Before you go buying solar panels, you should explore the possibility of building your own. Assembling your own DIY solar panels could well be a cheaper alternative to buying new or second hand solar panels – and all you need is some key materials and basic tools found in most workshops. The payoff is that you have the satisfaction of saving money and energy for years to come, and as always with DIY projects you’ve earned the right to say “I built that”.
Basically, a solar panel is a bunch of solar cells wired together in a frame. It’s a fairly simple process requiring some basic tools and materials which you can easily obtain.
The materials you will need:
- For the wooden frame: a saw, a drill and a screwdriver. Silicone caulk and wood glue will probably do most of the fastening, but there’s nothing wrong with something extra like tacks, nails and/or screws;
- The wiring will require wire cutters and strippers, as well as a soldering iron and solder.
- Other materials needed: some timber to assemble a frame in which to place the solar cells which form a panel, and of course the cells themselves.
The first step in the process will be to obtain the solar cells themselves. You can choose to buy used solar cells from a variety of sources – but I don’t really understand why when they are largely chipped, cracked and do not generate as much power as new cells. The other reason is that new cells are cheaper and cheaper – so I don’t mind paying a little more for quality and reliability, it really pays for itself.
Back to construction. The typical solar panel has 36 solar cells – but you can make more or less depending on your needs. Some of the cell kits you can buy have pre-tabbed cells which make assembly easier at any rate. When you are attaching the solar cells with the caulk to your wood paneling, it’s a really good idea to place one dot of silicone in the center of the cell, rather than one dot at each of the four corners. This allows the wood to expand and contract with heat without damaging the cells.
Once you have wired your cells together you can place them all together in the frame and extend the wiring through the bottom of the frame (seal it with silicone as well to keep the electronics dry). All in all you can really assemble your own DIY solar panel under $100. That will save you well over 50% compared to buying a pre-assembled solar panel. If you want to take it even easier, look into cheap and simple DIY solar kits which include everything you need. Building your own solar panel with some simple materials can be a really cheap process, and a fulfilling way of saving money and energy for your home.
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