Home Solar Energy System: Build Your Own Home Solar Energy System

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Is it possible to build your own home solar energy system?

Yes, it is possible to build your own home solar energy system. But why would you want to do something like that? Isn't it enough to be connected to the electricity grid already?

Let me take you on a journey to discover why it has become so important to have your own home solar energy system and how it will benefit you.

Some of the reasons for having your own home solar energy system:


  • Less greenhouse gasses are emitted by fossil fuel-driven power stations (if enough houses use solar power)

  • Your dependency upon the Power Company becomes less, i.e. you are not so much affected by power outages

  • You can lower or even eliminate your monthly electricity bills

  • You will add more value to your property

  • You can even get money from the Power Company for generating surplus
    electricity that they can distribute, or get a rebate from the Power Company
    for installing a solar power system (depending on where you live)

We must have a relentless commitment to producing a meaningful, comprehensive energy package aimed at conservation, alleviating the burden of energy prices on consumers, decreasing our country's dependency on foreign oil, and increasing electricity grid reliability. -- Paul Gillmor

Background information on home solar energy system usage

Solar power for housing is nothing new. Since man started building homes, sunlight played an important role in the design of houses. The ancient people might not be as sophisticated as modern man to use catch phrases such as passive solar energy and thermal mass, but when they build their homes, they were in compact proportion making use of overhangs, insulations, and well lit spaces orientating their structures towards the relative position of the sun.

Since the 1950's, exploiting the sun's rays for residential usage has been in constant development and today the solar cell technology has achieved very efficient energy conversion levels so that modern (so-called green house) designs apply the sun's power to provide energy for the home.

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How do you build your own home solar energy system?

Making use of a professional solar system installation company is just too expensive for most homeowners and it would take you many years to recover your investment in terms of savings in electricity usage.

The best way is to make use of books and kits on the topic and then build your own. Some of these books / kits are really very simple to use and explain all the steps in detail. Furthermore, the parts that they use are cheap and relatively easy to find.

These kits basically consist of the solar panels that convert the sunlight into electricity, batteries for storing surplus energy to use at night, an inverter to convert the direct current from the solar panels into alternating current suitable for home appliances and the necessary wiring.

Click here for an excellent e-Book on the topic of building your own home solar energy system.

Reader feedback on your own home solar energy system

  • MrBurton Dec 27, 2009 @ 1:34 pm | delete
    An average lens. While I like all of Dan Rojas's videos on solar power it is a good point to note that when using solar power you need a charge controller and back up battery bank.. if you are not tied to the grid. Just look at what happens when he plugs in the tools. There is a drain on the amperage and the system losses power. A back up battery system will prevent this. Still the idea of a
    solar powered home is definitely a wise choice.

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