Home Made Solar Panel

Why pay lots of money (or any money) for a program that shows you how you can make your own solar panel as you can get this for free?

Visit Home Build Solar System on http://home.kpn.nl/maas5455/and experience how also you can make not only solar panels but also how to make the whole system for half the price of panels you buy in the shop for free.
Those systems are mostly made from materials you can buy locally in your DIY shop and materials which are easy to get online.

Its time to harvest the sun and get your electricity for free.

See you at http://home.kpn.nl/maas5455/.

Step 1 The Initial Intention

I could see that my electricity bill was increasing year after year, just because the modern day appliances cant be turned off any more and before I noticed I had many appliances in the house which are on standby day in day out. This all not only harm the environment but also my bank account as I am using electricity for nothing. Not to solve this problem (as this is how appliances are made and I cant change this) I started to look into renewable energy to compensate my unneeded losses and to take some pain away from my bank account. Wind energy was no option due to the area Im living in, hydro electricity is no option as I live in a flat country with next to no rivers so solar power was the best solution. Than the price of solar systems appear to be horrendous, far too much that the system ever would produce in its estimated 20 year lifespan. So I tried to get governmental grants for this project but grants for those kinds of systems where limited and did I miss out. But I still wanted a solar system but I didnt wanted to pay the high price, so I decided to build the panels myself. Yes you see this right, I wanted to build my own solar system and I can tell you now its possible and well with materials bought local in DIY shops and easy to obtain parts from the Internet. No Im not a technical wonder and I dont have lots of experience working with electricity, I just looked around and taught myself how solar panels are made, how other might have done it and made out of this a workable plan of how I could do it.

Comments

[jimbo-g]

CAn you give any specifics about the requirements for the cells, voltage etc and the dimensions. Or if you have any brand suggestions, that'd be great. Im from the UK

[WildfireSOS]

I think this is the site
http://www.kpn.com/

[Koolraap]

The website is still unavailable at 10 april 2012.

404 error

[kyriaap]

unfortunately the site is still unavailable today 30th of january...
404 page not found on the KPN website..
any plans or progress to fix it?

[numenius]

Interesting post, and neat looking panel for a home build, but your link to: http://home.kpn.nl/maas5455/ still is not working. No such page I'm afraid (at 26th December 2011).

[mikesnyd]

Ok so i know Solar panels are not very cost effective but can you use them in conjunction with a hydrogen dry cell. The combo of a wind turbine with solar panels (one with mirrors on side) to make enough hydrogen to power a small generator is feasible isn't it?

[rrepass jr.]

please fix your site, if this is where you list purchase of items used.

[pcheyni]

You site isn't working

[dome_head]

Good information. I am motivated to build my own system now. Thanks!

[SinAmos]

What about battery storage?

[bahi]

I think 500Wh per week is a mistake, maybe 500Wh per day (500Whx7=3500Wh).
Very good and useful instructable anyway. Thanks

[aksnpesos]

Thanks for sharing FYI your site is down!

[sarain]

Your panels are clean and professional looking.  Nicely done.

Since you mentioned reaching a break-even point, where you would have saved enough to pay for the panels, I couldn't help but do the math to see how long this would take to reach.

Given your measurement of about 500 Wh per week and given an average cost of 11.63 cents per kWh for grid power in the US (2009) (http://www.eia.doe.gov/cneaf/electricity/epm/table5_6_b.html) you are saving 5.815 cents per week.

For 3 panels I came up with a total cost of $653.08 using your bill of materials.
It will take 11,230.95 weeks to save $653.08 This translates to about 215 years.
If the price of electricity goes up then these numbers would become more favorable.  Also perhaps you could improve these numbers by repossitioning your cells as you mentioned.

I understand that there is more to a project like this than saving money and I am not telling you that the project is a bad idea.  In fact I have thought it would be cool to do something like this as well.  I just want to make sure that the reality of a break-even point is understood before people jump into this expecting to save money.

Hopefully in a couple of years there will be cheaper high efficiency cells.

Happy building.

[pembo210]

dont forget to ad the $.10 - $.20 per Kwh fuel surcharge that gets added to every bill. Also I think his math is wrong. (sorry HBSS)

My homemade panel is 65w @ 6hours a day = 390 watt hours a day (not a week)

390 x 20 (days of good sun a month) = 7,000 = 7.8Kwh @ .12 = $0.94 a month

I got 20 of them. Usually average $20-30 off my bill each month because of fuel surcharges. I have about $1600 in my system including grid tie inverters and wire.

[MaXoR]

Sorry, I just have to add this in here as a useless piece of info.... In Manitoba, Canada, our hydro (Electricity) costs 6.3 cents per kW\h. I do however believe this is largely due to the fact we produce a LARGE chunk of Canada's electricity, and we even sell a portion to the US, guess your government has to make their money off it too in the process....

Either way, I think that price is outrageous, but I live up here were a lot of things tend to be less expensive, however not necessarily "cheap".

[rattenterminator]

lucky person you are
I am living in Belgium, next to the German border, and we pay about 21Euro-Cent(about 28 Cent) per kWh. Also fuel prices are much higher here. One gallon gas is about 7,80 US Dollar. Mind that if you say they aren't cheap;-)

[MaXoR]

Yeah, our gas is 1.18 per liter, so times that by 3.85 I think for a US gallon... it's not the almost 8 dollars you spend, but for us Canadians, it's still a jump at the pump.

I'm sure if we had to generate our power like a majority of the USA does, our fuel charge would be as astronomical as yours...lol, exaggerating a bit, but you get it.

Is the german government doing anything with wind energy yet? With prices that high, I don't see why it isn't actually economical to invest in that technology for their people, for you.

[rattenterminator]

well, as far as I know thez are building some giant 5++MW windmills in the East Sea, because there is a constant high stream of wind. The problem right know is just, that the main mower consumers are living in the west and south, so there are 2500 new km of electrical power lines required. They are not a beauty and many people complain that they are going to spoil their view. One thing I personally like is the power company grean peace energy, which are going to produce methane out of windpower(h2o to H2 and H2+ Co2=CH4) which is transported through pipelines and can easily be stored in former caves in the ground. If electricity is needed, it can be used in a gas power plant.

[Pal]

Where solar panels really become cost effective is when your house isn't already tied into the power grid, and you are faced with either building up a solar panel system with deep cycle batteries, or paying the utility to trench their cables to your home. I've seen estimates of $10-15 per foot to bring their lines in, so if your home is back a bit you could spend thousands to get a grid connection, then pay monthly. This is where solar comes in and makes you some major savings. After tax incentives it tends to take little time to break even, and you also aren't relying on the grid for your power.

Little projects like this are fun too, especially if the utility has net metering and pays you back for excess power.

[Darrone]

I think it was supposed to by 500 Wh per day.  The chart shows about 3.5 kWh per week (500x 7days).  Roughly, that would make the break even point 31 years.  A FAR more reasonable conclusion.  Not cost effective, by any means, but still interesting.

[zipknitter]

My worry is what happens to the solar panels when those nasty hailstorms we get come by? How do you protect them from being shattered? That's the one thing I seldom see mentioned but worry about the most.

[airsofter1]

Plexiglass won't shatter. That's what I use.

[charlie_ruizpr]

How have these been with moisture?

[KoffeeKommando]

You don't need a payback period for solar panels. That is a myth.

What is the payback period of a $20,000 automobile?
What is the payback period of your hot water heater?
What is the payback period of your home furnace?

When he has a power outage, he can hook the panels to some batteries and run a laptop. He can charge power tool batteries and flashlight batteries.

You can run a single super efficient fridge off these three panels easily. FOREVER (or until the fridge breaks) This will work even a cloudy climate.
What price can you put on that?

Why not invest in solar panels. They last 20+ years...and counting.

What is a $20,000 car going to look like in 20 years?
Like a trash heap. You will barely be able to get scrap value for that car.
Oh yeah, what about all the repair parts you bought all those years.

I encourage everyone to get 1-3 panels, a great charge controller and two golf cart batteries. Enjoy running any one item you choose off the sun.

It's called progress!

[gmyers2112]

I think that might be a bit of whimsy asking about the payback on a car. There is, in fact a pay back on a car. You balance the cost of the car, insurance and gas against the cost of taxis or buses or trains, the cost of shoe soles, wear and tear on knee and ankle and hip joints, lost work do to being late and sweaty all the time and just plain convenience (it has a value, too). The payback on a water heater is balanced against burning cords of wood under big metal tubs to have clean drinking and bathing water and the medical cost to you and your family for not having such a system and the cost to the environment of burning all that wood (or coal) to heat the water. (Yes I know that the electric company burns coal to make electricity and the plumes of smoke are horrible, but the efficiency factor for one large centralized place burning it as economically as possible to make a profit as compared to everybody in every neighborhood of every city in every state burning a bucket or twelve of coal a day is an enormous difference and part of the payback computation. So, solar panels cost X and not using solar panels cost Y. X and Y are not equal and how much of a difference between X and Y is acceptable is a calculation that everybody makes. There is an economic argument to every green project. There is also the argument about how does this change my life and am I willing to do that. Lastly, there is the SPECS argument (South Park Electric Car Smugness) in which some people will choose to do a thing just so that they can enjoy the smell of their own farts. Bottom line is that there are lots of alternatives. Solar is one and it comes with a cost (including the environmental cost of producing solar cells). There are lower tech ways to spend less and save more and they don't require changing lifestyles (which we are never going to do anyway). Cost is a factor,... ALWAYS. Payback is balanced between cost and benefit and it is an empty argument to say it doesn't exist as a factor.

[bwayne64]

What an awesome comment ! I never thought of it that way before, :) You Sir or madam, are a genius. I still can't afford the panels yet, but I definitely will remember what you said, when I'm ready to plunk down the lettuce, Thanks, Joe

[kilam57]

Due to the cost of instatllation going with a Battery Based Grid-tied system is the best way to go.  However, for the long term benefit of solar power you really should have a Direct Grid-tied system.  Installation is the biggest issue when you build your own solar panels.  Go Solar

[gmyers2112]

Another thing to consider is that when the sun isn't shining, the wind is probably blowing. The opposite is also usually true. (hot sunny days with no wind anybody,..). My point being that a good use of your investment dollars would include solar and wind integrated direct grid tie.

[ian1969]

Hi, I love the idea of solar panels and I'm always keen to see when they're going to be a viable option for me, but can I just ask you what appliances you have that you can't switch off?? I have the usual electrical appliances in my house, and once I go to bed they are ALL switched off overnight, or even when there's no-one in the house. A few years back I used to leave everything on standby, computers, TV, etc. The microwave was only powering the bloody clock after all! With the exception of a mains powered alarm clock, and fridge (although we even tried having the fridge off for a few weeks, altering our diet accordingly!) I honestly can't see what you need to leave switched on. Obviously if you have any medical needs which require electricity that's another matter, but perhaps you could re-think whether these appliances are actually doing you any service whilst in 'standby' mode, and what would you lose if you switched them off (Do you really need a clock on your microwave??). Food for thought....

[gmyers2112]

I would think at the very least you'd leave on the fridge and the environmental system. We also have an air quality monitoring system (smoke, CO2, etc that is wired into the house rather than battery power,) I also use my computer at all hours of the night and my main working computer has been on nearly continuously for the past 8.5 years. (I don't even turn it off when I vacuum the dust out). We also charge all of our rechargable items overnight at off peak times, so,.. cells phones (5 in this house), ipods (2 more) and a small bank of AAs and AAAs for use in toothbrushes, TV remotes and whatever else. So really, there's a lot of stuff left on in our house even after consciously choosing to turn most stuff off.

[cascarabia38]

I like the idea of sandwiching the cells between the glass! Hadn't thought of that.

[lightway]

 there is no store like that in my area can they be home made 

[kellydreamhouse]

how much does the 60 watt solar panel go for in the stalls

[romanticsorist]

I was jus' wondering what the maintenance cost is? 

[elvinooi]

Not cost effective, but interesting. :)

[oddie1212]

So, let me get this right, you're using a DC to AC converter that you directly plug into the wall? Are you sure this is giving power back to your grid since usually you need a gridtied- inverter?

[airsofter1]

 Why do you have four instructables leading to the same thing. Good looking panel though.

[corjin]

Thank youm this was a very interesting post.