How You Can Build Your Own Solar Panels For a Fraction of the Cost of Buying Them

You might be keen to save money (and maybe the planet!) by converting to solar? But wait until you find out how much solar costs.

Even a small solar set-up ready-made and installed could cost several thousand dollars. It's out of reach for most people. But there is a solution. It won't suit everyone but a lot of people will benefit for sure.

Because of the huge demand for green technology, the price of the basic materials is at an all-time low. And because of the internet you can now easily and cheaply buy those materials. Things like solar cells and cables and valves are all very cheap when you buy them wholesale or online. And because of the internet the information on exactly how to build your own solar panels is instantly available. It's not as crazy and difficult as you might think.

So is it realistic to build your own solar panels? Well, a solar panel is really just a box with a number of solar cells attached. The most common and generally most efficient solar cell is just a wafer-thin slice of monocrystalline silicon.

Just about anyone with a little bit of patience can assemble the cells into a panel but the people who will find it extremely easy are the ones with any kind of practical skills and a few simple tools. However, don't think you have to have advanced engineering or electrical abilities. When I bought my first pre-made solar panel the guy in the shop drew a simple diagram and in about five minutes showed me how to connect it to a solar battery.

Some of the skills you might need to build your own solar panels include soldering and some very basic building know how. You will need to be able to follow a simple blueprint or plan showing what to connect to what.

As for as the materials needed nowadays that is not a problem at all. Some people living in cities or large regional centers will find most of the stuff readily available at a hardware store.

I live in a little village of less than five hundred people about a two hour drive away from a small city. I can assure you that I won't find all the things I need to build my own solar panel at my local hardware. But I can still get them very easily and super cheaply online. So that is not a problem at all.

You can find a lot of the stuff recycled or thrown out as garbage. You can even build your own solar panels using those little squares of thin film cell on solar lights. Usually the cell still has plenty of life in it and it's the battery or plastic connections that have worn out when the solar garden lights stop working on-grid set.

Depending on how big a system you want to install you will also need to find suitable batteries for stand alone solar power and an inverter. If you want to connect your system to the grid you won't need batteries.

DIY solar is perfect for home owners and fantastic for other small projects like sheds and RVs. You don't have to install a whole refit of your home's electrical system. You can just rig up a small solar set-up to run one or two appliances and a few lights.