Myths About Solar Panels for the Home

More people than ever before want to "go green," make their own solar panels and go "off the grid" - going green is the newest, hottest trend around and homeowners everywhere want to participate. But you have to be careful who you listen to, because there's lots of bad information out there - about how much solar panels cost, how much they can save you, and how to build them in the first place.

Solar panels don't have to be expensive - and people who say they are always pricey are simply spreading misinformation. Panels are only expensive if you buy them through a large company and have them do all the work for you, which might add up to over $20,000.

But if you do it yourself, it won't cost nearly that much - there are 2 solid approaches you can use to get your own solar panels at much lower price.

Method #1: Buy broken or not 100% functional solar panels, either on eBay, from solar manufacturing companies, or by calling local places like your hardware store or even the highway patrol.

Why highway patrol? Well, solar panels are used along many highways in the US, and traffic accidents often result in broken solar panels - so this can be a great source for making your home 100% green. And it's something not too many people know about.

Another method: you can buy the individual solar cells from eBay or from your local hardware store, and then assemble everything yourself. These cells are very cheap, but they don't function at 100% - and it will take a few days to assemble everything.

Another piece of bad information is that everyone can completely eliminate their power bills with solar panels. Nice in theory, but this rarely works out in reality - at least for most people.

The first problem is that your area may not have much sunlight - or your house itself may be poorly positioned to receive solar exposure.

The other problem is that the average house requires thousands of kilowatts to power everything inside each day. The average solar cell produces 2 Watts - you can do the math there and see that you'd need hundreds or thousands of cells to power your house.

However, even if you don't make your electric bill vanish, you can still greatly reduce it. And if you build multiple solar panels or also use wind turbines, you really can take your bill to $0.

The third myth is that do-it-yourself solar panels will fall apart easily, or are very fragile. Don't get me wrong - nothing lasts forever, and solar panels are no exception.

However, if you construct your panels correctly in the first place and use silicone to prevent moisture from getting in, while also using flexi-glass on the outside to further prevent water and dust from settling there, they will last significantly longer.

Also, you have to properly maintain your solar panels - clean them at least once a year, check the wiring, and clean out built-up moisture - if you can do all this, your solar panels will last for years to come and continue powering your house far into the future.

Related posts:

1. Fundamentals of How to Make a Solar Generator
2. Solar Kits: You Can Make Your Own Solar Panels
3. Save The Environment and Your Money With Solar Panels
4. How Solar Panels Work
5. How do Solar Panels Work?