Make a Difference with Homemade Solar Panels

Talking about making a difference gets old after awhile, try your hand at homemade solar panels to really make a significant difference today.  You can reduce your energy bill to almost nothing with some hard work and dedication.  In the process you will be learning valuable information about this new blossoming industry and building equity in your home.

Here is a step by step guide that will get you started down the road to energy independence and living off the grid.

First you will need to find a 16 volt solar panel.  You can find some good deals on the internet or at your local big box hardware store.

Next you will need a battery.  The bigger the better, a 12 volt deep cell battery is the smallest you will want to use.  These can get expensive so choose wisely.  It is better to bootstrap this in the beginning and learn what you are doing.

Keeping that battery protected is important.  Batteries can be very dangerous when fully charged or not.  I suggest keeping batteries in an approved  battery box and store the box in an inaccessible location.  This would fit in the same category as your fuse box.

Most homes in the United States run on AC power so it will be necessary to get an inverter.  

To assemble your homemade solar panel, attach the DC input and meter to the top end of the battery box. It is important to use the proper gauge of insulated wires when connecting the meter to the main battery.  Use different colored wire to keep things straight and attach the wires to the negative post first. Use the same steps when attaching the solar panel and DC inlet to the battery.

After you have assembled your electricity collection system you must place your solar panel in a high sun area.  A south facing exposure is suggested, try to select a spot the receives maximum direct sunlight.  To fully charge a 12 volt battery you will need about 8 hours of direct sunlight.

This is the first step to achieving energy independence.  You will have to create more homemade solar panels and add more batteries to they system to increase the potential electric load.  It is best to plan a solar system in stages. Putting up a full solar system all at once can be very expensive, but spreading the cost over time can insulate the expense.

It will be necessary to have your utility company come out and install a multi directional meter so when you are producing excess electricity your meter will turn backwards.  The utility company will insist on making the final connection to the grid.

If you want to create homemade solar panel as an experiment or as part of a long term project there are many services that will assist you with technical knowledge and expertise.  Not to mention the state and federal subsidize for renewable energy.  Try a solar kit today your kids will thank you.