DIY Solar Panel Kit

With energy prices on the way up, now is the time to think about making your house more energy efficient. There are plenty of techniques you may have already tried, such as insulating your walls, and these can certainly be effective. But have you ever considered trying to produce energy on your own? With solar panels and windmills, it is more than possible to go completely off the grid.

A major objection to adding solar panels to housing is the high cost. And it is true that having somebody else install panels on your home can be pricey. If you really want to get off the grid, help Mother Nature and save money in the process, it is easy to build your own panels. DIY panels can be built with used pieces of solar cells, a multimeter, conductive copper mesh, silicon coating and some sort of glue gun. All of these materials are available online or in certain home improvement stores.

Step 1: Check the Voltage with a Multimeter

It is important that you know the voltage of the back side of the solar cell (also known as the positive side). If the voltage isn't at the appropriate level, the whole panel will end up not working.

Step 2: Link the Solar Cells

Certain types of cells will need to be marked with a conductive pen before they are linked together. You'll know this step is necessary if the lines on the negative side of the cell aren't connected. Once all the lines are connected, it is time to connect the actual cells together. An easy way to accomplish this is with a long strip of conductive copper mesh and a glue gun. You will get the highest voltage if you connect the positive side of one solar cell to the negative side of the next one. Be sure to check periodically with your multimeter for connectivity.

Step 3: Coat with Silicon

Solar cells tend to be fragile, so it might be a good idea to apply a little silicon coating to your panel. This will keep it protected so that you will not have wasted your time putting the panel together.

Step 4: Panel Location

You want to put your solar panel in a place where it will get a maximum amount of light. Without the proper sunlight, your panel won't provide much power, much less save money on electricity. DIY panels last a lot longer when attached to a sturdier object, such as a large wooden panel.

I hope this gives you an idea of the steps that are needed in making DIY Solar panels. You can go to the bottom of the page to The Other Solar Resources section to see reviews on DIY Solar products.