PV Gap

Nathan Said:

How to setup my home on Solar Panel?

We Answered:

You have to be clear on what you want - "...cut down electricity cost" can be done relatively inexpensively at least as compared to going 'off the grid'. Nor do you tell us where you are which does make a difference.

Keep a few things in mind: A solar panel will deliver 10-13 watts per square foot in full sunlight, and costs about $4/watt to install, or $40/square foot - in US dollars and US measurements. Solar panels do not operate at night (of course), so some sort of storage (batteries) is required if you want to be off the grid. Then an inverter to change from the DC as generated by the panels to AC as required by your appliances. So there is considerable infrastructure.

Now as to how much - assume your AC units are fairly small at 900 watts each, and your refrigerator is about half that. Assume 150 watt each for your computers, and so forth, and then some lighting - say another 200 watts (you will be using CFL lamps, of course). From this, you will need an operating capacity of approximately 5,000 watts or so at a dead minimum. If you want to be able to run overnight, you will need roughly 3 x that amount so as to be able to store against bad weather and short winter days. So, 15,000 watts or roughly $60,000 worth of panels + about another $5,000 worth of infrastructure. And about 1,200 square feet of panels, an area 34 feet square.

Or, you can install a 'typical' home system of about 3,000 watts (3kw) from any number of approved solar contractors that with the Federal Subsidy will come in at a final cost of very roughly $8,000 and at our local price of about $0.14/kwh pay you back in 19,000 hours of operation, or (assuming an average of 8 hours per day of full sunlight) a little over six years. All ideal numbers.

Note that per KW of capacity installed and without subsidies, solar power is more expensive than nuclear power - even today. And the technology, while getting better is still limited by basic physics as to what and how much can be done in a residential setting. Concentrating collectors are simply not in the cards for your rooftop anytime soon. Note also that Solar Cells are complex items that are not either easy *or clean* to make.

You pays you money, you makes you choice.

Jeanne Said:

Does anyone have the plans for a inground pool solar panel that can be made at home with pvc piping?

We Answered:

NO

Harry Said:

A question regarding the home made solar panel?

We Answered:

It usually requires a lot of special equipment and chemicals to do this.

is there an easier way, sacrificing efficiency, to do it with less equipment? I don't know but I doubt it.