If you are looking at installing solar panels or are keen to set up your own solar panel home, I am sure you have seen the adverts or websites claiming you can make your own solar panels for under $200. You may well have wondered, is this for real or is it another one of those infamous Internet scams? It would be good to find out before shelling out your hard earned cash on a guide / kit that could be a load of rubbish.

Will these “How to Make Solar Panels Guides” Save You Money?

NO. You are not going to save money by making your own solar panel. Please do not be conned into believing these guides will save you money by making your own solar panel or enable you to earn money from making them!! You won't!

Only consider making solar panels as part of an interesting and satisfying DIY or science project, say to make couple of solar panels to provide light and some power for a shed or outbuilding.

Will these “How to Make Solar Panels Guides” Show You How to Make a Solar Panel?

YES. They will - just make sure you buy the best ones.

Having bought and reviewed most of the leading guides/manuals on how to make your own solar panels I can assure you that some of these products really do show you what to do, and how to do it. If you follow the instructions and watch their videos a few times, you should have no problems constructing your own solar panel. The most important thing is to become competent at soldering.

These products show you how to make a fully functioning 60 watt solar panel for around $150 - $175, depending on what materials you already have on hand. Now, if you choose to improve the look of your solar panel by buying or making an aluminium frame and reducing the time to make a panel by buying pre-tabbed solar cells, you could easily push the cost above $200 for a single solar panel.

If you are really strapped for cash, have the patience of a saint and aren’t too bothered by the aesthetics, you can make a panel for much less using chipped and cracked solar cells, obtainable from eBay! This approach may allow you to get the cost below $100. These guides / kits also give you sources from where you should be able to obtain second hand solar cells very cheaply.

Aren't There Any Savings?

NO, not really. That is why you should only undertake this task as part of a hobby or interesting and rewarding project to keep you busy over the weekends.

Here's why. This is a list of the key components that can be used to make a single solar panel, and some typical prices (Sept 09):

• $57 36 3x5in solar cells - eBay
• $23 3/4" 2ft x 4ft plywood backing
• $34 1/4" 2ft x 4ft Plexiglass
• $11 50ft tabbing wire and 8ft bus wire
• $10 flux pen and solder
• $4  diodes
• $4  clear silicone caulk
• $10 junction box,
  
• $15 peg board, paint, SS screws

Giving $168 for the total cost of materials. The 36 solar cells will make a 60watt solar panel. Add to the above the cost of the "how to" guide - say $40, giving a grand total of $208 for a 60watt panel.

Retail, you can buy brand new commercially manufactured solar panels for the equivalent of $179 for a 60watt panel. The commercial panels come with a 25 year warranty and will probably qualify for government grants / rebates.

So, make a poorer panel for $208 or buy a commercially manufactured panel for $179. You pays your money and you takes your choice!

Making a solar panel will be an enjoyable, rewarding and very satisfying project. But don't expect to save money! (and don't be surprised if its performance degrades after a couple of years or less.)

Do I need to be a DIY Genius?

One of the good things about making your own solar panel is that it requires few skills and no special equipment. Although the process to manufacture the actual solar cells is wonderful high tech stuff, when it comes to making your own solar panels there is no high tech stuff to worry about, in fact the work is very low tech.

The key skills fall into just a few areas:

· Soldering – if you haven’t held a soldering iron in you life don’t despair. Give yourself a few hours to watch how it is done (the best kits have videos that show you what to do) and practice for couple of hours until you start to get the hang of it. Word of advice - save yourself some tears (and dollars) and don’t practice on your solar cells! First find some old wire, strip off the insulation and use this to practice with. Once you have had a couple of practice sessions you’ll be fine. Then you can start using the proper tabbing wire and solar cells. It really is not that difficult – just give yourself sufficient time to gain familiarity with the techniques.

· Measuring and marking out – Yawn yawn yawn. I know this sounds so simple and it is, but how many times have measured or marked something out in the past and made mistakes. Follow the instructions and watch the videos carefully. This is simple stuff and just requires that you take your time, concentrate and watch what you are doing. Always double and triple check. Put the solar cells onto your layout as a final check. Take your time, don’t panic, and use a marker/pencil that is easily rubbed out. Expect to make a few mistakes, that is why you double and triple check everything.

· Using the silicon sealant/caulking – the silicon is used for make the panel watertight. This is easy; just don’t try anything fancy like the professionals. Squeeze out enough silicon sealant in the approximate places and then use your wet finger or wet latex gloved finger to move the silicon into place and make it neat and smooth. The important thing is to make sure you seal the gaps and holes and try not to get it where you don’t want it. But hey, it dries clear (if you buy the right stuff) so no one will notice if you have used a tad too much.

The good "how to" guides / kits cover all the above in detail, step by step. They will show you the tools you need to have (nothing special or unusual), the materials you need and where you can get them cheaply from the Internet. The best of these guides / kits provide you with downloadable manuals, illustrated with good diagrams, AND downloadable videos that show you exactly what to do, in a very methodical manner.

Not All Guides / Kits Are Equal!

Now a quick word about quality: all the kits I have come across provide you with ebook manual / guide. But not all guides/manuals are equal. The poorer quality manuals skip the difficult bits and fail to fill in the blanks. An experienced DIYer will probably not be phased by this but novices could find themselves banging their heads against a brick wall in frustration! But let me reassure you, the best guides / kits really are very good.

Videos Are King

But, there is no doubt that while a diagram may at a glance give clarity to something 1000 words has failed to explain, a good video showing you just what to does tells the complete story in 3D. The best instructional videos show you what to do and take their time so you don’t get lost or confused. This may sound strange, but I found that the best instructional videos are in some ways the more boring ones because they are aimed at the novice and explain everything very carefully, very painstakingly. Personally, I prefer this approach. I want to understand what to do and how to do it the first time around; I can always fast forward through some of the slower bits the next time I replay the videos.

So, if you want to make your own solar panels for a hobby or science project, do not be put off if you are not a DIYer or have never seen a solar panel in your life. No expensive tools are required and the manuals & videos teach you the skills and techniques that you need. The key to success is to get a good kit that provides both good manuals/guides and instructional videos that work well together. Electric solar panels are really not that difficult to make, you just need a bit of patience and the ability to watch and learn.

Safety

There other area to note is that of safety. The good packages keep banging on about safety – this is a GOOD thing. The poorer quality guides tend to treat safety as more of an afterthought. The point is that you cannot ignore safety - electricity kills if abused. When it comes to connecting your solar panels to the power grid you must consult and use the services of the appropriate professionals. Make sure you adhere to your local building codes / building regulations.

Enjoy Making your Solar Panel Home

Finally, making your own solar panel should be fun and very satisfying.

Going down the DIY route is not going to save you money, but you will get the satisfaction and reward of creating something.  Hopefully, you will then want to buy commercial solar panels for your home and really do something truly constructive for the planet. The more use we can make of renewable energy, the better the chances that the planet will be a great place for our children and our children’s children.

I wish you all the best with your solar panel home. For more about solar energy, how to make the most of it and a review of the leading "how to" guides / kits, please visit our website: http://www.solar-panel-home.net