Energy Conservation Tips: The Elements of a Homemade Solar Panel

Why solar panels? With the ever-present threat of Global Warming looming over our heads, clean and renewable energy is an appealing alternative to electricity generated from fossil fuels. Solar energy can reduce the monthly cost of electricity. It is a technology amenable to DIY projects.

Solar panels harness the power of sunlight to generate electricity through the use of photovoltaic (PV) cells. If money is no object, a contractor can be hired to obtain and install a solar system for you. For those of us in the "other" category, there are other less expensive options. These include purchasing solar panel kits, refurbishing used solar panels, and the ultimate DIY of making panels from component parts. Solar panels can create a more self-sufficient household in which they meet your all or most of household electrical energy needs. The ideal scenario would have the electricity generated will exceed the needs permitting electricity to be sold back to the Grid.

Although the there are other component required for more complex systems, the basic elements of a homemade solar panel system include four items: Solar panel(s); Charge controller; Battery; and Inverter.

The solar panel: While we see the system as a solar panel, the total voltage is the sum of the voltage of all the photovoltaic cells in the system. To determine how many panels are needed we need to look at and average out the energy usage that appears on our bills.

The charge controller / regulator: The charge controller helps to maximize the life of the battery by the prevention of overcharging. It also follows the discharge status of the battery day and night.

Battery: The electricity not immediately used is stored by a battery or series of batteries. Deep-cycle or marine batteries are preferable to automobile batteries because they are capable of storing all or virtually all of the electricity generated by the solar panels, thus minimizing waste.

Inverter: Solar panels generate and store electricity as DC or Direct Current, whereas our appliances utilize AC or Alternating Current. The job of the inverter is to convert DC to AC to meet our household needs.

If a solar panel system is designed with the intent of generating enough electricity to "sell back" to the Grid, then the components will include the AC Breaker Panel, and the Kilowatt-per-Hour Indicator are required. The KW per Hour indicator, for example is necessary to track how much current is provided to and from the grid to determine the charge or credit that appears on your monthly electric bill.

We should also not forget the obvious energy saving tips including the shutting off of lights in unused rooms and the use of Energy-saver fluorescent bulbs.

To summarize, homemade solar panels can provide a great opportunity for a DIY project. They are also only one of several great energy conservation tips.

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March 08 2009 | Home Improvement | No Comments »