how can you make your own solar cells for solar panels?

Posted on 1st June 2010 by admin in solar panels for homes

i see these things all over the internet on how to make ‘home made solar panels’ but all of them require you to buy the solar cells and nothing tells you how to make your own. So how can you make your own solar cells?

Firstly, to address the link pointed out by bwise; that’s hardly what constitutes what we mean by a "solar panel" is it? sure that can be a solar cell, but I’d like to see anyone build an array of these and get 175W of energy and compare the size difference between what we mean when we say "Solar Panel".

Ok, to the asker, i a not sure what you are referring to when you refer to these online "guides"; but if there is anyone one out there that has a a process of building solar panels from materials made in the home, not only is he going to become a billionaire but also I want a share of it :-)

So, just to give you an understanding of what a solar "cell" is made up of and the complexity of the process in producing it, you will understand that to make a solar panel, you NEED to BUY the cells indeed.

Solar panels are made up of "solar cells", for sake of completeness. The solar cells on the other hand are made up of semiconductor technology, which is basically the stuff that runs our world today, commonly known as "chips" or computer chips. These "chips" that are in almost EVERY single electronic device that exists today can be made with different parameters to exhibit and/or exploit its various properties. Having said this, if you have a slight knowledge of electronics you will know what LEDs are. LED is an acronym for Light Emitting Diode. This is a device which when a voltage is applied, emits light as its name suggests and uses very little power. These are made with tiny chips enclosed in translucent housing so the light can be seen.

The solar panel works on the reverse principle. A solar cell has many LED like structures engineered to work in the reverse process. When the light hits these "cells" the electrons are energised by the photons (a light component) and they are mobilised producing current; i.e. electricity.

Now silicon, a semiconductor material is made from sand. (YES sand, like that of the stuff found on the beach :-) It’s heated up to to a molten state, purified…etc etc… and then cut to circular discs called wafers, doped with boron or another depending on the required parameters, the stencil being applied and stuff…. all this being taken place in a multi million dollar semiconductor facility with clean rooms and where all the personnel working there are covered head to toe in white suits and masks whose breath might even be dangerous for the products being developed….

So, as you can see this is a very very very complicated and expensive process hence for anyone who has a much cheaper alternative, that is why I would want to be a part of it as it would be an electronic revolution.

So in conclusion, I would say from what I know and have conveyed the home production of conventional solar cells by us enthusiasts is pretty much impossible. Though, I would appreciate it if you could if you could give me a few of the links that you are referring to that sparked this question. I think it will be an interesting read at worst.

Hope this helped.

How to Make a Wind Mill – the Process Made Simpler

Posted on 1st June 2010 by admin in energy windmill

If you are looking for the cheapest sources of energy, then one of the best ways is to opt for wind power. From centuries, there has been a lot of use that wind has been put to. We can harness wind power to the extent where we can get the maximum out of it and you need to learn how to make a wind mill

Create Free Electricity & Build Wind Power at Home Today

If you are thinking about how to make a windmill, it is not so difficult. In the past it was used in flour mills and even to pump water. But we have realized the power that wind has in it and it is this power that can be used as an alternative source for electricity. With the depleting levels of fossil fuels and the increasing rates for electricity it is high time we decide on using such alternative forms of energy and learn how to make a windmill.

Not only are we going to save money, but we are saving the earth too. With nuclear energy being used as one of the sources for energy, the carbon dioxide content in the atmosphere is growing to such high levels that the issue of global warming is catching every body’s attention. Is there a solution to all these problems? Well, the use of renewable sources of energy like the sun light, the wind generated power etc are sure fire solutions that does work.

When you want to know how to make a windmill and if you find the rates of installing one, you will sure find atrocious prices. The best way to go about this is to use the resources that are easily available in our homes and even in the nearby hardware stores and construct our own wind mill that results in wind generated power

All you need to set up the instrument that gives you wind generated power is a how to make a windmill installation guide and the right components. The most important consideration for this is the location where you will be building this. You need to make sure that the area has a free flowing current of wind most of the time.

Mr. Pom

Rated Life Span of Home Solar Panels - How Long Do Solar Panels Actually Last?

Posted on 22nd May 2010 by admin in solar panels home


I’ve had a rooftop solar panel at home since 1995, and over the years it’s been relatively maintenance-free. On an average, solar panels are known to last for 25 years while the inverter has a warranty of around 10 years.

How to Build a Wind Turbine

Posted on 22nd May 2010 by admin in energy windmill

With society slowly moving towards a cleaner and greener planet, alternative energy is being pushed more and more into the spotlight. Wind power currently comes in second only to natural gas as a renewable source of energy. Last year there was over 1700 megawatts of power product by wind turbines. This year it wind power is expected to account for about 1.5% of the US power needs. Commercial wind farms will account for most of this energy however residential wind turbines are becoming more and more popular and are slowly helping to reduce harmful emissions which tend to pollute our atmosphere; this is why more people want to know how to build a wind turbine.

Wind power is a very clean source of energy, especially when compared to fossil fuel energy which is the main stay in today’s world. Usually the only objection to wind turbines is their so called “visual pollution” and sometimes even the noise that they create. This however is not the case with residential wind turbines. Today’s wind turbines are very compact thanks to technology and they can contribute quite considerably to the overall household energy consumption which in turn saves you money. In fact if you combine it with a solar power unit you could quite easily power your average sized home. While there are household commercial units available, with the advent of the internet there are a number of guides that can easily show you how to build a wind turbine and often at a cost of less than $200.

Some people think that if you are planning on installing a wind turbine at your home that you have to be in an open area so you can get a maximum amount of wind hitting your turbine, this however is not the case as even the smallest amount of breeze can be enough to generate so electricity which will be stored in the battery units. The amount of energy that you can produce is a combination of wind flow and design. Obviously the more wind that the wind turbine is exposed to, the more energy that it can generate and the more energy that can be stored in its batteries. However the traditional windmill design that most people are familiar with isn’t the only design. Roof top mounted wind turbines are comparably small units which do not use the traditional tower as these turbines are designed to be used in relatively sheltered or built up areas where there is not a good wind flow.

If you live out in the country, these units can be fantastic for you especially if you are prone to having power outages and don’t like to use your gasoline generator. The great thing about learning how to build a wind turbine is that you can make more than one turbine for your home which of course means that you will generate more power for your home which in turn means that you will save more money by cutting your power costs.

Terry Dunn
http://www.articlesbase.com/education-articles/how-to-build-a-wind-turbine-743018.html

The Advantages and Disadvantages of DIY Windmill

Posted on 13th May 2010 by admin in energy windmill

DIY windmill will certainly help you save. The associated costs are very marginal in terms of fuel consumption and system maintenance. Many articles have been written about windmills and according to experts, the amount of energy we can get from the wind is a lot greater than what the world is currently consuming. Truly, there is a significant cost reduction in using a DIY windmill than the ones that are commercially available. This also means that aside from cost saving, the availability of wind power is out of the question; it will never run out. The problem is that there might be an impact to the atmosphere if wind power is harnessed in a global and massive scale. There might be repercussion that we are unaware of but right now, there are no facts that will show what damages could happen but studies are in progress.

Create Free Electricity & Build Wind Power at Home Today

The biggest challenge or disadvantage of using DIY windmill is battery maintenance. Although it was mentioned earlier that maintenance is not costly, it is a challenge to rewire batteries of wind turbines. The hassle is that you need to take the battery to a shop or person who specializes in battery rewiring.  For now, the alternative you can have is to have two batteries so you have a spare if the other one conks out. As a DIY windmill enthusiast, you need to know that an average battery can produce 300 volts. This should give you an idea what kind of power you can generate and for how long. Many DIY windmill apparatus uses 23-24 volts at an average. Although there are batteries that can contain more energy, these are also more costly than the ordinary ones. This is a choice you have to make depending on the energy you consume and depending on the energy your windmill can produce.

Mr. Pom

How much would it cost to power an average home using Solar Panels?

Posted on 5th May 2010 by admin in solar panels home

also how much electricity does an average household use?

Hi, An average is about 17-25K for about 3-4KW system using batteries to store the energy. But i have a good news for you if you want to save more than 75% of retails price for the same system you need to taka a look to www.earth4energy.greenproductsolutionpr.com here you will find the most complete guide to make your own home solar power system.

If you have any doubt you can contact me

Have a nice day

An Easy to Understand DIY Windmill Guide for You

Posted on 5th May 2010 by admin in energy windmill

Windmills have their own charm, apart from the fact that they are among the most popular alternative sources of energy. An increasing number of people these days are going in for building and installing their own windmills. Rising energy bills, along with a genuine concern for the environment is what driving people towards building windmills these days. Moreover, a do it yourself or DIY windmill is not that difficult to build too. There are several do it yourself guides that are available these days, which can help you build one.

Proper planning is essential if you want to make a success of the installation of a DIY windmill. You should for instance decide on the place where you want it to be installed. You need have all the parts ready with you to begin the process. The tower, the turbine and the blades of the windmill should be ready. You will then need to choose between a aluminum or a wooden windmill. Although aluminum windmills will cost you more, they are much more durable than the wooden windmills.

Before you install the DIY windmill, you will first of all need to determine the amount of power that you want it to generate. Checking the utility bills of recent months will give you a good idea about the windmill size that you need. You will also need to take into consideration the average number of windy days in your particular area per year for calculating the power that your household will need.

sidana.abhi

Has anyone built a DIY solar home panel system for less $200 and are you please with the results ?

Posted on 28th April 2010 by admin in solar panels for homes

Does it take a Pro to hook up so it will work?

No. You don’t need to be a pro to hook up DIY solar panels. These guides are very easy to follow. If you are considering to buy one, maybe you want to check this DIY solar panels site.

Windmill Power - the Answer to All Environmental Problems

Posted on 28th April 2010 by admin in energy windmill

With environmental pollution being a major issue these days, people are searching for alternative sources of energy. Among all the alternative sources of energy that are available, wind energy is perhaps the easiest one to tap as well as to use. Windmills are making their presence felt in many parts of the world for this very reason. If you are someone who wants to harness windmill power, then you can also think of building one yourself too. The entire process has become a lot easier these days and one need not be a qualified engineer to build one.

Windmill power comes along with its own set of advantages. For one you need not worry about mounting electricity costs. In fact there have been instances when many households have been able to reduce their electricity bills by as much as 70 percent using windmills. The other advantage with windmill power is that it is a renewable source of energy. You can typically generate enough power to run various different home appliances with windmills. Generally speaking the amount of power that a windmill can generate will depend on the design of the windmill as well as the wind speed in the surrounding area.

If you are someone looking to build your own windmill, then you will first of all need to plan well. The first thing that you need to do is to choose the correct location. The location should be such that there is undisturbed access to winds. Moreover while designing a windmill power system for your home; you should also make sure that it is also compatible with your power company’s wires. This connection between the two systems ensures safety and easy changeover from one system to the other.

sidana.abhi

Earth 4 Energy Review - Earth 4 Energy Download

Posted on 17th March 2010 by admin in energy windmill

Earth 4 Energy Review - Earth 4 Energy Download - Learn More About Earth 4 Energy Review - Earth 4 Energy Download

Earth4Energy is a guide that teaches how to build a homemade solar panel and wind turbine at a very low cost. It also claims to reduce 80%-100% of your electric bill. However, is it true? Did the guide really people in achieving their goal? Well let me share you something about the guide.

The Contents of the guide consists of :

  • How to prepare Building A Green Energy Source
  • How does the Solar And Wind Power Work
  • A Detailed Instruction mentioning How To Build Your Own Solar
  • Panel or wind turbine
  • Colorful images to guide You Along The Way
  • Pin Point Accurate directions and important steps
  • How To Obtain components For Free

The site claim that you can build your own Solar or wind system for less than $200.Well, after going through the guide, one main benefit you get is knowing how to get a $600 battery free. If you can follow the instruction properly, you can reduce costs by 90%.The site also claims of saving up to 80% electricity.

Earth 4 Energy Review - Earth 4 Energy Download :

I had built a mini solar system to generate enough solar energy to power my light bulb to test it out and it worked out fine. So one can go ahead to build a big one and save up to 80% of the electricity bill.

The results vary from person to person, because everyone uses a different amount of fuel or consumption of electricity at their home. But it is sure that you will get back your investment after following this guide and the kit within a few days. Energy prices in the global world are rising up and we need such alternate energy to generate savings which will
secure for the future.

Many scientists and experts are exploring further to seek alternative fuels that will reduce greenhouse effect caused by the fossil fuel gases. Now is your chance to come forward and do your part and help the environment. Even if this is not your objective, then also you can are still saving massive amounts of energy.

Quickly, let me mention the return on investments on taking the product Earth 4 Energy .This windmill kit will cost you around $100, which is really nothing when compared to the average energy bill that you get every month. This windmill will be generating you the power or electricity for at least the next 3 to 5 years, possibly saving you lots of dollars in your energy bill. Also, the solar panels can be easily constructed with a budget around $150, which is very cheap compared to those professional installs.

Also even if you have a professionally installed device, then you may have to wait for years before you get back the money.

Make power at home with solar and wind energy to eliminate your power bill using Earth 4 Energy Wind Generator.

Daisy Samuel