DIY Solar Panels & Electricity

With the ever increasing cost of gas, oil and electricity its no wonder so many are turning to renewable energy solutions in their homes. In this article you can find out if it is possible to put together a solar panel yourself and install it to provide electricity for your home.

A solar panel is essentially designed to use the suns energy and turn it into useable electricity. Many people prefer to use the commercial solar panels available on the market but I am going to tell you about an alternative, namely the DIY solar panel. The materials needed for the DIY solar panel are easily found in hardware shop and costing little money.

Once installed, your DIY solar panel could save you a considerable amount of money on bills and probably more importantly, help save the planet by reducing your carbon footprint. You may not be fully aware of the effect the electricity you use every day in your home has on the environment before it ever reaches your home. If you are a DIY enthusiast or are just good with your hands, then the DIY solar panel will be easy for you to put together and install.

Can I Do More?

The next question to ask yourself is can you do more to cut down on costs; the answer is yes. Apart from the cost involved, you may want to think about the weather where you live. The sun won't be out all the time and so the solar panel simply cannot cater for your power needs all by itself. This is where you start to think about how to compliment the power generated by the DIY solar panel, again there is a solution to this also. A windmill, or wind turbine as it is also known as, along with the DIY solar panel will produce enough electricity to power your home and more. The likelihood is that you could be selling electricity to your power company if you install such a system.

Like the DIY panel, it is also possible to build a windmill from basic materials found at a hardware shop. These two systems combined will ensure you are doing your part for the environment and making a saving at the same time.

Some DIY Solar Panels and Windmills Building Guides

Earth 4 Energy - Make your own solar panels or wind turbine. More info here

Home Made Power Plant - There are some other guides for DIY wind and solar generators, but all of those that I've read don't get into the same details. More info here