When you look at off-the-shelf solar power systems many people are put off by the cost. You may be investigating the various solar energy systems and putting a shopping list together. After all, the whole purpose of the project is to cut costs, so you should be looking at cutting the cost of the project itself. By the far the biggest money saving step is to buy used solar cells, so begin by looking at places where you get cheap parts.

The cheapest place I’ve found for solar cells is EBay – home to just about anything you could possibly ever need. You can use other auction sites, but EBay is the most popular and as so will most likely have new and used solar cells. You don’t normally purchase solar cells individually; they are usually sold in batch/lots which drastically cuts the cost of homemade power systems.

Once you find solar cells for auction don’t be hasty and start bidding until you have investigated what you are bidding on. If there are pictures look for chips or cracks. Read the description. Don’t mistakenly bid a ‘new item’ price for used solar cells. If you aren’t sure, contact the auctioneer and ask. If the cells are cracked or chipped, that is okay, just don’t overpay for them.

Damaged and used solar cells with chips and cracks can be used. The repairs aren’t difficult and it is well worth the difference in the price. Also check to see if they are transparent. Transparent solar cells typically sell for more. It definitely makes sense to read all of the information presented with the auction.

After browsing the online auctions, find out who installs solar energy in your town. Go visit them and ask them what they do with panels that are removed during upgrades or repairs. Most of the time they toss them out, their trash is your treasure. Offer to take them off their hands. You can salvage the used solar cells out of the old panels or luck up and be getting some panels you can repair.

The installer might not have any at the moment, that’s okay. Leave him your name and number and ask him to call you when he does. Check back on occasion so they don’t forget you.

While you’re out checking with installers find out where your county road maintenance office is. That is your next stop.

Make a visit to the actual shop, don’t try phoning, you’ll get passed from one person to the next. Once there ask them what they do when traffic signals that use solar cells are damaged. Of course you’re going to get the ‘in the trash pile’ answer. Ask if you can have them for recycling purposes. Once you get the okay, leave your information for future use. Again, you can salvage the solar cells from the damaged equipment.

Lastly, research retailers of solar cells and get some contact information. Explain that you are looking for damage or used solar cells. Offer to buy any that they have had to take back due to cracks or bad packing causing damage. They will probably be happy to give them to you for nothing more than shipping costs.

It might take a little bit of research and searching around to find used solar cells, but it is easily do-able. And what can be more rewarding than making your own solar powered system with used solar cells you paid next to nothing for?

If you are seriously considering building your own solar power system then check out this Earth4Energy review which explains step-by-step (with videos and manuals) how repair damaged solar cells and build your own solar energy system for under $200.

Further resources on Solar Power Systems can be found here: Solar Power Systems.

There are actually two types of solar energy system.

One is connected to the national grid and the other one is a standalone system.

When solar energy system is connected to the grid it means that all electricity which you do not use will go directly to the grid.

To put it in another way you are spinning your meter backwards.

The solar energy system which is not connected to grid is very similar except that it has a battery bank for storing the electricity for later use.

In both cases there is an inverter which converts the direct current (DC)from the solar panels to alternating current (AC), which is what we normally use in our homes.

The inverter is connected to the grid through your electricity meter if you have a grid connection.

Both systems are easy to maintain and require little effort. If you do use a battery bank there is some checking needed for the batteries depending on what type of batteries you use.

The solar panels are very durable and they often come with a 20 years guarantee. In most cases they do last 30 years so after a few years you produce very cheap electricity and your costs will be very predictable.

solar panels are very scalable and you can easily add more panels and get more electricity if you need to.

A panel is simply a collection of solar cells.

Usually they are made of crystalline silicon, or a combination of silicon with another material. It can also be stacked layers of alloy materials.

The silicon is divided into tiny disks. They are less than a centimeter in thickness, and are then polished and fixed from any cutting damage.

Thin silver wires, are spread across each disk and they are laid out in a grid design on top of the panel.

Then it is covered with a thin layer of glass and a material added to the bottom of the panel with a type of cement cement to help prevent overheating.

The solar panels are mounted a little above a surface facing the sun, in order to allow cooling breezes to run under the panels.
The power from the sun is free and inexhaustible. This vast, clean energy resource represents a very strong alternative to the fossil fuels.

It would be a severe injustice to our children not to take advantage of such a widely available resource.

Rolf Finney

There are all sorts of creative ways to save energy besides the more typical heating and air conditioner efficiency options. How about your home appliances as well?

Refrigerators account for approximately 5 to 20 percent of our monthly energy bills. Buying the right refrigerator and using it wisely can make a significant impact on our ecological footprint and our energy bills.

Even minor changes in family habit patterns of refrigerator use can result in surprising savings over the course of a year. Keep reading for 5 tips you can do for both.

1. Setting your refrigerator to the right temperature.

Ideally, your refrigerator’s thermostat should be set to anywhere between 37 and 40 degrees, and your freezer should be between 0 and 5 degrees. Setting your refrigerator a mere 10 degrees cooler can cost you as much as 25 percent more per month.

2. Invest in an Energy Star certified refrigerator.

While the initial cost of an energy efficient refrigerator will likely be higher than an uncertified model, you’ll make back the extra expense after just a few short years of dramatic savings on your utility bills.

Contemporary Energy Star certified refrigerators made today are over 150 percent more efficient than their 1980s counterparts. That means trading up can save major dollars.

3. Clean and maintain your refrigerator coils.

The back of a refrigerator is a magnet for dirt and dust. Those dirty coils stop your refrigerator from working at maximum efficiency and wind up costing you money. To clean you refrigerator coils, pull the fridge out from the wall and unplug it. Then, using the brush attachment on your vacuum cleaner, give the coils a thorough sweep.

When you’re done, remove the panel on the bottom front of your refrigerator (it should snap off) and clean those coils as well. Finish up by cleaning the floor under your refrigerator and rolling it back into place.

4. Seal your gaskets.

Your freezer and refrigerator doors have rubber gaskets on them that seal them and keep the cold air inside. If a gasket is damaged or worn out, your refrigerator has to work extra hard to keep the inner air cool. This costs you money.

To test the seals, close the door on a sheet of paper. When you pull the paper out, you should feel the gasket gripping on to it. If it slips out easily, you need to replace your gaskets.

5. Level your refrigerator.

A refrigerator works by using a compressor to pump refrigerant through its coils. If your fridge isn’t level, this takes more energy. While refrigerators are designed to tilt slightly backwards (to keep the door closed), they need to be level from side to side.

Everyone has heard of solar power and knows how it has the potential, along with other green energy sources, to save the planet from death by pollution. Everyone agrees that this is a good thing and should receive all the support it needs. People think the government should do more to encourage solar power – everyone wants a solar powered car!

solar home energy systems

But ask people what is their involvement in solar power on a personal level and the normal response is a blank stare or an “It’s not practical / doesn’t meet our needs / I’m waiting for the process to drop.” In other words, it seems that home solar energy systems in the form of home solar power systems is something that is great in theory but is not of much immediate relevance.

A common argument made by solar power enthusiasts is that 20 days of sunshine has the same energy potential as all the fossil fuel on Earth. This may be true, but it is difficult to translate into individual experience!

solar power became popular in the early 1980s when the aftermath of the energy crisis, advancement in solar power technology and Federal tax cuts made it an attractive option. In 1984 over 16 million square feet of solar collectors were sold in the US. The subsequent fall in fuel prices and the removal of the tax cuts saw the demand drop.

solar home energy systems

Today, solar power is more attractive than ever. The cost of producing solar power is still high, but has dropped by over 90% when compared to the process of 20 years ago. And the prices are still falling. True, the cost of installing a home solar power system is not cheap and can run from $10,000 to $40,000 and more. But you will be able to reduce your energy bills significantly. With proper house design and using passive solar power methods in conjunction with a home solar power system, it may even be possible to bring your dependence on commercially generated power to zero. In other words, future energy costs will involve only the home solar power system maintenance. And even if you cannot totally remove your dependence on the power grid, the reduction on your commercial power consumption will be big.

home solar energy system

Another plus point of installing a home solar power system is that today most electric companies are willing to buy back excess power that a home may produce – say during the day when no one is at home to consume the solar power being generated. This amount fed back into the grid will be adjusted against what you have consumed, bringing down your electricity bills even further.

There are also a host of incentives available including personal tax, sales tax and property rebates, discounts, loans and grants for those who install home solar power systems. Making use of these can bring down the initial cost by up to 50% or even more.

Don’t dismiss solar power as something for the future or not relevant to you. It makes sense today – check out the facts and see for yourself about installing a home solar power system.