Homemade Solar Panel Installation

Solar power has been in use for many years and is common on space craft and satellites. The last decade has seen a significant increase in the amount of solar power systems being used on homes across the world as a way to power appliances and heat water. Using solar power in these ways has become popular in the UK and is helping people saving hundreds of pounds each year on energy bills and cut back on carbon emissions.

One stumbling block that is keeping the UK behind countries such as the USA, Australia and Germany is the cost of installation which is generally around £3000-£5000 for a solar thermal system and £8000-£14000 for a photovoltaic system. These initial costs are a lot more than people can afford in the current economic climate any many are looking for ways to carry out a homemade solar panel installation.

Carrying out a homemade solar panel installation

As well as the main benefit of saving money on heating bills and installations fees, carrying out a homemade solar panel installation can have many other benefits.

A homemade solar panel can be installed on a roof or wall and can be built on cost friendly budget, the overall costs involved will be made back in around one or two years from the savings that can be made.

The frame for a homemade solar panel can easily be done with lengths of hardwood and MDF for the base; this can be purchased from any reputable hardware store such as Wickes or B&Q. Parts for the putting together a solar panel can are readily available as many companies cater products aimed at the DIY consumer.

Whether you are looking to build a PV solar panel system (to generate electricity) or a solar thermal system (to heat water) the parts to complete the job are readily available. EBay is a good option to find both the solar cells to make up a panel and the evacuated tubes used in thermal systems.

Monocrystalline cell panels which have a high level of efficiency are available from many online stores. Websites such as rapidonline.com and conrad-uk.com are excellent options which cells available for under£10.00.

There are many online step by step guides to building and installing your own homemade solar panel, solarfriend.co.uk and mysolarshop.co.uk are excellent resources.

Mounting a homemade solar panel system

A typical place for homemade solar panel installation is on the roof of a property although it is possible in the case of PV panels to mount the panel onto a wall. It is important when mounting the panel that roof position is correct to ensure that the maximum potential is reached and water is heated or electricity is generated accordingly. The roof should be facing 90 degrees of south and the panels should not be obstructed by any shadows.

When carrying out a homemade solar panel installation, you should ensure that fix the panel direct to the roof joists and not just to the tiles. You may need to remove some tiles to locate the joists.