DIY Solar Power In Your Home
September 10, 2010 by admin
Filed under General, Solar Panels
Generating energy from home solar power systems has been around for many years. Consumers often learn however that solar power for the home can be cost prohibitive. Typically, the true energy cost savings require twenty or more years before they offset the cost of these expensive systems. Solar power is free, clean and efficient, but getting access to it on the commercial market is usually impractical for all but the most affluent consumers. No wonder DIY solar projects have become so popular.
For many of us the do it yourself solution is the answer. Learn more about DIY Solar Energy
In fact, consumers are saving many thousands of dollars by creating their own DIY solar energy systems employing panels they make from scratch with readily available materials, or buying used panels which are available from a variety of sources. It is important you know where to look and know what to look for. Although easy to complete for those with basic DIY skills and household tools, it should be noted that these projects do require a certain degree of precision. Sizing your system for the intended purpose is important. You must also understand the various components and how they fit together. If your panels are not properly optimized, they’ll never achieve maximum rated power output.So correct installation techniques must be used to ensure long system life and to reduce maintenece requirements.
Proper tie-in to your existing electrical system and equipment placement are equally crucial. Locating the best parts for your particular application at the best prices is also challenging unless you know where to look. What about your current electrical supply and its relation to the newly introduced solar components?. For instance, will you only power certain appliances? Is your goal to totally replace commercial utility power? Will you produce more power than you need and if so, do you intend to sell excess capacity back to the public utility or store it in batteries? Of course you could start small and just reduce your bill with partial solar power.
These are questions you should consider from the start of your project, because while you can begin small and grow your system over time, having a basic plan in mind when you begin will make the whole project easie.
There are a number of solar instruction guides available for the DIY enthusiast. Answering these questions is easier if you get a quality guide, which will make it easier to finish your DIY solar energy project. These are a worthwhile investment considering the small price. Getting the correct guide will save countless hours and dollars throughout your project.
A few of these guides are very good, but we have to caution readers that many are junk. After reviewing many of them it became obvious to us that the best are those with video content to supplement the written instructions. While these are not always the best selling guide on the market, but trust me on this you’ll be happy to have the video once you get started connecting panels and making electrical hook-ups. We can’t stress enough how important the video content is when first starting out. So if you are thinking about joining the solar power trend be certain to get started on the right foot with the right instructions.
Check out more on DIY solar homes.