subject: Stick To The Utility Companies By Making Your Own Solar Module Panels And Save Money [print this page] Stick To The Utility Companies By Making Your Own Solar Module Panels And Save Money
While walking down the walkway to the beach from my condo, I was looking at the lights that lined the walkway to the beach. I suppose I had never noticed them before because they just sit there unobtrusively doing their job giving light at night so you don't fall down the steps to go enjoy the beautiful ocean view. The other morning I looked closer at one and noticed something on the top of light, not much bigger than a postage stamp. They were solar powered lights! This might not seem unusual to anybody reading this, but it is indicative of how much more this is becoming prevalent in the world. Solar Power! The great thing about solar power is, once you have built your photovoltaic (PV) panels, it's free!. F-R-E-E.
You would be surprised how many solar powered gadgets / appliances there are, some of them are:
Radios
Flashlights
Refrigerators
Chargers
Lanterns
Battery Chargers
Car Ventilators
Mosquito Guards
Two of the reasons people do not use solar power more for their homes and appliances is the perception that these are some sort of projects or kits for nerds and the mechanically inclined. You don't have to be a nerd and you don't have to be mechanically inclined to make your own solar panels to power your home or just power your appliances maybe you just want to have a backup source of power or maybe you just want to stick it to the utility company. Whatever your motivation might be, making your own solar panels is more feasible and practical than it ever was.
Granted, some people can't even seem to dress themselves, much less take on a project like this. I can relate. It seemed like my Father repaired everything with electrical tape: flat tires, leaks, upset stomachs, you name it. I did not inherit the "gearhead" aptitude.
There is so much information on using solar power. Spend a few hours on the internet and you'll find more information than you could ever read or watch. There are Dummies / Idiots books. There are kits online and in stores to be bought. If you're like me, sometimes you won't even think about something and then you develop and interest and you end up with an insatiable appetite to learn everything you can about it. How about saving thousands of dollars every year and being totally energy self sufficient and independent as motivators?
I can remember building ham radios as a teenager and the joy I had of completing the projects (after I had frequently screwed them up and my mother's NASA engineer friends would come by to fix up my mistakes). I've never had any jobs as an adult where I had to use my hands (unless typing counts) so I'd probably get poor really quickly if it were based on my mechanical acumen. However, I do know that even the most mechanically challenged person can follow some well put together instructions and make your own solar module panels to become more self-sufficient, save money and help the environment.
If for no other reason, with all the calamity we have seen all over the world the past few years, it makes common sense to be like a Boy Scout and "Be Prepared."
