Posts tagged "building solar panels"

Benefits For Using Solar Panels

Residential solar power systems generate electricity from the sun. The thought of building a home solar system can be intimidating, but it is not that complicated to build. Solar panels have minimal moving parts and required little maintenance while they are set up on the roof of your house. It is very efficient way of getting electricity from nature while producing no pollution and very little noise.

The way residential solar panels save you money is by reducing the amount of energy that you are getting from your utility company. The way that this works is that electricity is generated from the sunlight that the panels on the roof receive during the day.The utility company monitors the energy being used in your household every month. If at the end of the month your solar system has generated more power than what it needs, it transfers the power to the electricity company. This being the case, the utility company has to credit you back for the electricity you produced but did not use.And this is how to save and even make money.

Another good reason to consider building solar panels for your house is that it will bring your house value up. By adding solar panels to your home you are reducing the operating cost and adding capital asset to your property automatically. In the real estate world, showing that a house can reduce your annual utility bill can bring your home value up about $20,000. Also, by investing in a house solar power system you will be able to claim incentives and tax credits. Once you are in the market to sell your house, you will make money do to the increase in the appraised value of your home.

Lastly, going green with your house by placing up solar energy panels will contribute immensely on conserving our planet’s health. Most household in the United States acquire energy from their utility company. This energy is supplied from power plants that burn fossil fuel like coal, gas and oil. The reason why so much pollution is being created is because the majority of people get electricity from utility companies. This is in turn is what contributes to air pollution and global climate change. Earth is our most valuable piece of land and it’s time to start conserving it my making changes.

Solar energy for homes

www.mysolarenergyforhomes.com explains some basic reasons why you should look at generating you own solar energy for your home.

Build your own Home-made Solar Panels

Commercial solar panels still cost high nowadays, and its setup can still be considered as a costly feat.

This article will discuss building solar panels for your home.

When building a do-it-yourself solar panel system, you can cut some money off your building budget by substituting some components with lower costing materials.

An example of this is using wood for the solar panel housing.

However, you should also consider the idea of investing on longer lasting materials for your solar panel.

Although it may cost more, it may be more advantageous in the long run.

Most builders use pre-tabbed solar cells when making a solar panel.

This may be a bit expensive than other materials but it would be more convenient as you would not need to solder the tabs to the solar cells.

Whichever material you decide to use, it is certain that you can create a cheaper solar panel that can match the performance of commercial solar panels.

You can also use materials like Mono-crystalline solar cells. Try looking for 3X6-inch sized cells that are rated more or less 3 amps each. Click here for more information.

Brand new cells are generally highly priced, so it is wise that you shop around for similar items that would fit your budget.

Each of these cells can produce up to ½ volts, this means that if you set up a solar panel with 36 cells in it you can generate up to 18 volts- more than enough to charge 12 volt batteries.

When you set the cells together in a series connection, the output generated will be slightly above 18 volts.

This means that when the 36 cells are wired together, they can get an accumulated power of 60 watts.

The generated electricity can now be stored in batteries that can later be applied for running lights and other home appliances; in fact you can even hook your appliance directly to the inverter slot of your solar panel.

For higher output, it would require you to use solar cells that have a higher amplitude.

To approximate the size you would be using, keep in mind the formula which is Amp x Volts= the amount of power in watts. Although the size of cells can be modified, the similar number of cells is needed.

Solar cells, whatever their size is, produce the same voltage.

Size matters only in terms of current rating, because bigger cells produce more amps than the smaller cells do.

Although there is a clear advantage in using bigger cells, it may not be practical in most situations because you can produce more power with larger cells but the whole structure would be large and heavy.

You may be tempted to mix differently sized solar cells, but it is not a good idea.

If you do this, your panels would only be able to produce a limited current because your larger sized cells would not be utilized to their maximum potential.

How to Make the Solar Panel Box

Creating a shallow box case is like creating an exoskeleton for your solar panels.

You can create a solar panel box out of scrap wood.

Let’s say you would build a solar panel that will hold 36 3×6 inch solar cells. You would need 3/8 inch of thick plywood and some 3/4 x 3/4 wood pieces along the edges.

Keep in mind to that the solar panel box’s dimensions shouldn’t be deep.

Creating deep panel boxes may reduce the light that comes to your solar cells.

To do this, follow this guide.

1 Create two sub-panels, with each containing 18 solar cells.

2 Create a divider in the center that would be situated between the two solar sub-panels.

3 Drill about 3-4 ventilation holes in the middle to allow air flow.

4 Drill holes in the bottom to prevent the build-up of rain or moisture inside the device.

This would also even out the air pressure inside the solar panels with the air pressure outside.

5. For the substrate of the contraption, it is advisable to use an insulating material.

6. Create a front cover made from translucent material.

7. Lastly, apply paint so that your solar panel will not be weathered by various weather conditions. Experts suggest that light colored paint should be used. This is because darker colors are more likely to absorb heat, which may reduce the solar panel’s energy output.

Once you finish doing the solar panel box, you can immediately start setting the solar cells on it.

1. Begin by creating a layout of the cells in the panel, visualize and draw a grid board on both pegboard pieces to exactly illustrate where the 18 cells would be situated.

2. Lay out the cells on the panel, draw a grid board on both pieces of pegboard to show where each of the 18 cells will be located.  Solder all 18 cells, on each sub-panel, together in a series. Connect both halves in series.

3. Solder the cells together, be sure to use a soldering iron that is low in wattage and a rine rosen core solder.

4. Have the cells lie face-down. Lay the tabs about a cell across the solder points in the other cell’s back.

5. Be sure that the spacing between the cells are matched with the grid pattern. Solder the cells carefully and precisely.

6. Glue the solar cells in place by applying silicone caulk in the middle of each cell. Be sure to follow the guidelines you traced earlier.

7. Test the cells for functionality first and then install them to the main frame. After this, you can do the wiring. To avoid a reverse discharge on your batteries, it is advisable that you include a blocking diode in the circuitry.

8. Link the sub-panels together using a wire that run through the vent holes of the center divider. Apply silicone caulk to anchor them in place.

Voila, your home-made solar panel is now ready for installation.