$ 40,000. That was the quote that I was given to install a solar energy system in my average sized house. For this price I would expect to generate approximately $ 250 per month for electricity. The math seemed to work (with $ 5,000 down and $ 35.000, so that worked over 10 years at 3.5%, which was funded approximately $ 203 per month, the savings - hardly). But it was still $ 40,000 dollars!
I thought. What if it does not work as advertised? What if it was a cloudy year? What if I just did not want these big solar panels stuck my roof. I began to hear me out and consulted an expert (an electrician friend) for final confirmation before killing the idea, but I was surprised when my electrician friend said he could source the parts for about $ 2500 from a local supplier and assemble them on site for an additional $ 1500. Total cost of homemade solar power was about $ 4000. The financial mathematics began to look more and more interesting. Now I was saving $ 3000 years with a starting capital of $ 4000! The payback period was 12 months, and then I would save $ 3,000 year thereafter.
With the added excitement to come uncertainty. Not only was I not sure the savings thus the professional solar installation team has given me, now I was not so sure about the quality (or performance) of your home solar energy. I decided if I was going with home made solar panels, I had to educate myself. I bought a number of books and videos and discovered that the most important components for solar cells were solar cells. I needed 36 cells per module and requires between 30 and 60 plates (I have a lot of trees near my roof, blocking much of the sun). My friend, the electrician was able to source solar cells for about $ 4 a piece. He also has wires, solder, a DC-AC converter, a special series of batteries that power for later use, acrylic whiteboards (the back), plexiglass for the front (to protect the cells) and an aluminum frame could store needs. While he estimated that he could source the cells for $ 4 each, I found them on Amazon for $ 2. I was not going to hunt for the other stuff, I thought it was not worth the trouble, but 50 percent was the most expensive component is still 50 percent.
The next week the electrician was off and running. He put the solar panels on the white acrylic boards, soldered and wired them together, and then gathered them together in a frame to the panel. He covered the plate with plexiglass. After two days (including two intermissions) he was finished with the panels - he was ready, they go home and battery array, and the converter and the house to me. That has him one day.
To end a long weekend hours from start. I watched in awe, I was also a little excited. If I'd known it was that easy I would have done it myself!
Does the system work? Yes, as announced in the last month my bill was over $ 250 from the same period last year.
As it is, disenchanted. Not bad right? Note: You can find many good books about installing a solar system for your home. It is not difficult, but you need the help of a professional electrician if you are at the point where you get to connect the system to your home and the power, and most importantly power....
Thank you for coming in Energy Efficiency Reviews and read the article about: Build a Home Solar Power System for less than $ 2,500? , help us to Shared this article. hopefully useful to us all.
