An Introduction to DIY Solar Power

Wind and solar power and other environmentally friendly energy options offer a real alternative that can provide money savings whilst protecting the environment. The recent attention on global warming and current recession have led to a dramatic increase in the demand for solar power, however buying a solar power system from a commercial supplier is still very expensive and could take many years to payback. Another option that is growing in popularity is DIY solar power.

With DIY solar power you follow a set of instructions, purchase the basic equipment and set out to build your own solar power system for your home. Within a few weeks you could be living of the suns energy and not have to worry about receiving another energy bill again! Once your solar power system has been installed it will last for a number of years and often will be transportable if you should move house.

Even if you live in location without a lot of sunshine will probably find you are able to source most if not all of your energy requirements from solar power.

An ‘off-the-shelf’ solar power system can be expensive; however DIY solar power can be done without the high initial start-up costs and doesn’t require any specialists skills or knowledge. You will just need a few tools, basic DIY skills and a quality instruction book or online guide.

In recent years a number of DIY solar power guides have been produced, these provide detailed instructions, pictures, videos and examples of finished projects. A good quality guide or book will save considerable time and money in the long run. You can also find information on DIY solar power from specialist websites. If you decide to purchase a guide look beyond the marketing hype and choose one that has positive reviews and lots of testimonials. A good guide should be written in plain English and provide a range of resources including step-by-step instructions, details on where you can buy the products, tutorials and examples of completed systems.

It’s not difficult to convert your home to solar power project and many people find the process enjoyable. It will take an initial investment of time and energy but you will achieve considerable savings and enjoy the satisfaction of knowing you are saving the environment. Some people have found that they create enough energy to sell it back to the power companies.

All the equipment required for is readily available from any local hardware store or ebay. You may also be able to purchase 2nd hand solar panel from your local highways department or council who often replace the solar panels used in road traffic signs and are happy to give them to members of the public.

In the medium to long term solar power will more than pay for itself in financial savings whilst helping reduce global warming. If you decide to go ahead you will probably find you are the envy of your neighbors and you may be asked to install a similar system for them!