Solar energy can be used in a lot of different ways at your home and your office. It is one of the most affordable and sustainable forms of energy today. Since solar energy has so many advantages, in this article we are going to explain how a homemade solar panel works so that you may build one on your own and harness this affordable (sometimes free) source of electricity.




How to build a homemade solar panel?

You can make a homemade solar panel good enough to power a light bulb or the entire house. There are designs for homemade solar panels you can find online for maximum capacity. However, if you want to power up your home or your small work place with solar energy, you will only need a few of these:
  • Solar cells
  • Backing board
  • Tabbing wire
  • Flux pen
  • Soldering lead
  • Soldering gun
  • Glue
  • Bus wire
  • Planks
  • Deck screws
  • Diode
  • Charge controller
  • Batteries
If you prefer to take it slowly, you can make smaller versions and just keep adding as you please. For further instructions on how to make a solar panel at home, check out this step-by-step tutorial.

How does it work?

A homemade solar panel works because it can trap sunlight in the solar cells that it is made of. Once the solar cells start retaining the energy, it converts it via solar generator to electricity, and then stores the power in battery packs which you can strategically use around and outside your home.

How to install?

The steps to installing a homemade solar panel is relatively simple once you know where exactly on the roof you want to put them. You will have to decide on an incline or flat. Most experts would recommend a flat surface which is why some people decide to place the solar panel on the ground instead of on their roofs. However, you might not get as much solar power if you have trees around. Use chalk to help you install the panels in a straight line. Then, screw in the mount in holes you drilled. Place the rails where your solar panels will be sitting on, and secure them well. It is important that the panels are flat. Once you check the alignment, connect the panels to an array. Run the conduit and make sure that it connects to an inverter. That’s just about all you need to get your homemade solar panel to work.