DIY Solar Panels: Overview of the Buying & Construction Process

Building and installing your own solar panel can help you save a lot of money on electricity, without extravagant upfront costs. Getting a solar panel installed professionally will usually cost you five figures. Doing it yourself, however, can cost just a few hundred.

 

Here's an overview of how the buying and construction process works.

 

Buying the Solar Cells

 

There are a few ways you can buy solar cells. You can buy them as part of a group, in which case you'll be able to buy from a wholesaler directly. Though this is perhaps the cheapest way to do it, it's much more difficult to organize.

 

The easiest way to buy solar cells is to use eBay. eBay has several sellers providing solar cells, which means the competition keeps the price down to inexpensive levels.

 

Constructing the Solar Panel

 

A solar panel is basically a series of solar cells joined together. The electricity generated from the cells flows together until there's enough electricity generated for actual use.

 

To construct the panel, you need a wooden container of some sort to put the cells in. You need wire cutters, strippers and soldering equipment.

 

All you need to do is wire the cells together to create a panel. You might also want to install a diode to make sure that energy doesn't flow from the battery back into the panel when sunlight isn't hitting the panel.

 

Inverters and Batteries

 

Energy generated from a solar panel comes in the form of direct current (DC) power. However, in order for your home electronics to be able to use the power, you need the energy to be in alternating current (AC).

 

Also, unless you plan on immediately using the energy generated by your solar panel in your home, you'll probably want a battery so you can store the energy.

 

Inverters and batteries can cost quite a bit of money. Again, eBay can come in handy when acquiring low-cost or second-hand supplies.

 

Passing Inspections

 

The final step to installing your solar panel is passing inspections.

 

While it's possible to create a solar panel and run it without passing inspections, you're leaving a lot on the table.

 

First of all, you can't qualify for the many tax incentives that come with owning a solar panel if you don't pass an inspection.

 

You also can't wire your solar panel to the grid without passing inspection. If you get permission to attach your panel to the grid, you can "sell" energy to the grid and actually have your electric meter flow backwards while your panels produce energy that you aren't using.

 

That's a basic overview of the entire buying and construction process. Building your own solar panels takes a lot of dedication, but the process can be immensely fun and save you a lot of money at the end of the day.

Choosing and Installing Energy-Efficient Doors

Selecting and installing an energy efficient door can help you reduce your electric bill, as well as keep your rooms at a more comfortable temperature without having to turn on the AC or the heater.

 

Some door improvements cost a lot of money. For example, if you decided to completely replace your door, that's going to be a heavy investment. Other improvements, such as weatherstripping, are easy and inexpensive.

 

Here's what you need to know about installing energy-efficient doors.

 

What Kind of Door Should You Choose?

 

There are primarily three types of doors you can choose from: wood, steel and fiberglass.

 

However, if you want to conserve the maximum amount of energy possible, the best kind of door you can choose is a steel door that's wrapped in wood. 

 

This kind of door will give you the great look that a wooden door does, while giving you maximum insulating power.

 

Weatherstripping: Even More Important Than the Door

 

Even more important than the door are the areas around the door. 

 

Most heat in the door area doesn't escape from passing through the door. Instead, it escapes through the gaps under the door or the seams on the side of the door.

 

As a rule of thumb, if you can slide a piece of paper anywhere from inside the house to the outside of the house with the door closed, you have a serious air and energy leak.

 

Weatherstripping is the process of sealing up these gaps to make sure no heat or coolness escapes to the outside. You do this by sealing the bottom of the door and the seams along the door.

 

Weatherstripping costs much, much less than buying a new door and can have a much bigger effect. You can even do it yourself by going down to Home Depot and buying the weatherstripping supplies you need.

 

Understanding R Value

 

One final thing to understand about door energy conservation is "R Value."

 

Your R Value is how heat resistant the glass on your door is. If you have a door panel, glass doors or even just decorative glass on your door, a lot of heat can escape through that glass.

 

The higher the R Value, the less heat escapes. When you're buying your door, make sure you take your R value into account.

 

If everything else in your house is designed to conserve heat but your door has a low R value, you might want to consider getting the glass replaced.

 

Choosing, installing and leak-proofing your door can take several weeks. Remember that all the effort you put into it will pay off in energy saving in the future. You'll also be helping reduce your environmental footprint by using less energy.