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on November 22nd, 2011% ![]()
Solar panels are a solution to ever-increasing power bills as well as a solution to reducing pollution. The most obvious and attractive aspect of learning how to make a panel is that it saves money in the long run. using solar panels to provide electricity to homes and businesses is highly practical but also technical. The real issue concerning how to make a functional panel is the complexity of the project.
Is it Difficult to make a Home Solar Panel?
For someone with technical knowledge and skills in electronics, building solar panels is fairly easy. For the average person with limited technical knowledge, it will be difficult to learn how to make a panel from scratch. Making sun-powered panels that produce electricity from sunlight sufficient to power homes is a complex task. this is not like installing an entertainment system or building a bird feeder. To fully do it yourself, you will need many supplies and components and a good guidebook. To partially do it yourself using a kit is simpler.
How Do Solar Panel Kits Work?
Typically, these kits have detailed instructions that are easy to comprehend and follow. they also contain all of the parts and tools that you need to do the job. if you want to know how to make a panel, a kit is the best place to start. Solar kits can be purchased online or at retail locations and they include the necessary photovoltaic cells, wiring kits, hardware and mounting devices. The kits that include instructions and plans are ideal, though you can purchase plans separately. The major drawback to the kits is that they are more expensive than building a panel from scratch.
Building a Solar Panel from Scratch
Building from scratch is far more difficult than the kits, and you will quickly discover that it is no walk in the park. For example, to make a panel, you need copper sheeting to start with. this copper sheet needs to be heated for 30 minutes so that copper oxide accumulates on the surface. next, it must be cooled down and then kept alongside non-oxidized copper sheeting and then submerged into salt water in a shatterproof glass panel. Mounting and wiring jacks are then attached and then you finally have a low-voltage panel. this is how to make a sun-powered panel from scratch.
What Comes next?
A single low-voltage solar panel will not be enough. You will need many of these panels connected together to power a house sufficiently. Building and installing solar panels may sound easy, but it is not. however, should you decide that you want to take on this challenging project, there are resources available to assist. many excellent guides are available to walk you through the process step by step. doing it from scratch is actually far more cost-effective than using kits. Either way you choose to build a solar panel, it will be highly beneficial for the environment and save a lot of money on electric bills.
on November 22nd, 2011% ![]()
Do you remember when you were a young kid and you were focusing your magnifying glass on a bug in the hot, noon-day sun? When you did that, you were concentrating the sun’s rays and creating solar power. You probably thought it was just being a little bit naughty, but what you were doing was a precursor to today’s modern solar power panels.
You can build solar panels at home and do more than cook some defenseless bugs. You can generate power for your appliances, heat your water, and even send power back to the electric company for them to sell (at a profit). When you build and install a solar panel system you will see your utility bills plummet quickly and forever.
Sure, you are probably thinking that you don’t have the skills or education to build solar panels, let alone install them, but you could be wrong. There are kits and instructions available that just about anyone can utilize, giving you the ability to build your own power system almost immediately. it isn’t rocket science, it isn’t that expensive, and you can start to realize a reduction in your electricity bills the very same day you have the solar panels on line.
Of course, just being cost-efficient is only part of the benefits of alternative energy sources. If you build solar panels and install them on your home you are doing something wonderful for the environment. By generating power without using foreign oil or domestic air-fouling fossil fuels, you are keeping the atmosphere cleaner, the earth cleaner, and providing a healthier future for generations to come.
And don’t forget that the government appreciates it when you create your own energy. it loves it so much that it offers rebates and tax deductions to those homeowners who install solar panels and other alternative energy generation devices. Isn’t that great? not only will you save money on a long-term monthly basis by lowering your bills, but your tax burden will be reduced, as well.
Home solar products were expensive in the past and not easy to install. these residential solar products, built by engineers and mounted by construction crews, were restricted to very wealthy people with environmentally- conscious minds. for the rest of us just normal people who wanted to conserve money and do some good – home solar products were out of the question. But since it is now possible to build solar panels on your own and cheaply at that, this just might be the time to roll up your sleeves and have a go at it.
on November 20th, 2011% ![]()
The sun is the most abundant source of power in the whole solar system. Learning how to build a solar panel to place on your home or your business will allow you to use a power supply which that is predicted by scientist to still be burning steady 4 billion years from today. if you don’t think that’s a permanent solution for dwindling fossil fuels and searing energy bills, then there isn’t one
How to build a solar panel. the first thing you should consider before you learn how to build a solar pane, is if you live in the northern or the southern hemisphere. for example, solar panels in the northern hemisphere need to face south so that they can capture the most sunlight. if the roof of your desired structure doesn’t faces south (or if you’re in the southern hemisphere, north), then you can easily mount your solar panels on poles which have been placed on a location which does face the necessary direction.
Building your own solar panels is actually quite simple, as long as you have basic carpentry skills. you can start by collecting your tools and the necessary parts. if your local home improvement store doesn’t have the parts, then you can try the one place which will surely have them, eBay
First, you need to use your Rosin Flux pen to place flux onto the bus strips of your solar cells. Doing this will ensure proper adherence and proper connections in the wiring for when you solder the tab ribbons onto the solar cells. you will then need to connect the solar cells to one another.
Once all the cells are connected, using the least silicon possible, place them securely onto the plywood panel. you will be left with two unattached wires which belong to the solar cells, you will need to drill two holes into the plywood so that you may feed the wires through. then, seal any remaining gaps around those holes using silicon.
The next thing you will need to do is build a frame for your solar panels, since they will need to be covered with Plexiglas. using wood screws and more silicon, adhere the frame to your plywood board, and make sure it’s waterproof. you can then secure the Plexiglas onto the frame, using the silicon first and then screws. however, you must make sure that you first drill the screw holes onto the Plexiglas prior to attaching the frame. not doing so can result in cracking.
Make sure that you also check every inch of the solar panel for any gaps where moisture can penetrate it. Seal any holes that you find with silicon, no matter how small they may be. however, you must keep in mind that no matter how tight you seal your panels, moisture can still buildup in the interior of the panel’s. the only thing that remains to be done now is to drill a small hole near the bottom of the panel, but it must be away from the wiring. This way, air can flow into the panel which in turn reduce any moisture build up. Placing the hole near the bottom will also stop any rain from collecting
Didn’t think you could learn how to build a solar panel? well guess what? you just learned
on November 19th, 2011% 
Florida-based ESA Renewables has retained most-favored status in Johnson City?s move to work out a deal with a company to install and operate photovoltaic (solar panels) systems on 27 city-owned buildings, schools and other structures.
The subject was at the top of the list at Tuesday?s City Commission agenda meeting and will be on the table tonight for discussion at the commission?s meeting.
On Oct. 20, commissioners deferred discussion on the move. The matter was pulled when Public Works Director Phil Pindzola, who solicited proposals from companies specialized in the field, learned the Tennessee Valley Authority had accepted all 27 applications for consideration under its Generation Partners Program.
That was 10 more than what the company had calculated in a rough draft. So the entire plan, including savings estimates, kilowatts used and saved, time frames and other estimates, had to be refigured. That is what commissioners will consider tonight.
Time will be of the essence. The TVA program only allows for a six-month window from when a contract is signed until installation is complete at all locations.
The revised proposal is for ESA to install 200-kilowatt systems on 27 sites, including elementary schools, the Keystone Community Center, Johnson City Public Library, Municipal and Safety Building, as well as other schools and city buildings.
The first proposal revealed an estimated annual saving to the city of more than $122,000 in each of the first 10 years of service. The number tossed around Tuesday was closer to $150,000.
Should negotiations lead to a contract, the city will not finance or be liable for the operation of the systems.
Under the program, ESA would get an up-front credit of roughly 30 percent of the cost of installing the systems. TVA also would pay it 12 cents per kilowatt hour for all electricity generated by the systems that exceed the average usage.
?The tax credit to the company is probably the biggest chunk,? City Manager Pete Peterson said Tuesday. ?But the company is taking the biggest risk.?
When the system generates more electricity than is being used, the excess automatically flows into the grid and is sold to TVA, thus the incentive for the firm that installs and maintains the new systems. Meanwhile, the city would be able to lock in current usage rates and receive a royalty consisting of a percentage of the savings. That amount would be negotiated with the company.
If commissioners vote to go forward, negotiations would begin between the company and the city. The city would hire an attorney well-versed in this particular type of relationship, it also would need to conduct a structural analysis of the roofs on which the panels will be placed.
At this point, it?s unclear whether a contract would include an agreement between the two entities regarding any shared responsibility involving roof repair. But as of this week, Peterson seemed to think that would likely be the city?s responsibility and the repairs are a need that would have rolled up on the fix-it list sooner or later.
Pindzola said he wants to set up monitoring devices at all schools on which the panels will be placed. The devices would be used as an educational tool for students who could observe for themselves the energy being saved.
on November 17th, 2011% ![]()
Duke Energy Renewables recently announced its acquisition of three new 1-megawatt solar plants in North Carolina.
The energy company purchased the turnkey solar plants from Spain-based ESA Renewables, which will continue to maintain the arrays. Duke has also arranged to sell the power the three plants produce to the Tennessee Valley Authority. TVA, a public utility that serves several southeastern states, signed a 10-year, power-purchase agreement with Duke, according to a press release from the company.
Duke has two arms. It is a regulated utility which provides power in five states, and it has commercial operations like those advanced through its Duke Energy Renewables business, said Duke spokesman Greg Efthimiou.
The commercial branch of Duke commissions builds and buys renewable energy generation facilities including both solar and wind and typically sells that power to other utility providers and cooperatives.
“We made these purchases as part of our commitment to sustainability,” Efthimiou said of the three new solar installations.
Duke is dedicated to bringing a mix of renewable energy sources online over the coming years, Efthimiou said.
The company has been in business more than 100 years and has been building power plants from the beginning, Efthimiou said. But it didn’t get into the renewable energy line until 2007 when it built 107 megawatts of wind generation.
It has since gotten into solar. in North Carolina alone, the company owns about 20 megawatts of solar generation, Efthimiou said.
The three new solar plants that Duke purchased include 4,298 panels at the Murphy Farm Solar Project on eight acres, 4,340 panels at the Wingate Solar Project on seven acres and 4,242 panels at the Holiness Solar Project on nine acres. all three started producing power between May and November. They all use Canadian Solar panels.
While the company’s solar portfolio is slowly growing, it has an even greater concentration on wind.
Duke built almost no wind generation plants in 2011 because power-purchase agreements were stalled in 2010. But the company already has agreements to build wind plants that will generate more than 700 megawatts of power in 2012.
“We’ll more than double our wind capacity,” Efthimiou said.
Image courtesy of Advanced Energy.
on November 15th, 2011% ![]()
LOWELL — The roof of the Lowell Memorial Auditorium is home to rows of gleaming new solar panels. A similar photovoltaic array is also working hard atop the Reilly Elementary School on Douglas Road, cranking out electric power for the building.
After installing these and other materials, and upgrading the energy efficiency of city buildings and schools, the city of Lowell has garnered a recognition as a state leader in carbon-footprint reduction.
On Oct. 26, Gov. Deval Patrick’s administration presented the fifth annual Leading by Example awards to Lowell, Boston and eight other entities, including two state community colleges, at a Statehouse ceremony. Lowell was one of four municipalities to receive the recognition.
According to Department of Energy Resources Commissioner Mark Sylvia, Lowell was recognized for a $21 million energy-efficiency project that includes the installation of solar panels at five city and school buildings, electricity conservation measures and mechanical improvements, as well as the weatherization of buildings. under the project, 47 municipal buildings totaling 3 million square feet of space are being upgraded, according to the state.
The state praised how the city leveraged $1 million in utility rebates and $250,000 from a federal Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant and partnered with Ameresco, an energy-services company. Implemented under a so-called performance contract, the project will pay for itself through savings in energy costs over a 20-year period, and did not require the city to spend any tax dollars upfront.
City Manager Bernie Lynch said he is pleased to receive the award, adding that Lowell is becoming a “model” urban center for sustainability.
“These awards are important because they enable us to highlight best practices and showcase what municipalities and organizations are doing to ‘green up’ the bottom line,” said state Sen. Marc Pacheco, co-chairman of the Joint Committee on Environment, Natural Resources and Agriculture, in a press release. “By implementing energy-efficiency programs and pursuing clean and renewable energy, we are simultaneously reducing our greenhouse gas emissions, creating jobs, and saving money in our budgets. I applaud these groups and individuals for taking a leadership role on this issue.”
on November 14th, 2011% ![]()
Make Solar Panels – Home Solar Panels
Article by Jerry Standefer
Building your own solar panels has never been easier. with new building techniques, making your own power is now a reality. Today we have better quality solar cells that can be purchased at reasonable prices to keep your building cost to a minimum. If you are wondering what it takes to build your own solar panels, then look at the list I have compiled for you. Here are the items you will need to make your own solar panels.
Solar cells-You will need at least 36 solar cells to start with. I purchase my cells from a company in California called Everbrite©. they have reasonable prices, plus when you order your cells you will receive extra cells because at first you will break one or two. You can order your solar cells in kits that include everything you need to get started.
Aluminum frame-I like to beef up my solar panel by purchasing 1/8″ aluminum angle in at least 1″ dimension, so that they will last for thirty years or more. The frame is to be the strongest part of your panel, so no skimping here.
Tempered glass-One thing that I learned about building solar panels, tempered glass is the best for making a system that will last and withstand all types of weather from hail storms, heat, and cold. I recommend 1/4″ for strength and durability. Another good point to make here is that all your soldering can be done on this tempered glass which makes an excellent heat sink.
Encapsulate liquid-The best way to mount your finished solar cells to the glass is by using a special epoxy designed for manufacturing of solar panels. I used encapsulate from Dow© chemical called Sylgard, which comes in two parts, an A and B which when mixed will bond your cells to the glass, completely covering them from the elements. It is important to let stand for at least four days to cure.
Soldering tools-What I have found is that a soldering iron of 40 watts works best for soldering your tab and buss wires to your cells. It is good to have extra soldering tips available, because you will be replacing them at one point during your soldering process.
Hardware-You will need miscellaneous hardware such as 1/4″ machine screws, 1/4″ nuts, 1/4″ lock washers, small angle brackets to join your corners of the aluminum frame together, and angle brackets to hold your glass in place.
Anyone can build their own solar panels for home with the proper instruction and training. Visit Earth Power Energy Systems to see other tips about building your own renewable energy systems.
About the Author
Jerry Standefer is owner and author of several alternative energy websites. His websites teach you how to build your own wind turbine, build your own solar panels, and build a solar hot water heater. The main website Earth Power Energy Systems has received many reviews from other energy websites. Sign up at the website for a free energy report entitled “Why Build your own Wind and Solar System” get your copy today! Follow Jerry on Facebook Fan Page and join in on the discussions about alternative energy.
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on November 14th, 2011% ![]()
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on November 14th, 2011% ![]()
Hanford is moving ahead with a project to blanket a piece of itsproperty with 3,936 solar panels in order to trim 60 percent offthe annual electricity bill for its wastewater treatmentplant.
The Hanford City Council last week approved an energy servicecontract with Chevron Energy Solutions and a lease-purchaseagreement with Bank of America for the financing.
John Doyel, deputy public works director, said construction couldbegin on the Houston Avenue site as soon as January and that thepanels could be operating by May.
The project will cost $4.3 million to build, and the state isproviding $1.69 million in rebates as part of the California SolarInitiative over the first five years of operation, Doyel said. Thelease payment will be paid out of the energy savings andincentives. but the city will be guaranteed to stay cash-positiveeach year because the lease payments are projected to be alwaysless than the energy savings, he said.
Running a wastewater treatment plant is expensive: the city’selectricity bill for the facility is about $500,000 a year, makingit one of the most energy-intensive services for the city.
Doyel says the upgrade would save at least $4 million over the next15 years and provide a long-term benefit to the ratepayers.
“If we achieve savings like this, it eliminates the need for rateincreases in the future,” he said. “The operation of the plant isalways paid for out of our rate structure, so any time we canachieve long-term cost savings, that means we can use those fundsfor other things. It will allow for future rate increases to befurther away.”
Hanford residents received an 18-percent rate increase between 2007and 2010 to make up for dwindling revenues and risingexpenses.
The new solar installation will also help the community reducecarbon emissions in the region.
“It’s a renewable energy source, so it’s going to be around for along time,” Doyel said. “We’re also trying to be greener as a city,so we’re making a large step forward with this project.”
Chevron Energy Solutions has recently worked on Lemoore’s solarproject. It is also developing a solar parking shade structure atthe county government center.
The reporter can be reached at 583-2429 oreyamashita@HanfordSentinel.com.
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