June 7, 2011. Paul Hixon
credit: GymkataWith all the competition in the marketplace for solar panels, you would be excused for thinking that prices would be rock bottom. The reality is that they are not.
Although solar panels and other solar related equipment certainly has come down in price a fair bit in recent years, nothing beats building your own DIY solar panels to achieve true savings and a great understanding of how the technology works.
To start building your own solar panel you will need some core materials. You can either go and source these yourself, or you can do what many people are doing these days and buy a DIY solar panel kit. These kits contain all the materials you will need to assemble a basic DIY solar panel – you may need a few tools such as screwdrivers and hammers (depending on the kit), but the hardware will be included. Also, and very importantly, you will need instructions. Unless you are an engineer (trained or untrained), you will want a map laid out on where to put what to make everything work properly.
If you are choosing to do it all yourself – including sourcing the materials – you will be able to find instructions for assembly for free online. You may even find cheap solar cells for sale there too while you are at it. Just remember that any compromise on price is likely to be a compromise on quality as well. For that reason, you should be doubly careful when buying at a discount. So – on to assembly!
Follow the instructions you have – keep in mind that any modifications will have implications for the function and efficiency. Also, remember that your solar panel must be suited to the purpose you have in mind for it. A large solar panel which was designed for roof installation will not be well suited for portability and vice versa – so choose a set of instructions (and a kit if relevant) which suits your purposes.
Updated June 7, 2011. Published May 24, 2011. Paul Hixon
