Note: this is part 2 of my, How to Build Solar Panels in 7 Easy Steps. You can find steps 1 through 3 here: How to Build a Solar Panel in 7 Easy Steps (part 1)

How to Build Solar Panels – Testing the Solar Cell Array

Now that all of the solar cell arrays have been put together, it is best to test the solar cells to ensure your connections were made properly. This is simple and easy. Place the solar cell array face up and in direct sunlight. Using a multi-meter, measure the DC Voltage across the (+) and (-) terminals. The voltage of each array should read 0.5 Volts times the number of solar cells per array. For example, if you have 4 arrays of 9 cells then each array should read 0.5 Volts x 9 cells = 4.5 Volts.

If you measure 0 Volts then one or more of your tab wires is not making proper contact. You will need to revisit the “Connecting the Solar Cells Together” step above and touch up your soldering.

How to Build Solar Panels – Gluing the Solar Cells to the Backing

Now you should have a few complete solar cell arrays that are ready to be attached to the backing. You will want to orient the arrays such that every other one is switched in polarity from the adjacent arrays. For example, start with the bottom of one array being the negative (-) terminal. The next array placed next to it should have the positive (+) terminal at the bottom. The next should have the negative again and so on.

Start by placing the solar cells with the back side up. Add a small amount of silicone glue to the center of each solar cell. Carefully turn the solar cell array right side up and position it carefully and properly onto the backing. Be careful not to smudge the glue all over and do not apply so much pressure that you break the cell.

How to Build Solar Panels – Wiring the Solar Arrays Together

Now that the individual strips or solar cell arrays are attached to the panel backing you can wire them together in series so that they all work together to provide a total of 63 Watts of power.

Wiring in series means that you want to wire them in a snaking pattern. Start with the negative end of the outermost strip and using the bus wire, connect this to the adjacent strip’s positive end which should be directly next to it. Then follow this second strip to the opposite end which is again the negative end and connect it to the positive end of the third strip.

Continue to connect all of the solar array strips in this fashion, connecting negative to positive and snaking the entire length of each solar array. When you are finished you should be left with two unconnected ends which are the positive (+) and negative (-) terminals of your solar panel.

Now you can solder two insulated wires directly to these terminals which will exit the solar panel and act as the main terminals hook ups for your solar panel.

How to Build Solar Panels – Covering the Solar Panel

You have now almost completed your first solar panel. At this point you will want to build a wooden border if you are using plywood. Or if you are using a plastic border then you should use metal framing. You can then cover the solar panel using a sheet of plexi-glass and secure it using silicone caulk.

You will also want to drill two small holes in the solar panel backing and run the terminal wires out. Be sure to use silicone caulk to seal all joints and bus wire holes of the solar panel housing and plexi-glass covering.

Congratulations, you have just built a fully functional 63 Watt solar panel for $100′s less than the cost of the same exact commercial model solar panel.

Now that you know how to easily build a single solar panel, you can build even more of them to increase the power generated by your solar power system. Every time, it will get easier and faster to build. You can also build them in different configurations to get even more power output for your solar power system.

I hope you have enjoyed this lesson on how to build solar panels and continue to build more just like it to help you save even more money. If you had any difficulties then do not worry. You can always use one of the guides that I recommend which will have video instructions that make the entire process much easier to follow and perfect.


Incoming search terms:

• solar panel build
• solar cell strips
• how to know which termnal is positive diy solar panel
• how to make a best quality solar cell step to step
• wiring solar panels together

A post from: How to Build a Solar Panel

If you are looking for the best wind power guide and one of the best solar power guides available then the GreenDIYenergy guide is what you are looking for.

Before I get to the solar part of this review, I’ll begin with what I believe is the real strength of this guide first.

GreenDIYenergy Review for Wind Energy

So much of the emphasis these days is on solar power but GreenDIYenergy has really taken do it yourself wind power to the next level. In fact, many people do not even realize that they can build a highly effective wind turbine that can be used anywhere, even in residential areas.

Click Here to Visit the Green DIY Energy Website

I’m always looking for new projects to start and when I got a hold of this wind power guide, I thought I would try it for myself. I had already built a small wind turbine that I hooked up to my home solar power system years ago but the design was not the best and it never quite worked to its potential. But it still provided me some energy so I just left it be.

Because it was made out of wood, after about 3 years it had taken quite the beating from the sun and wasn’t looking too pretty. The GreenDIYenergy guide had a very comprehensive wind power guide so I decided to thumb through it for some ideas.

Most of the other guides give you the same old wood model design but GreenDIYenergy is one of the only guides that also gives you a plastic model design as well. This was exactly what I was looking for because plastic holds up much better than wood and I like my projects to last a long time.

The wind power guide was very well written but I’m more of a visual learner so I stuck more to the instructional videos which I must say are top notch. They actually give you two sets of step-by-step videos for both the plastic model as well as a wood model. The wood model is still great for those who want to stay as green as possible and use natural materials.

I was quite impressed with the wind turbine I made. The design was pretty ingenious because it was made almost entirely out of PVC piping material which is about as simple and cheap as it gets. After build both models, I have to say that the plastic model does look much more professional than the wood one too.

One of the things that made this project so easy, besides the great videos and instructions, was the parts list that GreenDIYenergy has put together. I remember when I built my first wind turbine that I spent a lot of time running back and forth to the hardware store to get parts that I didn’t know that I needed until the time came. So this time I made good use of the parts list and got everything I needed in one trip. Talk about saving time!

Click Here to Visit the Green DIY Energy Website

I even decided to update my mounting structure per the guide’s instructions because I suspected that my old tower was inadequate and that I was losing a lot of efficiency because of its instability.

I was actually kind of shocked when I tested the output of my wind generator on a windy day since it was generating almost twice as much power as my old one. While I do think that the new tower does have something to do with the improved efficiency, I have to give a lot of credit to the new design. And since I reused my old generator with the new design, there is proof that the generator itself had nothing to do with the improved performance.

GreenDIYenergy Review for Solar Energy

I still need to give the GreenDIYenergy guide much due credit for their solar energy guide. It is definitely one of the best available which makes this guide one of the top overall alternative energy guides.

If you are looking to build some good quality solar panels for the cheapest price possible then this guide will suit you well. GreenDIYenergy shows you how to easily build a solar panel for less than $100. They provide you the parts list and I can certainly vouch for them on their promise.

They also include more of their high quality instructional videos to walk you through their simple method of building these inexpensive solar panels. These videos really make it easy for those of us who are strong visual learners.

They also do a great job of providing all of the information you need to set up and install your entire home solar and wind power system. Many of the other guides leave these details out and leave you wondering what to do with your finished solar panels or wind turbine. These instructions are simple and will have you generating your own power in no time at all.

The GreenDIYenergy guide was put together with the current economic situation in mind. It is obvious that they understand that not everyone can afford to install high end commercial systems. So they put a strong focus on getting you the best home wind and solar power system for the least amount of money possible. Yet they did not sacrifice on the quality of their guide.

I highly recommend the GreenDIYenergy guide for anyone who is interested in wind and solar power. It is an easy way to use alternative energy to save money and go green at the same time. Trust me, you won’t regret getting this guide.

Click Here to Visit the Green DIY Energy Website

Incoming search terms:

• diy energy projects
• greendiyenergy review
• green diy energy review
• review on homemade energy system
• homemade energy system reviews

A post from: How to Build a Solar Panel

Note: this is Part 2 of my how to reduce your carbon footprint article. You can find Part 1 here:  How to Reduce Your Carbon Footprint (part 1: your #1 source of carbon)

How to Reduce Your Carbon Footprint by Buying Local

Most people do not consider the food they eat as contributing to climate change. But consider that the average fruit or vegetables must travel 1,500 mile from the field to your dinner table. Think about how much fuel that requires. And if you eat organic like me, then your food is most likely transported from all over the world which makes it even worse.

Also, think about all of the packaging used with our food today. All of the packaging is created out of petroleum products. This means that they all are responsible for emitting carbon dioxide and adding to your carbon footprint.

One of the best things you can do is to support your local farmers and buy local produce and meat. It is easy to find a local farmers market in just about any area. Not only will it help support your local community, your food will only have to travel a few miles to get to your plate.

How to Reduce Your Carbon Footprint with Transportation

Once you have your home running more efficiently, you should then consider the carbon emission from your car because it is still a major contributor. It should go without saying that the lower the gas mileage the more carbon dioxide a car produces.

It used to be that the only fuel efficient vehicles were the tiny and slow as a snail cars which are just not practical for many considering space and towing needs. But today is a different story. With the advances in hybrid technology, they are now producing hybrid SUVs and trucks that still have all of the necessary space and towing capacity but with much better gas mileage.

Although hybrids are more expensive, it is estimated that you a hybrid will save you 16,000 pounds of carbon dioxide and over $3,500 a year.

But even if a hybrid is not right for you there are others ways to save both money and carbon. You can try using alternative transportation such as a bus system or even carpool to and from work.

How to Reduce Your Carbon Footprint by Using Recycled Products

One of the latest trends in the world is to make everything more convenient and cheap. This has in turn started the idea to make everything disposable. Everyone would agree that disposable is much more convenient but unfortunately it comes with a price.

Aside from the fact that landfills are becoming packed full of plastic bottles and the like, all of these disposable items contribute to carbon emission. And the more we use them, the more we make, and the more carbon dioxide we produce.

However, there are a few ways that you can make an impact. You can start by purchasing recycled products instead of brand new ones. This will also help keep all of this garbage out of the landfills. Today you can get just about everything recycled from paper towels to printer ink.

Or you can even take it to the next level and get rid of some of your disposable items altogether. Instead of using paper towels, use cloth towels which you can easily wash. Not only will this save you money but it will save you a good chunk of carbon.

Now that you know how to reduce your carbon footprint you can start thinking about the numbers. Consider the fact that the average American generates around 22 tons of carbon dioxide each year. And just to put this amount into perspective, the world average is only 6 tons. So it should go without saying that every single one of us has our work cut out for us.

Incoming search terms:

• reduce
• carbon footprint
• reduce carbon footprint
• how to reduce carbon footprint
• reducing carbon footprint

A post from: How to Build a Solar Panel

If you are really into DIY home energy projects that you might be interested in a new concept to meet your alternative energy needs that is catching on rather quickly. Although it is not a guide per say, the Green ECO Club is a website set up to help you get the most out of your home energy projects.

If you are anything like me, then you have already spent a lot of money on many of the other renewable energy guides available online. At this point, I have pretty much bought them all for many reasons.

Click Here to Visit the Green Eco Club Website

One of the biggest reasons for this was to make sure I always had the latest information for building and upgrading my various wind and solar power projects. I can honestly say that I have learned from and taken bits and pieces from most of these guides to help me build the best and highest quality projects possible.

But times have changes and you no longer have to do what I did and buy every single guide. The Green ECO Club does it all for you by bringing all of these guides and information to one central location for you to access as needed. And the best part is that you get access to it all for what I consider to be a very reasonable monthly membership fee. In fact, the membership fee is cheaper than the price of any one single guide that it provides.

The creators of the Green ECO Club decided to reach out and connect with the DIY solar and wind power community to provide you with many of the best guides (most of which I have already reviewed here on my website) at a huge discount.

There are really 5 components to the Green ECO Club starting with the multimedia library. This library contains many different types of multimedia including videos and mp3s all pertaining to going green and green energy projects. Many of these videos give you additional in-depth details into various aspects of many alternative energy projects.

Click Here to Visit the Green Eco Club Website

They also give you monthly green living tips that are guaranteed to help you save money every month. This includes useful and valuable information such as how to perform your own home energy audit. People pay a lot of money to have companies perform audits like this for them.

You also get access to many of the best renewable energy guides available. In fact you get instant access to 6 of the best guides when you first sign up. These guides cover everything including wind and solar power, solar water heating, and magnetic energy generation. You also get access to a new guide that the Green ECO Club releases every single month. They also allow you to ask questions to the very same experts that write these guides.

But I will tell you what I think is the greatest value of being part of the Green ECO Club. It is the fact that this site is a library of information that will only continue to grow over time. Just imagine how much this site will grow over a single year. It definitely has the potential and I believe it will soon become the new trend for getting the best DIY Energy info on the internet.

So if you want to keep up with the latest alternative energy information and guides then you should seriously considering joining the Green ECO Club where there is a wealth of information at your fingertips that will only continue to grow over time. And not only will these guides help save you money, you will also save quite a bit on the cost of the guides alone since you get all of them for free when you first sign up.

Click Here to Visit the Green Eco Club Website

Incoming search terms:

• green eco club
• eco club information
• why i want to be a member of ecoclub
• information about eco club
• greenecoclub review

A post from: How to Build a Solar Panel

Note: this is part 2 of my pros and cons of solar power. You can read part 1 here: Pros and Cons of Solar Power (part 1: What they don’t want you to know)

In part 1 we discussed 3 pros of solar power which relate to why solar power is one of the best investments you can make at this time and what the government does not really want you to know about powering your home with renewable energy.

In this second part we will discuss 5 additional pros and cons of solar power that are also important when considering if solar power is right for your home.

Pro #4: Solar Power is Low Maintenance

We are so used to having direct access to power from the power company without ever having to think about. And everyone would like to keep their home energy system much the same way. So the last thing you want is to build a home energy system that requires a lot of maintenance.

Solar panels contain no moving parts which makes them very low maintenance and which is one of the big benefits of solar power. All that is really required is a yearly rinse or two in order to remove dust and debris build up that can reduce the efficiency of a solar panel over time.

Pro #5: Solar Power Does Not Pollute

Another great pro of solar power is that it is a renewable energy source that does not pollute the earth. While most people are focused more on the cost savings, being environmentally friendly is still a great benefit. In fact there are not too many ways to save money that involve helping the future of our planet.

On the other hand, most of the home electricity from the power grid is generated by burning coal. When coal is burned it releases carbon dioxide as one of its byproduct which is primary cause of global warming. It also releases many other harmful substances like sulfur dioxide, carbon monoxide, and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that are the leading causes of acid rain, smog, and air toxins.

You should also be aware of the negative health effects of heavy metals. When coal is burned it also releases many of these very same heavy metals into the air including mercury, arsenic, and cadmium.

When looking at all of the pros and cons of solar power you might be thinking that there really is no downside to solar power. But there are a few cons that still need to be addressed.

Con #1: Solar Power Does Not Generate at Night

One of the biggest cons of solar power is that it can only be generated while the sun is shining. So unfortunately it cannot be produced during the night after the sun has set. Because of this, you must have a way of storing solar energy in order to use it at night.
This is accomplished in one of two ways. If you are connected to the power grid then you can use the power grid to store you excess energy for nighttime use by way of net metering. Or you can use a battery bank to store the excess energy directly at your home.

Con #2: Solar Power Is Not Suitable for All Locations

It is also important to determine if your location is suitable for solar power because not all are. Typically the more days of sunshine the better and some locations are commonly overcast and rainy which would keep you from getting the most out of your solar panels.

Con #3: Cost of Commercial Solar Power Systems

The cost of commercial solar power systems can be in the range of tens of thousands of dollars which can be an instant turn off to many people interested in using solar power. These hefty price tags are definitely one of the cons of solar power.

But with a little bit of work on your part, there are many ways to build a home solar power system for a mere fraction of that price. In fact, more people today than ever are finding that they do not need these expensive systems to generate their own power. Instead they are beginning to build their own homemade solar panels from scratch.

Incoming search terms:

• solar panels cons
• pros and cons
• lots of solar panel cons
• 3 pros and 3 cons of solar power
• solar panel northeast pros cons

A post from: How to Build a Solar Panel

So much of the buzz these days is on solar electricity but solar hot water is emerging as a much more practical and affordable use of solar power. That is exactly why the creators of the Green DIY Energy solar and wind power guide have also released their own do it yourself solar water heater guide. Green DIY Energy gives you a great simple design that is not only very inexpensive, it is a great way to save a significant amount of money on your energy bill.

If you are less electrically inclined or do not want to mess with solar panels and wind turbines, then solar water heating is a great alternative way to make use of renewable energy. The best part is that it only requires mechanical parts which make this type of project pretty much fool proof and greatly simplifies the troubleshooting process.

Click Here to Visit the Green DIY Energy Solar Hot Water Website

The Green DIY Energy solar hot water guide is effectively broken down into two parts. The first part of the guide is an introduction to solar water heating and focuses entirely on getting you up to speed on everything you need to know about home solar water heating systems. It covers all of the different types of systems and finishes up with a good explanation of all the various plumbing components used, many of which you will be using to build your own solar water heater system.

The second part of the Green DIY Energy solar hot water guide is dedicated to giving you step-by-step instructions on how to build one of the easiest and most effective solar water heating systems known as a Batch Collector.

They really did a great job with this guide by providing you with parts lists, dimension drawings, and even great 3-dimensional CAD images of the construction process. This really makes it easy to visualize and follow.

There is a simple but well laid out plumbing diagram showing you exactly how to plumb the entire system and where to place each component. Maintenance on a solar water heating system like this is very simple and straightforward but they have you covered there as well.

Click Here to Visit the Green DIY Energy Solar Hot Water Website

I have build a solar water heater very similar to the plans they provide so I can give you an honest estimate of what you are able to save with a system like this. Keeping in mind that it varies depending on your location and sun exposure, my system saves me around 25-30% on the cost of my energy bill which for me was a significant amount. The best part was that the materials were really cheap so there was no big investment needed. You can take your savings straight to the bank.

But I’ll also let you in a little secret that I noticed with the Green DIY Energy solar hot water guide. As an added bonus, they give you access to the same wind and solar power guide that they sell alone for the same exact price. So you can really get more bang for your buck with this one!

In the end, alternative energy does not get much easier than solar water heating and Green DIY Energy gives you a well detailed yet simple guide to help you save money on your energy bill. The parts are cheap so it does not require a big investment yet over a single weekend you can build one of these solar water heating systems and start saving more than 25% on your energy bill immediately.

Click Here to Visit the Green DIY Energy Solar Hot Water Website

Incoming search terms:

• www thediyenergyguy com
• wind & solar electricity - a practical diy guide download
• Thermal Solar Panel DIY Project for domestic hot water
• solar thermal reviews
• solar thermal diy

A post from: How to Build a Solar Panel

A DIY solar water heater is a great way to utilize solar power to help lower your monthly energy bill. In fact, solar water heating is one of the best cost per savings investments you can make.

With the average household coughing up roughly $1,400 a year for energy there is a lot of room for improvement. And considering that on average, 16% of your energy bill is from hot water heating, you could save over $200 by installing a simple DIY solar water heater.

There are many different styles of solar waters heaters but it does not get any easier than the Batch style. This style is great for beginners because not only is it extremely effective but it is very simple and inexpensive to build. If done properly you can build one for around $100.

If you look back through time, solar water heaters were widely used in the early 1900s with great success but as technology advanced these water heaters were replaced with newer electric and gas water heaters. This was great at the time but energy prices have been climbing ever since and are forecasted to soar to new record heights over the next 40 years. So there is no better time to embrace the past and start using your own DIY solar water heater than now.

Finding a Place for Your DIY Solar Water Heater

The easiest place to put your new solar water heater is in your back yard where you will have easy access to it. Ideally you will want to face it south so that it has access to the most direct sunlight possible. And it should go without saying that you will want to find a spot that gets a lot of direct and uninterrupted sunlight. It is also worth noting that the closer you can locate it to your gas or electric water heater the less plumbing you will have to run which can simplify the installation.

Constructing Your DIY Solar Water Heater

Building your solar water heater is pretty simple and straightforward. Just follow these simple steps.

Step 1: Get an old recycled hot water heater tank and strip the insulation until only the tank is left.

Step 2: Spray paint the outside of the tank black to help it better absorb heat.

Step 3: Build a wooden enclosure out of 2x4s and plywood, large enough to house the water tank while lying on its side. The top of the box should be angled, sloping down towards the front at an angle of around 45 degrees. You will also want to make sure you use pressure treated wood so that it will hold up longer.

Step 4: Seal all corners of the enclosure using silicone caulking to help retain the heat inside the enclosure.

Step 5: Line the entire inside of the enclosure with reflective foil faced insulation. This will help reflect all of the sunlight to the water tank while insulating the box to better retain heat.

Step 6: If the tank’s inlet holes are empty, install two 6 inch galvanized fittings.

Step 7: Drill holes in the side of the enclosure large enough to fit the inlet hole fitting.

Step 8: Insert the water tank into the enclosure with the inlet hole fittings exiting from the holes you just drilled. Seal the holes using silicone caulk.

Step 9: Run weather stripping along the top edge of the enclosure.

Step 10: Cut a piece of plexi-glass the size of the top of the enclosure and fit it to the top making a seal with the weather stripping.

Step 11: Use flashing to secure the plexi-glass to the enclosure.

Plumbing Your DIY Solar Water Heater

This type of solar water heating system works by pre-heating your water and then feeds it to your electric or gas water heater. Your main water heater will not have to run unless necessary because the water is already coming in hot.

Using a check valve, you will need to branch your water intake line at your water heater and route it to your diy solar water heater. From there it will enter your water tank via the inlet hole where it will be heated and then exit through the second inlet hole as hot water. From here, the water line must be routed back to the water heater where it will enter your gas or electric water heater as heated water.

There are a series of valves that you need to install inline with the piping on both sides of your DIY solar water heater for the system to operate properly and to protect the system. These include an isolation valve, check valve, and drain valve at the input and an air vent, vacuum breaker, pressure relief valve, freeze protection valve, drain valve, and check valve at the output.

As you can see there really is not much to a Batch style solar water heater. It is easy, inexpensive, and is one of the easiest ways you can save some much needed money on your energy bill. So give it a shot and start building your own DIY solar water heater.

Incoming search terms:

• diy solar water heater
• solar hot water heater plans diy
• diy solar water heaters
• solar heater diy
• building water heater shed out of wood

A post from: How to Build a Solar Panel

After taking an in-depth look at the Energy 2 Green guide I was impressed with a lot of what I saw. Overall this solar and wind power guide has a lot going for it with only a little room for improvement that I noted.

After looking at the website, it is pretty evident that Energy 2 Green puts a lot of emphasis on getting your power company to pay you. While it is true what they say, “if you produce more electricity than you use, the electric company is obligated by law to buy it from you”, it is not quite the lucrative business as you might think. The true benefit of alternative energy is really in the money you save off your energy bill every month.

Click Here to Visit the Energy 2 Green Website

The way this typically works is called net metering. This is an agreement with your power company that when you overproduce solar power during the day, you put it onto the grid for which they credit you for the exact amount of excess energy you produce. Then during the night when your solar power system is not generating power, you take back and use your credited excess energy from the grid. The power company keeps track of this for you and only charges you for your net power consumption.

Under the circumstance that you do continuously produce excess energy a monthly basis, your power company will compensate you for it. With most power companies, this is done only once a year though and not monthly. And believe me, these power companies do not like handing out money. In fact most of the people I know in this situation are issued stock options instead of real cash. It is still worth money but it just is not liquid cash that you can go spend right away. But on the upside, it could be good for your retirement fund.

Aside from the website, I was really impressed with their written wind and solar power guides. As far as written guides go, these may be the best there is. Whereas most alternative energy guides focus on creating high quality videos, Energy 2 Green really put a lot focus on creating extremely detailed wind and solar energy guides. This makes it a great choice for people who prefer a strong written guide as opposed to a strong video guide.

The Energy 2 Green guide really covers it all from step by step instructions on how to build both a solar panel and wind turbine to how to set up, install, and even maintain your system for the most efficient operation.

There were a few things I really liked about this manual. The first was that both the solar power and wind power guides are kept separate from each other. This really helps those people who are looking to build a wind power system alone. Many of the other guides incorporate solar and wind power together which could leave one a little confused if they were not interested in solar power.

Click Here to Visit the Energy 2 Green Website

Another thing I really liked about Energy 2 Green guide was the strong focus on conserving energy vs. just producing more of it. In fact, they show you how you can start saving up to 50% on your energy bill without even using any form of alternative energy. This is done by providing you with a ton of home energy saving tips and tricks.

This really does make sense if you think about it. The more energy you conserve, the smaller the solar power system or wind power system you will need to build to cover your energy needs. So in the end, you will save a lot more money not only on your energy bill but on the cost of your system by taking these first initial steps.

Lastly, I really like how the Energy 2 Green guide was also very focused on education as opposed to only giving you a simple step-by-step process. Of course they do give you the step-by-step instructions but they also give much more.  It really gives you a lot of information regarding how these systems work and the details involved.

If I had to choose the most valuable part of this guide, I would say it is the wind generator guide. Most of the other renewable energy guides only use wind power to supplement the solar power aspect of their guides. Energy 2 Green on the other hand gives equal weight to both and has provided a very detailed plan for building a wind turbine.

I’d also like to add that Energy 2 Green does include a video series but only for the solar power guide. It may not be as fancy as some of the bigger name guides but it will definitely get the job done as it walks you through the entire process of building an inexpensive solar panel from start to finish.

All in all, Energy 2 Green is a solid wind and solar energy guide that will definitely help you get the job done. I highly recommend it to anyone who is looking for a highly educative and well written guide.  In my opinion, the home energy saving tips along are well worth the price of this guide and will have you saving money on your energy bill immediately.

Click Here to Visit the Energy 2 Green Website

Incoming search terms:

• energy2green review
• energy 2 green review

A post from: How to Build a Solar Panel

With the prices of solar panels dropping in recent years, the cost of solar power has been declining steadily. But if you are looking for the cheapest solar panels you can get then there are only a couple of options depending on what you are willing to sacrifice to save some money.

Solar panels are really no different than any other item on the market. They are manufactured at a certain cost and then marked up to a wholesale price which provides the manufacturer with their profit. Then retailers buy them at wholesale prices and again mark up the price to a retail price and sell them to the general public. That price mark up from wholesale to retail is where the retail seller makes their profit.

So as you can see, the price of these solar panels get marked up quite heavily before you get a chance to get your hands on them. So it should go without saying that if you want to get them the cheapest you really only have one of two options. You can either cut out the middle man, or build it yourself. The cheapest solar panels you can get will always be homemade but the tradeoff is with the work involved. But for those who are not up for the task, I will also cover how to get the best prices on the commercial solar panels.

Homemade Solar Panels

As I just mentioned, homemade solar panels are the cheapest solar panels you can get hands down. And it should make perfect sense why. By purchasing the materials yourself, you save on the cost of the labor involved and the initial price markup. You are really cutting out the manufacturer as another middle man by purchasing the parts you need directly.

Even with homemade solar panels there are ways to get the parts you need for even cheaper. For example, you can save money by purchasing chipped solar cells. Sure, they may produce slightly less power than a perfectly good solar cell but the price difference can make it quite worth it for many.

But the cheapest solar panels you can make at home are going to be with broken solar cells. Broken solar cells can be purchased for next to nothing because most people do not want to take the time to use them. Sure it is more work but they still produce power the same as any other solar cell, broken or not.

Commercial Solar Panels

If you do not want to take the time to save the most money by building your own solar panels then you want to find the most inexpensive commercial solar panels. There is really no argument that the cheapest solar panels you can get commercially are going to be directly from the manufacturer. By doing this, you are essentially getting wholesale prices and cutting out the retail middle man.

One downside to this is that more often then not, you have to buy these panels in bulk of anywhere between 20 to 30 panels. This can be a great option if you know others who can split the order and costs. But either way, you will most likely have to spend a significant amount of money up front. If you have limited funds it makes much more sense to go the homemade route and just add solar panels to your system over time as you build them which can be as slow or fast as you like.

You can also sometimes take advantage of the fact that manufacturers do not like to hold excess stocks of solar panels because they would rather have the liquid cash to reinvest into new products and development. So oftentimes, if they do have excess stock that they want to offload in preparation for a newer product, they will discount their prices even further until the stock is gone. If you wait for times like these, you can usually get the cheapest solar panels available from the commercial side.

So the choice is really up to you. If you have the money to invest or the time to wait for a great deal then commercial solar panels might be the best option for you. But if you want the cheapest solar panels and do not mind using a little elbow grease to get them then building your own homemade solar panels is the way to go.

Incoming search terms:

• broken solar cells wholesale
• cheap broken solar cells
• bulk broken solar cells
• wholesale broken solar cells
• solarpanels cheapest

A post from: How to Build a Solar Panel

If you are interested in taking advantage of wind power then you might be interested in learning how to build a wind turbine yourself which can save you a lot of money in the process. You can easily put one together using one of the do it yourself wind turbine kits but you can still expect to pay over $1,000. But if you build it yourself, you can do it pretty easily for under $150.

The best part about this type of design is that you can get most of the parts you need for cheap from your local hardware store. But there are a couple of parts that you cannot make yourself which are really the heart of the wind turbine itself. These parts are the wind turbine generator and hub.

So, if you don’t mind getting dirty then roll up your sleeves and let’s get to work.

How to Build a Wind Turbine – The Generator

The generator, also known as a motor is one part that you will need to invest a little bit of money into. But before you go out and buy just any motor for your homemade wind turbine you need to make sure that you buy the right type of motor.

I highly suggest that if you are new to wind turbine generators that you start with an Ametek motor. The reason is that these motors are already designed to work properly for this exact application.

Ideally you want a high voltage, high current, and low revolutions per minute (RPM) motor. The high voltage and high current determine the power output so it should be obvious that the higher the better. The RPMs determine how fast the motor shaft must spin to produce maximum power. You want low RPMs so that it will produce maximum power even in slower winds. Ideally you will want a motor that will generate at least 15 Volts at around 400 RPM.

Another part that is related to the generator that you will need to buy is the hub plate. This is a metal plate that connects to the shaft of the motor with mounting holes for the wind turbine blades.

How to Build a Wind Turbine – The Blades

You can save a lot of money by making your own wind turbine blades from scratch. This can be done using nothing more than a piece of PVC pipe. Get a hold of a piece of piping that is as long as your desired blade length. This is typically 2 to 3 feet depending on the motor you have.

Then cut the pipe longwise into 4 equally sized pieces. Then cut each of the 4 pieces equally at the same angle. You want to make sure that the blades are well balanced so it might be helpful to weigh each one independently and try to match the weights as much as possible. If the weight is off then you can simply trim whichever ones down so that they better match. Once you have finished all of the blades you can attach the blades to the hub shaft.

How to Build a Wind Turbine – The Housing and Tail

The housing for the wind turbine can also be made out of PVC. Cut a piece of PVC that can act as a shell around the generator to protect it. You can design and build the tail out of a smaller diameter piece of PVC. You can use any piece of plastic, such as plexi-glass for the tail fin. Once you have constructed the tail piece, mount it to the housing structure.

How to Build a Wind Turbine – The Mounting Structure

There are a few different options for mounting your wind turbine. Ideally you want to get it as high as possible in order to get it access to as much uninterrupted wind as possible. So you will want to keep away from trees or other large objects.

One great option is to mount it to the roof of your home which can provide a very solid structure. Other people opt to use a pole mount structure where the wind turbine is attached to the end of an upright pole. One good idea is to recycle a pole from an old basketball hoop. If needed, guy wires can be used to secure and stabilize the pole.

Of course you want to create the best setting for your homemade wind turbine to get the most power out of it but it is important not to overwhelm yourself. As long as it is getting access to wind it will generate power for you. You can always tweak it later if needed.

Now that you know how to build a wind turbine then the best thing you can do is to get to work and build one of your own. Not only is it very rewarding but there is a great sense of pride in knowing what you were able to accomplish.

Incoming search terms:

• how to make a wind turbine
• how to build a wind turbine
• how to build a wind turbine from scratch
• how to build wind turbine
• building a wind turbine

A post from: How to Build a Solar Panel