Solar Panels-Part I

After having gone through numerous websites and articles, I thought everybody should be able to build a solar panel by themselves. A lot of these websites are making money by imparting the information which, in my opinion, should be free.

Before writing this blog, I built a solar panel myself. I had never soldered or even used a saw before and believe me, if I could do it, anyone else can as well.

Before the answer to how should we build it, we should ask ourselves, why should we build it?

The answer is simple. It'll save us energy and depending on its utility, money as well.

How much does it cost to build a solar panel? The answer varies from person to person depending on what tools and components they already own. However, for all practical purposes, lets say we have someone who has no components but some tools. It'll cost him around $300 to build a 60-watt solar panel stand-alone system (comprising of a 1500-watt inverter, 35 ah deep cycle battery, and a 60-watt solar panel). The cost goes up with a greater capacity battery and inverter. For all the people who already have an inverter and a battery, your investment would be minimal.

I'll start with some basics of physics. We need to understand the basics of electrical circuits, battery capacity, an example showing how one can save some money before starting to build a solar panel.

The next blog will deal with these issues. For now, you can see my first home built solar panel - a little amateurish and needs some more cosmetic changes, but it works!