by 3 people |
Homemade Solar Power
The energy crisis. No doubt you've seen your power increase several times recently, I know I have. I wanted to lower or eliminate my power bill, so I did some research into renewable energy solutions.
The sun's energy is the most abundant and easiest to collect energy source available. There are many large scale solar collectors being built all over the world, but it's also very scalable so we can make solar power at home as well. This will not only cut down power bills but also help you contribute to a greener world. There is a large variety of solar power products such as: solar heating systems, solar lighting systems, and solar cooking.
Solar energy systems have many advantages apart from being cost-effective and environment-friendly. They are low on maintenance, all you have to do is clean them every once and a while. Solar systems also provide a relatively quick ROI (return on investment) compared to other renewable solutions. They can pay for themselves and even turn a profit within several years.
I decided to go with a solar power solution. I called around my city to get some price quotes, but they were in the thousands! I went searching online for a cheaper solution and found quite a few DIY solutions. They show you how to build your own solar panels or wind turbines.
I bought three of these products and thought I would share my experiences with the internet to save everyone else a lot of time and money.
The sun's energy is the most abundant and easiest to collect energy source available. There are many large scale solar collectors being built all over the world, but it's also very scalable so we can make solar power at home as well. This will not only cut down power bills but also help you contribute to a greener world. There is a large variety of solar power products such as: solar heating systems, solar lighting systems, and solar cooking.
Solar energy systems have many advantages apart from being cost-effective and environment-friendly. They are low on maintenance, all you have to do is clean them every once and a while. Solar systems also provide a relatively quick ROI (return on investment) compared to other renewable solutions. They can pay for themselves and even turn a profit within several years.
I decided to go with a solar power solution. I called around my city to get some price quotes, but they were in the thousands! I went searching online for a cheaper solution and found quite a few DIY solutions. They show you how to build your own solar panels or wind turbines.
I bought three of these products and thought I would share my experiences with the internet to save everyone else a lot of time and money.
Contents at a Glance
Earth4Energy
Energy Productivity: 5/5Ease of Use: 5/5
Detail of Instructions: 4/5
Customer Support: 5/5
Overall Rating: 5/5
This product was $49.97 and was the best value for the money.The e-book is 85 pages divided into 19 chapters. The instructions are very concise and easy to follow. There are tons of pictures and diagrams to insure everything goes smoothly. If you have ever assembled IKEA furniture before then you'll have no problem putting together the wind turbine and solar panels.
The cost for building the homemade windmill for me was about $100. You may have more parts laying around the house than I did, so your cost may vary. This wind turbine is really sturdy, it's not going anywhere. We've had some really strong storms lately and you should see that thing spin!
The homemade solar panel was just as easy to make and even easier to install. Constructing this was a little more expensive than the wind turbine, but well under $200. The solar panel I built works really well. We even get power generated on cloudy days no problem.
We hooked up both devices to our home and everything worked great. Our first power bill was about 60% lower than normal. I'm definitely going to build more of these and see if I can sell power back to the power company!
Click here to get the $49.97 discount for Earth4Energy! Note: This product now includes video training for those who learn better by watching someone else do it. Another new option is ordering the whole package (e-book, videos, etc) on CD for an additional $10. They also provide links on the website for ordering all the parts you'll need online. These guys have some outstanding customer support!
Homemade Energy
Energy Productivity: 3/5Ease of Use: 3/5
Detail of Instructions: 2/5
Customer Support: 4/5
Overall Rating: 3/5
This product was $50, which is overpriced if you ask me.I was disappointed with this product. The instructions are very sparse and assume you know what you're doing. As an average person, I had difficulty following this guide.
After some frustration and guessing, we were finally able to assemble the wind turbine and solar panel for the same prices as the other products. After a month of using them we noticed our energy bill had only decreased about 50%.
If you think about it, cutting your power bill in half is no small feat. But there are other products out there that are cheaper and help you save more. I would only recommend this product as a last resort. Here's the Homemade Energy website if your interested.
Green DIY Energy
Energy Productivity: 4/5Ease of Use: 3/5
Detail of Instructions: 5/5
Customer Support: 4/5
Overall Rating: 4/5
This kit was $49.97The instructions were very detailed, but a bit more complicated than the other products. They could have spared the technical details, they just weren't necessary. Once you skim past the techno jargon, it's not a bad guide but not as complete as other products.
We were able to assemble the home made solar panel for under $200 and the home made windmill for under $100 as expected. However, it took us a bit longer to complete the assembly because of the over-complicated instructions. The finished products were just as sturdy and effective as the other kits. We noticed roughly a 55% decrease in our power bill with the solar panel and wind turbine we built from this product.
To be honest, this would a great kit for a technician or engineer, but for the average Joe it's over complicated and I kept getting overwhelmed with schematics and wiring diagrams. But if you're into that kind of thing, here's the Green DIY Energy website.
My Recommendation
If you want to get into renewable energy, solar power and wind power are the best options for the average home. A home solar power system will generate power all day, while the home wind power system will generate power whenever the wind is blowing. These systems compliment each other, making up for each others weaknesses.I highly recommend the Energy4Earth package. The guides were great and easy to follow. The wind turbine and solar panel we built are still going strong. We saw a 50% reduction in our first power bill. We are going to build more and see if we can turn a profit!
Second up is Green DIY Solar. The guide from this product was highly technical, which is great if you're into that kind of thing. But for the average Joe, it might be confusing and over-complicated.
Finally, we have Homemade Energy. Unless you already have an understanding of electronics and engineering, I can't recommend this product. It's very sparse on details which leads to guessing during assembly.
I hope this information helps convince you to install your own renewable energy solutions. Leave a comment and let me know how it goes!
Get cheap solar power parts on eBay!
You may be asking yourself "Were can I buy solar cells?". The internet is your best choice. It's a lot cheaper than driving to your local hardware store and paying retail prices!
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Advantages of Solar vs. Disadvantages of Solar
Pros and Cons of Solar Energy
Solar energy is known to be a very clean and safe power source. Let's look at the advantages and disadvantages of this technology.Advantages of Solar:
- Solar energy is renewable. This means we don't have to worry about running out of sunlight or using it all up. The sun is a consistent power source.
- Solar energy is pollution-free. Compared to fossil fuels which release greenhouses gases, carcinogens and carbon dioxide, solar power doesn't release any chemicals into the atmosphere.
- Solar panels are very low maintenance. There are no moving parts in a solar cell so you don't have to worry about replacing parts. The only maintenance you might have to worry about it cleaning them every once a while.
- Solar cells make no noise while collecting power. There are no other energy sources that are silent.
- You're not required to connect to the power grid. You can be completely self-sufficient and live off-the-grid. Imagine never paying another power bill.
Disadvantages of Solar:
- Fossil fuel power sources are quite a bit cheaper. But as photovoltaic technology get better, the price of solar panels will decrease.
- Cloud cover or smog can decrease the effectiveness of solar cells. This is more of an issue with older solar components. Newer technologies can overcome these effects.
- Solar energy is only useful when the sun is shining. It still works on cloudy days, but it's not as efficient. However, if you utilize an optional deep-cycle battery array, you can store excess power for future use.
- The location of solar panels can affect performance, due to possible obstructions from the surrounding buildings or landscape.
- The initial cost of the equipment can be daunting. Professional solar systems can cost thousands of dollars. Recent products show the average consumer how to construct their own solar panels for drastically cheaper.
- Solar power technology is improving all the time. Solar installations are increasing at an incredible rate, about 50% annually.
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Questions?
Post any questions you have about your solar power or wind power system.
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Reply
- chemrat chemrat Jul 11, 2009 @ 10:44 pm
- Nice lens! Best wishes, Jim
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Reply
- Sarunas Sarunas Apr 8, 2009 @ 3:51 am
- Very informative lens.
5 stars from. Well Done and Keep it up. : )
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