The Solar DIY Blog

I've been looking at all of the options for installing solar electricity systems online, and I've noticed that even the so-called review sites all seem to be part of a sales pitch….haven't found a single, independent review of any of these products. Has anyone out there actually used any of these (Earth4Energy, HomemadeEnergy, etc.), and if so, how good are they?

If you have noticed that Earth4Energy is a scam (which it is), then you may be amused by my analysis of it at http://www.nlcpr.com/Deceptions6.html

If you want to build a wind turbine yourself (like a good engineer would), then get the following book:

Homebrew Wind Power
A HANDS-ON GUIDE TO HARNESSING THE WIND
Dan Bartmann & Dan Fink
Foreword by Mick Sagrillo

ISBN: 978-0-9819201-0-8
Published by Buckville Publications LLC

You can get this from www.otherpower.com This is a startlingly complete book and it has all the background theory you need too. They explain why, for example, you cant use a car alternator or something from a generator, and then proceed to build alternators from scratch. The references are compete — if you explore them and have the time to read, you will be right up there with the pioneers.

As for DIY solar, you can get the parts (panels, inverters, batteries, charge controllers) individually from many sources and make a system. It will not be cheap. You can't make your own silicon cells, and probably aren't up to designing the electronics, can't make your own batteries etc.

My recommendation is this: Get the wind book. Look through the web sites of some of the better looking solar dealers, and if they seem to be "no bull" then e-mail them and tell them what you want. e.g. an entry level system, 80W panel, battery, inverter and charge controller so that you can make enough power for say, a small laptop. The good ones will be able to tell you what works together.

If you are thinking of a whole home solution, then you have a lot of reading to do. You need to switch to natural gas or propane (no electric heat, electric stove, electric hot water) and absolutely mininize the electrical load.

It would be nice to market a good DIY manual, but with a truthful title like "Generate power at home for more than you are paying now" or "With thirty thousand dollars in equipment, you too can avoid those monthly power bills" sales would be pathetic.

Have fun.

As for "real people" comment, when I see questions like this, I wonder if I am wasting my time because many of the questions are not real either. They are simply created by scammers so that they can add their scam replies and rate it best answer. I find this particilary galling when someone says, "this is for my science fair, and I am 14 years old" and all the answers are Earth4Energy scammers. Other times, I find my comments pasted on fake energy sites with links to pharmaceuticals. It is a mad world out there.

http://www.solardave.com/index.php/any-new-solar-technologies-coming-out-that-excite-you-video/
This is my 7th video interview with Erik Bowman Regional Sales Manager of Akeena Solar out of Denver Colorado.

SolarDave: Any New Solar Technologies Coming Out That Excite You?

Erik Bowman: There are a lot of different technologies when you think of the cost of installing the system you have the labor component, you have a design component and you have actually the silicon electricity producing component – each one of those has a real dollar value attached to them.

Typically anytime that question is answered you are talking about silicon and how much electricity can we produce but the labor and the actual module themselves manufacturing them also add real costs that need to be looked at.

So Akeena’s research and development department looks at the installation and the structural component that is work on and we are the only company that I am aware of that that has come out with a product that answers a lot of questions to try and lower that cost – only takes one day to install and a normal panel install could take 3 days to install or 2 days.

When it comes to silicon I am not an expert in the industry but everyone talks about thin film that is certainly on the horizon. Thin film has issues with manufacturing capacity – currently it is actually inefficient at 10%. Standard panels run and where from 14 to 20% efficiency.

Once the efficiency of thin film reaches the level of standard panels you have only reach parity and the benefit of it unless the cost to produce it is extremely low and we don’t predict that to happen in a long time a decade at least.

Right now there are commercial applications – utility applications large scale extremely large projects where thin film can work but residentialy you would need a manufacturing process logistical transportation and supply chain process then you would have to have installation infrastructure that understands how to utilize that.

Bottom line as new technologies get developed new ways of producing energy from the sun whether from more efficient silicon or thin film we would just integrate that into our module when it become viable and the reduction of that cost would be passed on to the client.

Duration : 0:2:7

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