Phil Paine - renewable energy enthusiast
Having bought and examined dozens of these DIY solar panel guides / kits, there is no doubt that the leading packages offer excellent value for money and do show you how to make your own solar panel. But, expect to pay around $175 for the materials to construct a 60watt solar panel.
Price $47.00
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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.
Price $49.97
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Earth4Energy is a very good product and is one of the best DIY solar panel guides available. The manuals are very good. The only reason that this kit does not get top billing is that the instructional videos only cover some of the initial steps in building a solar panel. Earth4Energy has recently produced five excellent videos (and more are in the pipeline) that cover the wider aspects of using and configuring solar panel systems, covering terminology, different types of on grid/off grid configurations, building codes/regulations etc. As well as a a number of bonuses (all available free off the Internet) the package includes a manual for making bio-diesel from used cooking oil.
Price $49.97
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Ongoing advances in technology and the ever increasing market for renewable energy, means that having your own solar panel home and installing electric solar panels is no longer just for the well off.
If you are attracted to building a couple of solar panels as a project to keep you busy over the weekends, we strongly recommend that you buy one of the “how to make solar panels” guides / kits. These contain good manuals, diagrams, details of the material to be used, links to suppliers, step by step instructions and instructional videos. Please take a look at our recent review of solar panel guides / kits. The review confirmed that even a novice DIYer should be able to make a decent 60watt solar panel for around $175 – $180. But do not expect to save much (if any) money by going the DIY route.
