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Building Solar Energy Panels - Essential Components Needed

By John Greenspan

Republish: EasyPublish™ Published: 07Feb2010 Word count: 413 Viewed: 348 time(s) Get Free Content For Your Site

You can save thousands of dollars by building your own homemade solar energy panels. I'm talking about savings in electricity bills. I'm also referring to the money you would otherwise spend on getting a commercial company to install photovoltaic panels for you.

Without a commercial company to do everything for you, you will need to be familiar with each component that make up the solar generator system. Each fulfills an important function:

1. Solar Panel - There are three main types of panels in the market today: mono-crystalline, poly-crystalline and amorphous. These come in different shapes and sizes...so it can get a little confusing the first time you shop for photovoltaic panels. To keep things simple, you should get the assistance of the salesperson to give you the cost per-watt of each panel. This magic number will help you make a first-cut selection even before you talk about quality and lifespan. If the numbers doesn't justify the purchase, don't buy it.

2. Battery - This will retain the electricity produced by your solar energy panel. A few accumulators can be connected together to store the required power you need during the night, or when there is insufficient sunlight. This component is crucial for off-grid systems as this is the only power source available when sunlight is not present. On top of battery supply, you should have a spare generator to back you up with power. In case there is insufficient sunlight for extended periods, you can remain comfortable using the backup generator's supply.

3. Charge controller - This component helps the batteries to charge and discharge properly. It also prevents them from overcharging. Now and then, you can also find a model that is equipped with battery temperature control. This feature can prolong battery life. Charge controller from reputable companies will often protect your battery from voltage fluctuations as well.

4. Inverter - This is an important component that converts direct current (DC) input into alternating current (AC) output needed for household use. You need to choose an inverter that is more than capable of converting all the power you ever need. If you plan to build your solar power generator in stages, your inverter must factor the final design into consideration. Otherwise the load will overwhelm the inverter.

The above components can be easily purchased. Simply by connecting them together with the correct type of wires, you can make for yourself a basic homemade solar power generator that can reduce your energy bills for good!

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