process is actually an assembly project once the cells are fixed to a backing board in rows, usually of 6x6.

Join the cell tabs with the wire and add the blocking diodes and cable to connect up to the storage battery and cover with the plastic lid. Seal the whole unit with the silicone grouting.

Mounting the panels on the roof should take place after some insulation has been applied to the rear of the housing, and to really make the unit efficient paint all the housing black - not the lid though!

This may be a two person job, not just because it is heavy, but because it is awkward and made more difficult when working at heights.

In case the whole thing seems a little too much for the DIY skills at hand, then you can certainly purchase a kit set or even a complete unit. Before buying, check out someone who has already gone down the same track, or at least try to see a solar powered unit in action.

The project ought to be fun, as learning how to build your own solar panels is survival technology that can give the homeowner some true independence in times when supply of power can be unreliable.