I am going to be quite honest with you and tell you why the pay back on contractor installed solar power systems are for your grandkids as long as they live in your house! I also going to show you how a solar power system can save you some cash, provided you do it my way.
Solar power is starting to catch on but one must take caution, unless you have money hanging out of your pockets the pay back on solar power systems is years, many years! Full grid tie solar systems cost upwards of $20,000 to $30,000 depending on the system. That much money could pay for many utility bills. The cost for a standard solar panel cost close to $500 per unit. What if I told you I can cut that cost by at least $300, would you be interested?
Building your own solar panels can save you a lot of money and can also be a good project during bad weather. First you will need your solar cells. I have found several suppliers that you can purchase cells from. They are usually sold in lots of 36, 72, and 108 which will include solder, tabbing wire, bus wire, and a flux pen.
You will need a mounting board or a material that will be or can be made weather-proof. I used a piece of plywood and painted it with UV paint so that it will with stand the sun. You will also need a clear cover that will not yellow and be able to take different weather conditions. I used aluminum channel to secure all these items together which gives strength to your panel.
Next, I soldered nine cells together forming a stringer of solar cells. After making four complete stringers I was ready to start mounting them to my board. The easiest way I found to mount the stringers with clear silicone caulking. This is where you will start to use your bus wire making a complete series circuit forming a 36 cell complete solar panel.
The really only hard thing about building your own solar panels are trying to do this without instructions. That is why I recommend purchasing a guide-book which will lead you through the process one step at a time. When I first started building my own I fumbled around a bit but with the guide that I have it became much easier.
I have listed several different guides you can purchase by visiting my website listed below. Also, you will find more articles on how a solar system can save you some cash.
