Are DIY Solar Panels Worth it?

[rhjames]

NO I not like . im a Queenslander and OUR REAL beer is XXXX (called fourex).. the nectar of the gods. Fosters is from the Mexicans(New South Wales..) the state just below Queensland..

What???? Fosters is in Melbourne!!! - Carlton United Breweries.

[john p]

I always thought Fosters was NSW based?? even though owned by Carlton??
But if it comes from Victoria even worse.

[conntaxman]

diy solar panel

I think DIY solar panels make for a great DIY project, and one day I'll build one or two for that, but as a serious power supply, nope. I wanted to build my own wind turbine, but after weeks of collecting information online, I decided to spend $350.00 and buy one, although one day I'd like to have a crack at building a turbine too. I think DIY has its place, but you just have to know where that place is.

aussi..where did you buy a wind turbine for $350.00. If you did it was a VERY SMALL one about 400 watts. how much wind do you get, and tell the truth. not much right.
I think that the diy panel could be good if done right, Not with wood frames or backing.To vacuum seal and bake isn';t too hard.

[rhjames]

aussi..where did you buy a wind turbine for $350.00. If you did it was a VERY SMALL one about 400 watts. how much wind do you get, and tell the truth. not much right.

Yes, $350 is very cheap. The you have to install it with significant foundations, then controller, load dumping, switching, batteries, inverter. It's cost effective when there's no other alternative, but otherwise, it's expensive electricity.

[conntaxman]

diy solar panel

rhjames. I have made a 1000watt wind turbine, and let me tell you and everyone else, wind is not dependable, I thought that I had a pretty windy spot, not really. So to me wind is not a good source of energy. cost to pay back, ha ha ha forget it with wind. Solar panels, alittle better, but still no pay back for the amount of money spent.Its just a fad,and you will see panels and other solar cells come in play and much less. Just like everything else. Look at LCD tvs, now their almost cheap.
Like everything, it's new, I want it, and I will spend the big bucks to get it, and BRAG about it , that's all their is too it.OH, I have just bought these solar panels. and then the NEXT thing that will come out of the persons mouth is HOW MUCH THEY COST. yup ..Braging.

[superduperenergydude]

here we go

"Governments should NOT be supporting private industries that cant keep them selves in business"

Like car companies and banks?

We'll if the government is going to spend money I'd rather have it spent on solar than banks and cars and preemptive wars. You know the kind of wars that aren't necessary, and are justified by WMD hype. The amount the govt spends on solar is peanuts compared to these other things.

[rhjames]

I, on the other hand, would prefer to see a bank propped up, rather than people lose their life savings, and a country's economy damaged.

[freeenergy]

Update please

Is DIY worth it? The encapsulant, frame and glass seem to be economically prohibitive relative to cell tech. Update please.

[inetdog]

Is DIY worth it? The encapsulant, frame and glass seem to be economically prohibitive relative to cell tech. Update please.

The situation is unchanged. The prices of manufactured panels remain low (~$1/watt) and a home-built panel will cost more, have a much shorter life expectancy unless the builder is very good and uses expensive materials, and will most often be using B grade or worse cells in the first place.

[freeenergy]

The situation is unchanged. The prices of manufactured panels remain low (~$1/watt) and a home-built panel will cost more, have a much shorter life expectancy unless the builder is very good and uses expensive materials, and will most often be using B grade or worse cells in the first place.

I found grade A mono 4 watt chinese cells for $.5 per watt. I inquired in the tools and matrials section about using plastic frames and alternative encapulants (other than Sylgard) to lower the cost. Still worth pursuing?

[inetdog]

I found grade A mono 4 watt chinese cells for $.5 per watt. I inquired in the tools and matrials section about using plastic frames and alternative encapulants (other than Sylgard) to lower the cost. Still worth pursuing?

Probably not, unless you can get a really good deal on materials and do not value your time at all.

One problem with plastic frames is that they may not be rigid enough to properly support the panel and the glass. The other problem, as you mentioned in that post, is that you be sure that they can take the temperature, and more important the UV exposure, without deteriorating.

I would not pursue it myself, but if you get pleasure from the work and/or are interested in understanding more about the process, then you might make a different choice.

[russ]

Do good research on the net - you can find factory panels cheaper than you can buy the components - they will also come with a long term guarantee

[fireofenergy]

Concerning encapsulent

I have encased the ebay b grade cells in glass and silicone to charge just 6 AA batteries 3s2p to power a Cree led. Seems like the cells converted close to 15% of the sunlight, thus they only had slight cosmetic problems. The little 12 cell panel worked for years until it got stepped on...
However, I believe that there are certain kinds of silicone that does not go well chemically with solder, etc. Eventually, corrosion would have rendered it useless anyways.

Unless I had used the "right" kind of silicone to attach the cells (and solder) to the bottom glass pane.

For "real" panels, just buy 'em.
But for odd voltages, you can use tempered glass (bought at store supply, etc and size up 10% or more to make up for the high iron content). Had I done that, it would not have broken, but would have been larger, requiring more batteries and a brighter led. They have 10" and 14" square pieces with smooth edges (but I didn't order yet, thus don't know about shipping).

Sadly, I can't seem to find which is the best silicone for direct contact with solder and solar cells (but I know it's out there). In that case, should last decades! With a LiFePO4, a Cree XMl and just 8 cells (and perhaps, a overcharge protection chip designed for lifepo4, not li-ion), should have a solar yard light rivaling a normal 120v bulb for many years.

[tsupyo]

Stubborn DIY - What fails on a Solar Panel

I've been doing a lot of research and I have seen the definitive approach is to buy commercially to avoid the hassels of UL certification and insurance requirements for home usage.

I've looked around and I havent seen what it takes to receive UL certification, but I would understand the need for it to be an involved process, so before I contend with that the engineer's blood in me has to understand whats failing in home made panels. I get that wood is not the way to go for the frame and the fire hazards of bad soldering require attention, but lets assume that proper sodering is achieved, what I see as the problem is materials.

I've been really trying to work out the design first before trying to build anything, and so far I've bought a few things in bulk that make the cost very reasonable, but in my aquisitions I purchased solar PV cells that are metallic (not crystalline) and are rated for .5V and 8.1A netting a theoretical 4W per cell. So, my question is if you use an aluminum frame (I've talked with some local Aluminum framing companies and this seems reasonable), a plexiglass front, a stiff plastic backing for mounting the cells to and you use the metallic cells...what is going to fail? The plexiglass is more for protection of the cells from outright physical damage and assuming that everything is protected from direct abuse and insulated correctly/properly the system shouldnt fail.

Again, I'm only trying to understand, and no I havent built anything yet. I'm extremely methodical where a plan needs to be totally flushed out before you begin the build, but so far in all of my research I havent seen these questions answered. I am interested in understanding what it would take to achieve a UL certification as well. Please feel free to point me in the right direction.

[russ]

An engineer and no idea of what might be involved with UL certification?

It is expensive and takes time. The cost is only worth it to a company in mass production of panels.