Can I build my own Solar Panels?

It would be safe to assume that more and more people everyday are considering installing some sort of solar energy system to save money, and more importantly to become self sufficient. There are still those individuals who cannot grasp the idea of going off the grid and becoming independent of the power companies, whether it be out of fear or plain ignorance – but the fact of the matter is that utilizing free energy from sources like the sun is not all that complicated, and information, products and services relating to renewable energy are more available today than they’ve ever been.

Building your own solar panel set up would not only provide you with the experience needed for future off grid projects, but it could also be an interesting and fun thing to get the kids involved in. If you know how to use a few common power tools than you should have no problem building your own solar panels to power your home.

Solar Power Basics

Lets make it clear that using solar power to generate electricity is not the same as using solar energy to produce heat, and there are two primary principles which separate the two – solar thermal, and photovoltaic. Solar thermal principles relate to the application of solar energy to produce hot fluids and air, while photovoltaic principles are applied strictly when producing electricity.

A solar panel, or PV panel as they are widely known, is made of silicon – a natural element that is electrically charged when exposed to sunlight. The positioning of solar panels are dictated by the latitude and geographic location of where they are designated to be installed. The angle of the PV panels are set within 15 degrees plus or minus the site latitude depending on obvious factors such as weather and seasonal effects. The total amount of solar energy in a given time period is measured in Peak Sun Hours, or m². Here’s a Global Map of Solar Power for checking your Peak Sun Hours based on location provided by Solar4Power.com.

Building Solar Panels From Scratch

Building your cells from scratch is extremely cost-effective, yet labor intensive. To start things off, you need to buy raw copper sheeting which is readily available at your local home hardware store – try asking for copper flashing. This sheeting needs to be heated, so make sure you ask for a suitable heating source while you’re there. The copper itself needs to be heated for approximately 30 minutes depending on your heating source, or long enough for the chemical reaction to occur which causes copper oxide to form on the sheet’s surface.

After the copper has cooled down it needs to be combined with an equal sized non-oxidized sheet with a salt water solution, then placed within a shatterproof glass panel. After this phase is completed, you will need to add the necessary wiring and mounting fixtures – the end result giving you a low-voltage solar panel. To generate enough electricity to power common household items you will need several of these low-voltage panels. Before you start researching more and head over to Home Depot to start buying materials be sure to consult your local building codes to ensure you are permitted to build your own, without the need for a licenced installer.

DIY Solar Panel Kits

It’s amazing how many high quality products and services are available on the market that provide you with the tools and skills to make the Off Grid transition. Take a minute to stop by our Resources page where you can find some more information on the top renewable energy products. Most “do it yourself” solar panel kits are readily available in your city and on the Internet, and come with the solar cells, hardware, mounting fixtures and ample guides to get you started – many of them with multiple DVD’s and documentation.

Once again, before you start be sure to consult your local building codes to determine whether you need a permit and, or an installer to begin your solar panel adventures!

If you’ve ever seen a solar oven your first impression would be that it is powered by solar energy, right? Well not necessarily. Solar powered ovens are not those which would be used to replace your in-home oven, and they are no more complex than using a traditional oven – they are simply designed differently. Solar ovens, also known as a solar cooker, can be used for various outdoor cooking requirements without the need for electricity, wood or fossil fuel – which increases the overall efficiency compared to a more traditional propane grill. A popular solar cooker is the CooKit, which utilizes a piece of cardboard that is lined in foil and works as a reflector to generate enough heat to cook the food.

Believe it or not, most solar ovens can take the sunlight and generate hundreds of watts of electricity by changing the light into heat, which in turn cooks the food. Not only is this method safe for cooking your food outdoors, but it also teaches you to eliminate fuels and the need for electricity – which will make your transition into the off grid lifestyle that much more seamless.

Solar ovens and cookers come in many different shapes and sizes, ranging from a very basic box shaped unit to more complex ovens which can hold multiple large sized pots. Regardless of the variation, they all function the same. Can you think of a more natural way of cooking your food? Once you’ve had the chance to experience using the sun’s solar energy to cook a meal you will realize how simple it is, and feel almost stupid for using gas or electricity all these years. Another benefit to solar ovens is that most food can be left safely for reasonably long periods of time without the food burning or getting too hot.

Most standard solar cookers reach a maximum heat of 302 degrees F which is ideal for reheating, and cooking foods which don’t require water to be sterilized or boiling because this heat is not reached immediately or fast enough.

Why You Should Be Solar Cooking

It’s a lot of fun!

This may be a surprise, but solar cooking and using solar ovens is really a ton of fun! Why spend time cooped up in a hot kitchen when you can be outside on a beautiful sun-filled day cooking for your friends and family using the power of the sun? Cause zero harm to the environment while using the free, renewable energy of the sun to power an equally capable oven to prepare your favorite meals. This is really a no-brainer.

Change in climate.

Every single time you prepare a meal using a stove that requires electricity, natural gas, propane or wood you are releasing extremely harmful greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. So if the general consensus is that we are experiencing global warming, and our planet is slowly increasing in temperature which is causing climate disruption – wouldn’t you want to avoid any actions that promote this? Scientists link our climate change to the constant release of CO2 into our atmosphere by fossil fuel and biomass burning. Solar cooking produces zero CO2 or any other greenhouse gases. Talk about a sustainable way of cooking.

Peak Oil

Among the circle of petroleum geologists, there is a common factor in which they all agree on – the reserve of natural oil and gas are finite. What does this mean to us? Well it means that we will eventually reach a point of peak production, which will be proceeded by a decline in the availability and how much is produced. It’s becoming apparent that oil production has reached it’s peak, and our global economy is witnessing the beginning of the decline period – the same being relevant for the natural gas production throughout North America. Solar cooking again proves to be sustainable under these impending circumstances – no fossil fuels required.

Health Benefits

Asked any experienced solar chef and they will profess that solar cooking your food is healthier, tastier and better overall compared to traditional cooking mediums. You never need to worry about your food burning or loosing it’s nutrients. There is no smoke, therefor there’s no need to stress about inhaling fumes – like when you cook with a barbecue, for example. Lastly, your food doesn’t dry out liken when frying or baking, which leaves you with scrumptious, delicious, moist food every time!

The Deforestation Threat

Our beautiful, lush forests around the globe are in constant threat, and solar cooking methods have assisted in converting people in the developing parts of the world to reduce the amount of wood used for their normal cooking procedures. By using solar cooking mediums in developing regions we can prevent deforestation, and help people realize that fire wood is not needed to provide nourishment for their villages. The use of firewood cannot continue if we as a global population have any concern for the environment and sustaining our population.

It’s very clear that solar cooking can present several benefits to not only help you, but our planet as a whole. The cost of a standard solar cooker can be met within the first three years of using it, just from your energy bill savings. After that, you are cooking for free! Not a bad investment if you ask me. The sun doesn’t send you a monthly bill for use, so why not thank it by using it’s amazing free energy as a renewable source for cooking?

Solar Powered Christmas Lights? That’s genius! Choosing alternative methods for powering this year’s festive decorations is not only beneficial to your wallet, but also to your home. No more scurrying around the department store hunting for sales and specials, no more worrying about faulty wiring potentially causing a fire in your home, and most of all, no more dreading the increasing cost of your electrical bill every holiday season. Having solar powered Christmas lights saves the fuss of untangling that ball of wire every year, and because of the type of bulbs that are used they actually last considerably longer than the standard powered version. This is the power of Off Grid Living!

Solar powered outdoor Christmas lights use LED bulbs for illumination, and in most scenarios as long as the solar panel provided receives around 3 hours of direct sunlight during the day, your lights should remain lit throughout the entire night, and even into the next morning when they begin charging again.

I’m sure you can remember the classic movie National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, and the scene where he could not figure out why the lights wouldn’t turn on – well you’re not going to have that problem! Solar powered Christmas lights will turn on automatically at night, and charge automatically during the day. No wires, plugs or switching on and off.

Have you ever forgotten to turn off your outdoor Christmas lights before bed? Can you remember the feeling of waking up and realizing they were not turned off, and how sick you felt to your stomach thinking about your upcoming electric bill? That’s not a great feeling. Since the energy crisis of the 1970’s, people have been studying and seeking for alternative sources of renewable energy, and with the influx of Eco-friendly corporations you have more options than ever for finding stylish solar powered decorations for your home and Christmas tree. Speaking of stylish, you can still find your favorite rope or string arranged Christmas lights in the solar variation, and it’s not that uncommon to see your traditional star formation solar lights, butterflies, reindeer and Christmas trees available.

Most solar powered outdoor Christmas lights are a tiny bit more expensive than your traditional powered lights, but if you really stop and think about how going green during Christmas will benefit you, the choice should be easy to make. You can find standard solar powered Christmas light sets retailing between the $30-$40 per 40 feet of lighting range – which is not all that bad! If you take care of your lights and store them properly, they should last you twice as long compared to your old wall powered lights. So have an Eco-friendly Christmas this season and enjoy the feeling of knowing that you are saving time, money and worry by choosing to have a green holiday season!