subject: Green Living Kit - DIY Solar Water Panels [print this page] DIY solar water panelsDIY solar water panels. Although many are still skeptical about it, it should have been a no brainer decision at all. The only question that should be asked is not whether to build one but rather on how big the solar collectors for your water heater should be. Some proponents say that it should be according to your needs. But no matter how small your needs are right now, it will surely it will grow in time.
Another concern is that having bigger solar panels will also entail that you pay more on the materials on constructing it. However, this is not usually the case. It was often observed that the cost of building a solar water heater is not that proportional to its size. In fact, many have found out that, more often than not, it is more economical to construct larger solar panels especially for domestic use.
Another advantage of bigger DIY solar water panels is that it will generate more savings. The more solar energy collected for your use would mean less dependence on power company-generated electricity. Furthermore, there are also rebates and tax credits that the government usually gives depending on the solar energy that you have generated. In fact, the IRS would require at least 50% dependence to solar energy for your water heater before they could allow you to claim any tax credits.
So in order to figure out how really big would be your solar water heater panels, you should look based on the average amount of sunlight that could be efficiently collected in your area. There is no sense of constructing a very big solar collector when you could also capture the same amount of energy with a smaller one.
Constructing DIY solar water panels is an art. You have to strike a balance between your needs as well as the amount that you could efficiently collect.
