No. 1 Choice - HomeMadeEnergy
Price $47.00
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HomeMadeEnergy Review – Summary
HomeMadeEnergy has produced an excellent package for making solar panels. It does a very thorough job, covering all aspects of making a solar panel and does not assume any prior knowledge or expertise. There is a good manual and seven videos (almost 3 hours) that go through in detail all the steps to making a solar panel. In addition there are another 3 hours of video presentations that lay a foundation of knowledge covering solar energy systems, terminology, system components, system sizing, batteries, on grid / off grid configurations and the fundamentals of electricity.
This kit is ideal for both the novice or experienced DIYer who wants to make their own solar panels. At the time of writing this HomeMadeEnergy review, HomeMadeEnergy is the most complete and best instructional guide for making solar panels. Our No. 1 choice.
Review
Bill Ford is the man behind HomeMadeEnergy and he and his colleague Ben clearly know what they are talking about. These guys are first and foremost electrical engineers. They are not gifted amateurs with a rudimentary understanding of electricity. These are professional engineers. There are 3 hours of video presentations that lay a solid foundation of knowledge and understanding of renewable energy, electricity, different configurations etc.(see contents below of details of topics covered). I strongly recommend that you go through these first, before starting to make your solar panel.
There is a 55 page manual that covers solar panel systems, configurations, making a solar panel and how to make a wind turbine. It’s a good, basic manual. The kit also includes a spreadsheet for calculating how large your PV panel array needs to be to meet you requirements.
But what gives this kit the edge is the other set of 7 videos that accompany it. These really are very good. They are not perfect. Bill Ford is not an actor, he’s an engineer, but that is what I like about it – he is not word perfect but he is genuine. Bill takes you step by step through each stage of making a solar panel. He is very thorough, he takes his time and you should have no problems in keeping up and following him each step of the way. One of things that stood out during this HomeMadeEnergy review was that if you have never done this type of thing before, you won’t get lost with Bill. The other thing to note is that these videos run for almost 3 hrs and can be downloaded (in FLV format) from the Internet, so once downloaded you don’t need Internet access to play them. (I didn’t have a FLV player so I simply downloaded one via Google).
From a solar panel perspective, this is the most comprehensive and easy to follow kit we have reviewed. It is not fancy, doesn’t have wizzo graphics, and at times you wish he would move a bit faster, but both sets of videos are excellent and you know these guys really understand what they are talking about. They instil confidence and trust.
Unfortunately HomeMadeEnergy does not include any bonuses within the package and as a result gets marked down in just the one area: value for money. To be honest, nearly all the bonuses the other two leading packages include can be downloaded free from the Internet, if you know where to look. I just think HomeMadeEnergy should have made the extra effort to include a few useful freebies – it just makes you feel good when you get a nice surprise!
[I will be providing a resource page within the next week or so that will provide lots of very useful links to videos, articles, Govenment grants, etc, that can be downloaded from the Internet and I hope these will be very helpful if you are going set up your own solar panel home.]
Testimonial – Jason Hutto
Hi Bill,
Thanks for your step-by-step guide. Using the HomeMadeEnergy guide me and my son have built our own wind mill. We couldn’t believe our eyes how easy it is to make your own energy. Now, after 3 wind mills, we’re completely using our own energy for our home. And it’s nice to see how you credit the electric company.
Thanks again for providing this to us,
Jason Hutto
Nevada
Customer support – We raised a couple of questions and received a response in less than 40 hours (we did send the email on a Sunday morning so that might account for why it took nearly 2 days to respond).
HomeMadeEnergy Review Pros – Very thorough, no prior knowledge or expertise is assumed, one set of videos educates and prepares you, and the other set shows you step by step how to make a solar panel in a very careful and methodical manner. Good solid material that does what it says on the tin.
HomeMadeEnergy Review Cons – The step by step process seems a bit slow at times. If you want to make a wind turbine you have only the manual and no videos to guide you.
HomeMadeEnergy Review Verdict - Although the videos may not be as polished as the latest ones from Earth 4 Energy or the Green DIY Energy instructional videos, they are still the most comprehensive and thorough. At this time Home Made Energy is the best instructional guide for making and using solar panels. It is our No. 1 choice
Click here to go to our review DIY Solar Panel Guides.
Package Contents:
7 instructional videos (lasting 3hrs) showing, step by step, how to make a solar panel
7 videos (lasting 3 hrs) on the wider aspects of making and using solar energy:
- Video #1: Introduction to Home Made Energy
- Video #2: System Components & Types
- Video #3: Special Report re Connecting to the Grid
- Video #4: Electrical Fundamentals to help insure a safe, successful PV project
- Video #5: PV System Design and Sizing
- Video #6: Tools Needed to Construct the System
- Video #7: Batteries – purposes, types, specs & system sizing
Excel Worksheet – PV Panel Array Sizing
Instruction Manual/Guide:
- Introduction 4
- CHAPTER 1: REDUCING YOUR ENERGY NEEDS .. 5
- Determining Your Energy Needs . 6
- CHAPTER 2: THE MAGIC BEHIND SOLAR POWER 7
- How Solar Power Works: 7
- How Long Do Solar Panel Systems Last? . 8
- CHAPTER 3: BUILDING YOUR SOLAR ENERGY SYSTEM 9
- Parts & Their Functions. 9
- Different Types of Solar Energy Systems 12
- CHAPTER 4: SOLAR PANELS: TO SALVAGE, BUY OR BUILD 17
- Obtaining Free Solar Panels 17
- Getting Panels At A Discount 18
- Building Your Own Panels 19
- CHAPTER 5: HOW TO BUILD YOUR OWN SOLAR PANEL 22
- CHAPTER 6: MAINTAINING YOUR PANELS 26
- CHAPTER 7: HOW WIND POWER WORKS 27
- Parts Of A Wind Turbine 27
- CHAPTER 8: TO BUY OR BUILD YOUR WIND ENERGY SYSTEM 29
- CHAPTER 9: BUILD YOUR OWN WIND TURBINE 34
- CHAPTER 10: UNDERSTANDING HYDROELECTRIC POWER 41
- CHAPTER 11: WIRING YOUR BATTERY SYSTEM 42
- CHAPTER 12: THE ALTERNATIVE ENERGY HOME 44
- CHAPTER 13: LARGE SCALE RENEWABLE ENERGY 46
- CHAPTER 14: MORE CHANGE FOR THE WORLD TO SEE 48
- Reducing Your Oil Dependence: 48
- The Ethanol Question: 49
- The Energy Of The Future: 49
- CHAPTER 15: WHAT’S HOLDING BACK CHANGE? 51
- CHAPTER 16: ADDING TO YOUR KNOWLEDGE
- BASEWORKSHOPSAND RESOURCES 52
- CHAPTER 17: CLOSING THOUGHTS 53
- LIST OF REFERENCED LINKS 55
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