Solar Panels For Your Home
Solar Panels For Your Home-Learn How To Make Solar Panels For Your Home
Author: N Jamal
The greatest thing about solar power is that its potential is limitless. Learn how to make solar panels for your home, easily and save 00’s on utility bills forever. You just need to know how to make your own renewable energy source and today I’m going to tell you exactly how to make solar panels.
If you want to learn how to make solar panels for your home, you’ll need to learn some basics on how exactly do solar panels work. This way, the entire procedure will be much easier to handle.
The process starts with solar modules. They are the main components exposed directly to sunlight. Their main function is to convert the sun’s energy into usable electrical power for your home appliances. To get them correctly installed, solar modules are to be mounted on a steel frame and positioned on your roof top.
Power produced by the solar modules is converted from Direct Current (DC) to Alternating Current (AC) through a inverter. Usually, Alternating Current (AC) is the usable electrical power that we need to power the home appliances.
Next, the electrical power transfers from the inverter to the electrical service panel. The electrical service panel is used for distributing the electrical power to different parts of your house for consumption.
The unused electrical power produced by the solar panels will then be brought into the grid all the way through the utility electric meter. As a result, the meter will be made to spin backwards and this establishes a credit with the utility company in offsetting future usage. This method is known as Net Metering and is completely approved by State Level Electricity Policy.
Learning how to make solar panels for your home isn’t really a difficult task. You don’t require many skills beyond being able to handle wiring & basic tools with care and safety measures.
The components needed for constructing solar panels include:-
1. Solar Cells
2. Copper Wire
3. Sheet Plywood
4. Clear PVC Sheeting
5. General Tools (Drills, screwdrivers, woodwork glue etc)
All these components can be easily picked up by you from the local hardware store. Photovoltaic cell is the only component that you might have to search online and it can be found easily on eBay.
Quality directions that are easy to follow are vital to find when trying to build your own solar panels. This will make the building process less stressful and make you happier that you made the choice to do it yourself. Online is just one of the places you are able to find some of these manuals. We have reviewed the best guides offered to help you to learn how to build your own solar panel system for electricity. Go ahead and check them out NOW……learn how to make solar panels for your home and STOP paying for electricity…FOREVER!
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/technology-articles/solar-panels-for-your-homelearn-how-to-make-solar-panels-for-your-home-1549401.html
About the Author
Stop paying your energy bills and throwing money out of the window. Learn how to make Solar Panels For Your Home, easily and save 00’s on utility bills forever! Learn how thousands of people worldwide have slashed their electric bills by 80% and at times completely eliminated them by using the Best DIY Solar Power Guides on the planet, that have step by step instructions and videos that even a novice teenager can follow to make solar panels for home.
November 30, -0001
12:00 am #comment-1
Solar Power Purchase Agreements, or PPA, have historically been for large systems for commercial and municipal customers. However, they are starting to venture into the residential sector.
Buying the power from the panels instead of the panels itself can help with the upfront costs and lock you in to a lower per kwh cost than buying from the electric company. However, you would not qualify for the rebates available if you bought the equipment yourself, so you would continue to pay for electricity after the equipment was paid for if you bought it outright.
I don’t know anything about these companies, but a quick search for California Solar PPA turned up:
Heliomu PPA http://www.heliomu.com
Solar City Lease http://www.solarcity.com
SunRun PPA. http://www.sunrunhome.com
November 30, -0001
12:00 am #comment-2
The 3 major suppliers in California do NOT pay you for excess generation – the best you can get is a credit on your bill up to the amount of your usage. This is true for the PG&E region, as well as SCE and SDG&E. Also there will be a minimum charge for staying connected to the grid, nominally $5-10 a month, which cannot be undone by generating credit.
This being true, if you get a solar electric system, you want to size it to not quite meet your electrical needs, averaged over the year. We made the mistake of over-sizing our system, so ended up with a net credit at the end of the 2007 period. At that time, the power company said “thank you for your donation” and zeroed out the credit.
See the California Solar Initiative site below for official information.
November 30, -0001
12:00 am #comment-3
General Information
The installation of solar modules (panels) requires a great degree of skill and should (if DC voltage exceeds 100V:) only be performed by a qualified licensed professional.
Cautions
1. Avoid electrical hazards when installing, wiring, operating and maintaining the module.
2. A photovoltaic module generates DC electricity when exposed to sunlight or other light sources.
3. When installing or working with module wiring, cover module face completely with opaque material to halt production of electricity.
4. It is recommended that the module remains packed in the box until time of installation.
5. Do not touch terminals while module is exposed to light or during installation. Provide suitable guards to prevent contact with 30VDC or greater. As an added precaution, use properly insulated tools only.
6. Do not drop module or allow objects to fall on the module.
7. Do not stand or step on module.
8. Since sparks may be produced, do not install module where flammable gases or vapors are present.
9. Never leave a module unsupported or unsecured. If a module should fall, the glass can break. A module with broken glass cannot be repaired and must not be used.
10. Work only under dry conditions, with dry module and tools.
11.Module installation and operation should be performed by qualified personnel only. Children should not be allowed near the solar electric installation.
12. If not otherwise specified, it is recommended that requirements of the latest local, national or regional electric codes be followed.
13. Use module for its intended function only.
14. Do not artificially concentrate sunlight on the module.
15. The word “module” as used in this Guide refers to one or more photovoltaic modules (panels).
Warning
1. All instructions should be read and understood before attempting to install, wire, operate and maintain the photovoltaic module. Contact with electrically active parts of the module such as terminals can result in burns, sparks, and lethal shock whether the module is connected or disconnected.
2. Photovoltaic modules produce electricity when sunlight or other sources illuminate the front face. The voltage from a single module is not considered a shock hazard. When modules are connected in series, voltages are additive. When modules are connected in parallel, current is additive. Consequently, a multi-module system can produce high voltages and current which constitute an increased hazard.
November 30, -0001
12:00 am #comment-4
If you’re thinking of installing solar panels, there are several things to consider.
1. Where you live – solar insolation (energy available) varies dramatically by region. NREL has a calculator that can help predict performance and estimate how much money a PV installation can save.
http://rredc.nrel.gov/solar/codes_algs/PVWATTS/
2. What incentives are available – each state has its own programs and often there are differences by utility. Everyone in the US can qualify for the 30% federal income tax credit (30% of the installation cost, up to a specified limit, can be deducted from your tax bill) and you can find the rest of them here:
http://www.dsireusa.org/
3. What equipment and services are available – depending on where you live, your choice of installers (and therefore of panels) may be pretty limited. If you’re a member of a PUD or rural electric association, check with them since they may offer support. Otherwise, check local directory listings for PV installers. If you can’t find any, try a national outfitter like Real Goods or Akeena. A good dealer/installer will help you deal with all of the necessary paperwork to claim incentive money and get connected to the grid.
4. What your power bill looks like – you’ll see the most benefit if you’re currently paying a lot for electricity. Those who only pay $.10 to $.15/kWh will see less benefit than those who pay $.20 to $.30/kWh. Also consider if your utility is planning to raise its rates in the near future.
5. Where you will put the panels – A South facing roof slope is optimal, unless you have room on the ground for a tracking PV or dish concentrator system. Your local installer can help you with this, but make sure to ask them about it as it makes a big difference.
November 30, -0001
12:00 am #comment-5
Go to your bank or credit union and get an unsecured personal loan or put them on a credit card.
June 27, 2006
1:42 pm #comment-6
Have you ever thoght about buying Solar panels for your Home?
April 3, 2007
6:35 am #comment-7
solar panels for your home?
hey, i am wanting to help our earth a little bit, and I was wondering how to do a solar panel connection for powering my home…. i just want to reduce my energy bill a little bit,
Would these solar panels work?
and how would i connect them?
http://store.altenergystore.com/Solar-Electric-Panels/Roofing-Solar-Panels/Unisolar-PVL-136T-136W-24V-Thinfilm-Rooflaminate/p4087/
(i live in st. louis, MO)
November 30, 2008
8:28 pm #comment-8
If you were to install solar panels on your home that would allow you to…..?
always use less power than what the panels are generating, does the electric company pay you for the excess electricity you produced?
I live in California. I know it may be different in each state.
May 8, 2009
5:10 pm #comment-9
Where can you get a loan for solar panels when your “upside down” in your home.?
March 2, 2010
5:33 pm #comment-10
What’s the best deal for Solar Energy panels for your home?
What’s the best deal going on companies leasing out Solar Panels in California?