Most people think only in terms of the price of the materials when they consider a DIY solar panel project for producing electricity. There are plenty of places online that suggest a “basic” materials list that includes buying broken solar cells on EBay at what seem to be bargain basement prices. But while it’s certainly possible to build solar panels by soldering broken solar cells together, it may not be as cost effective as it first appears, especially if the instructions are not complete.

One thing that many of the online instructions leave out is the “cost” associated with the time that you spend on your DIY solar panel project. Sourcing the materials, learning what to do with them, doing the actual assembly work, troubleshooting the unexpected things that will arise (and there is always something that doesn’t go exactly as planned) then finally installing your final product all take time that adds up. Of course, if you have more time than money at the moment, building your own solar panels may be a good choice.

But do you already have all of the tools that you will need, or will you have to “invest” in more tools? If you have to buy new tools, add them to the cost of your project. If you buy a soldering iron on EBay, add that to your cost, and remember to include the shipping charges.

You may have access to free salvage materials that you think would be perfect for your project. Many do-it-yourself articles online suggest using old windows, shower doors or scrap pieces of Plexiglas for the top layer of your solar panel. It seems like using these kinds of materials will save you money. But they are actually not suitable for any solar panel project that is intended to provide reliable power. The wrong kind of Plexiglas will turn yellow with continued exposure to sunlight. And glass that is not thick enough to withstand hail will also not withstand a stray baseball or fallen tree branch, so should not be used for a solar panel.

The bottom line is that DIY solar panels are not an automatic way to save money on your solar electric system. You need to make sure you have the right tools and that you’re using the right materials for the job. And you also need to make sure you have a good set of instructions that will produce a reliable product.

Tags: solar cell, solar cells, solar panels

Filed under: Alternative Energy, Solar Power by admin
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