If you are tired of increasing power costs and are researching how to make your own electricity then you need to consider domestic solar panels. Solar panels are very expensive, not only to buy but also to have installed. However you can make your own domestic solar panels following schematics such as those included with Homemade Energy or Earth4Energy.
Apart from becoming more self-sufficient and less dependent on utility companies you also have the satisfaction of doing something that is beneficial for the environment. The sun is always available and won’t go down in the same way that the electrical grid can go down.
You don’t need direct sunshine either as daylight is sufficient to generate electricity. However less sunny areas will require more solar panels than an area that is bathed in constant sunshine. You aren’t going to be totally dependent on your solar power as you will still remain connected to the power grid for when you need it. Unless of course it is your goal to be completely self-sufficient. Some people with solar panels generate more electricity than they need and they are able to sell it to the utility company.
The first step to make your own electricity is to determine your budget. Are you prepared to pay the price for new domestic solar panels? Or is the only way you can make your own electricity going to be to make your own solar panels?
The secret to making your own domestic solar panels as cheaply as possible is to get solar cells that are slightly damaged or blemished. These are solar cells that have failed the quality control process due to being scratched for instance but are still perfectly functional. For a fraction of the cost you can get fully functional solar cells to build your solar panels. The only difference is that they may be perhaps 2-3% less efficient due to being scratched.
The main task to make your own electricity by building solar panels is to construct the actual cases that contain the solar cells. You can purchase all of the components in your local hardware store. The main materials are plywood for the case and plexiglass covers. All of these materials can be cut to size for you at the store using the dimensions that are given with the domestic solar panels design found in the manual such as Homemade Energy or Earth4Energy.
The cost to make your own electricity with you own made domestic solar panels will depend on how many panels you require which is determined by the amount of sunshine and the size of your property. But you can expect to pay around $100-$200 to obtain the materials you need for each solar panel.
