How Build a Solar Power Panel

Are you part of the crowd that has been looking to get into the solar power revolution that so many of us have embraced and gotten involved with on a regular basis? If you are, then it’s definitely a good idea to learn how to find inexpensive ways for you to be able to harness that energy for yourself, isn’t it?

One of the best ways to harness the energy of the sun is to put together your own solar power panel. How do you do that? What steps do you take in order to ensure that it’s all put together the right way? And how can you be certain that it’s going to be easier and cheaper for you to go about it this way?

Solar energy is environmentally friendly and can be used by solar panels to trap sunlight and produce electricity. It is also renewable and non pollutant. This world has already been facing the consequences of global warming through climate change, acid rains and changes in seasons. It is therefore required to use as much as renewable energy as we can to make this planet a better place to live for our future generations.

Solar energy is most abundant renewable source available on earth. You just need to know ‘how to build a solar power panel’ and this can solve your power related problems up to much extent. These renewable sources of energy are the only solution to high electricity bills and increasing demand for fossil fuels which might go extinct in another 40-50 years. Worldwide, huge investments have been done in creating solar farms and extracting energy from them to power millions of homes. Solar energy, has no doubt its downsides too. But, using them to create energy can at-least reduce our little dependence on fossil fuels.

Steps to Build a Solar Power Panel

Giving the knowledge that enables you to take charge of your energy usage is very important. In this case, solar power panels are very useful. You can build them at home by yourself without any interference. You just need to know how to do it.

The construction is very easy to do. However, you need to be very keen to ensure things go as needed and you get the output that you need. It will give you the benefits that you need and also ensure that you are enjoying the services that you need. It is something that will basically give you convenience and ensure you have what is necessary to get results you need.

Shop around and find the best cells for your needs at the best prices possible.

  • One of the best places for you to find the resources that you need in order to build your solar power panel is eBay. There are always people selling low cost solar cells that are going to work well for the purposes that you have for them.
  • Solar cells have half a volt of energy. In order for you to get eighteen volts, you need to join like 36 solar cells in series. Make prior calculations to enable you know if the generated power by solar panel is enough. In case it is not enough you can join more of these cells until the voltage you need is achieved. These cells can be joined in parallel to get the required voltage.
  • There are several things that you’re going to want to compare and contrast when you’re looking for the best, most inexpensive cells that you can find. These include:
    • Amount of wattage that you will be able to get from each cell.
    • New or used.
    • Cost per watt of energy (the lower cost, the better, as long as you know that you’re getting the right thing).
    • Types of materials used within the cell in question.
    • Size of the cells that you’re looking to purchase.
    • Compatibility of the cells with the things that you plan on using them for.
  • Keep an eye on shipping costs in order to ensure that you’re not going to be paying too much when it comes to getting g the items to you.

Get the right tools for your purpose.

You’re not going to be able to install your solar power panel without the right tools to be able to do so. Here’s a quick list of some of the things that you may want to consider when you’re looking to put together your own solar panel

  • Hammer and nails, as you would get in most tool kits.
  • Screws of various sizes, depending on your particular needs and purposes.
  • A drill with various sized bits to allow you to put the screws in quickly and without a lot of issues.
  • Safety glasses so that you don’t end up hurting yourself.
  • A ruler and a pencil so that you have an easier time when it comes to drawing out where you need to go.
  • Pliers and socket wrenches may also be necessary, depending on what your overall game plan is for setting up your panel.
  • Lastly, consider getting gloves and a canopy to protect yourself from the elements (and specifically, the heat from the sun’s energy) when you’re looking to put the whole panel together.

Getting all of the pieces of this tool kit, if you don’t already have it, shouldn’t cost you much more than $50-$100. Many people already have a kit like this, though, so it’s not really a problem you have to deal with.

Put out a plan that is going to ensure that you will get everything done correctly.

Now, when you’re putting a solar power panel together, you can’t just try to put it together without any thought.

  • You should draw out how you want the entire setup to be before you even get started with your project. That way, you aren’t just going all willy-nilly with it when you get started.
  • Take measurements of the top of your home (or whatever area that you’re putting the solar panels on) and make sure that it will fit inside properly.
  • Don’t overestimate. You don’t want to buy more materials than you’re actually going to need. While it’s fine to have a couple extras in case you break something, you still should have a vague idea before you get going.
solar-panels-on-roof

Wire everything together

The wiring is one of the most difficult parts of putting together this project. Here are a few hints that you can use in order to make sure that you don’t make any errors while you’re trying to set everything up.

  • Take your time when you’re wiring everything. One mistake that a lot of people make is that they try to do too much, too quickly. Follow your guides
  • If you don’t know a lot about engineering and wiring, then take the time to try and learn how to do so. That way, you don’t end up short circuiting the whole system or doing something that is even more dangerous.
  • Don’t let yourself get frustrated with what you’re doing. If you’re frustrated, you have a harder time concentrating and you have more of a chance when it comes to making mistakes. At that point, you’ll find that it’s hard to actually finish the job right.
  • Don’t be afraid of asking for help. If you don’t have a lot of expertise when it comes to wiring everything together, then you may want to enlist the assistance of someone that has a bit more experience in the area of wiring.

Time to Test!

Before you start using the panel that you’ve put together, you want to make sure that it’s actually going to work. Here are a few tests that you can run it through in order to make sure that it’s working appropriately.

  • Hook it up to something with a battery, or try to utilize the power from the solar panel to try and give something like a scooter or moped a “jump start.” If it works, then you know that some sort of power is flowing through it, and well.
  • Hook it to an outlet and plug in something that needs to charge, like a phone or a set of batteries. See how long it takes for the whole thing to charge up and compare it to how long it usually takes when you’re on the grid.
  • Use a device to see how much power that you’re getting from the device in terms of wattage.
  • Try to hook up something low risk for the entirety of the day (i.e. not an expensive piece of equipment or something that needs to function, like a refrigerator) and see if it runs just as well (or in the best cases, better!) than if it were hooked up to the system you have in your home.

So, instead of stressing yourself out with trying to save up all of that cash in order to get a brand new solar panel system installed in your home, try putting together this DIY one first. It can help you to get that solar power that you need, give you the ability to transition into solar power a lot more quickly than you would have otherwise, and it will help you to take control over your own future when it comes to energy and what you want to do with it.

Image credit: Jeremy Levine , US Army
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About Rinkesh

A true environmentalist by heart ❤️. Founded Conserve Energy Future with the sole motto of providing helpful information related to our rapidly depleting environment. Unless you strongly believe in Elon Musk‘s idea of making Mars as another habitable planet, do remember that there really is no 'Planet B' in this whole universe.