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Self-sufficiency is a growing economic trend and solar panels can cut your electricity bills down by 74 percent leading to total self-sufficiency. A small investment at the beginning will be returned within only a few years. You can also sell excess energy to your power company and even generate a small income from this venture.
Solar panels generate electrical power by using the sun as a source. They are made up of silicon, which is the same material used to make computer chips. When the sun’s rays hit a solar panel it makes electrons in the silicon move around, these electrons flow into the wires built into the panel and creates power. Attaching a battery to the solar panel allows you to store the power so you can still use electricity after the sun sets or on cloudy days.
There are three main types of homemade solar panels and it is advised to choose the type that suits your budget and household usage best;
Monocrystalline solar panels are highly efficient; they are made with monocrytsalline cells and are smaller in size then most solar panels allowing you more roof space. This kind costs more than other types of panels but is the best choice for smaller houses or locations that don’t get enough adequate sunlight.
Polycrystalline solar panels are a good choice for balancing price vs. efficiency. These are the most popular choice.
Amorphous solar panels produce the least amount of electricity per inch and use more roof space but are the cheapest available market option.
For the simplest method of creating homemade solar energy you will need;
- Half a square foot of a sheet of copper flashing
- Wide mouth plastic or glass bottle
- Alligator leads
- Salt water
- Electric stove

First you will need to cut two circles (roughly the same diameter as the bottle) from the copper flashing.
Heat one of the circles over the stove until black residue appears. This may take a few hours; once the residue appears leave the circle to cool naturally before wiping the black residue away.
If you don’t have a wide mouth bottle, you can chop the top of any bottle and insert the copper discs inside but make sure they are not touching. Connect the copper discs with alligator leads to the appropriate device – for example a battery.
Fill the bottle with salt water so that it covers the copper plates.
Finally find a sunny spot on your roof and have the bottle with the copper facing the direction that gets most sun.
If everything is set up correctly you will have a simple homemade solar panel!
This is the easiest, most cost effective method. However the amount of energy you get will be minimal in comparison to larger more complex solar panel projects.
An example of how a more complex solar panel works can be seen as following;
1. Build a solar panel jig by soldering the cells together. The tabs on the top are soldered to the bottom of the next cell. Be sure to check all the cells as you go in case there is a faulty cell.
2. Mount the assembled cells on a backing plate.
3. Install blocking diodes – a 3.3 amp diode should be sufficient – this will allow it so the panels will not discharge a battery if connected to one.
4. Connect he wiring
5. Finally seal the panel with silicone.
It is also advised to build a shallow box for your solar panels to protect them, ensure it is a shallow box as a deep box will shade the solar panels when the sun is at an angle. You can also cover with plexiglass to protect it from the elements and cause a greenhouse effect.
Ensure there are no trees or foreign objects blocking the placement of the solar panel to ensure effective collection of energy. Homemade solar panels can produce up to 150 watts; by joining them together you can create an output of over 1kw of power.
There are lots of kits available on the internet with detailed blueprints and advice for making homemade solar panels can be bought for discounted reasonable costs from places like ebay. Most hardware stores will carry the other necessary materials.
Some of the best available online plans are;
www.earthforenergy.com
www.solarpower-411.com
www.diypowersystem.com
Making your own homemade solar panels can save thousands in installation fees, remember you need no previous experience – just a trip to the hardware store and a Saturday afternoon. A homemade solar system is easy to maintain and is a green energy solution. This means it doesn’t burn any fuel or release anything harmful into the atmosphere. This is good news for your pocket and the environment.