PV Gap

Mitchell Said:

has anyone built one of those home made solar panels and do they cut your utility bills?

We Answered:

Building your own panel could be a fun thing to do, but it would generally not save money.

Here is a link debunking one of those "build your own panel" sites: http://www.nlcpr.com/Deceptions6.php

Samuel Said:

how effective & efficient are home made solar panels?

We Answered:

For the solar power system to work you need to have a PV panel and a storage system. The PV panels functions to generate electricity and the storage system stores the energy for future use.
Batteries are the most common methods for storage of solar energy. There are 2 types of batteries available. They are nickel cadmium and lead acid. The lead acid batteries are cheap and preferred for solar energy storage. They are similar to your car battery. The nickel cadmium battery also functions in the same manner but are expensive. However the nickel cadmium batteries discharge more electricity and also last longer.
There are generally 3 ways of storing solar energy.
Sensible heat storage
For the solar energy units that have middle and low temperatures the cheapest way of storing energy is to use water and stones. The energy that is collected by the collectors increase the temperatures of the storing mediums to allow storage of the energy in these mediums and when required the heat is used. In this method of solar energy storage the concentration level is low and the duration is also short.

Latent heat storage
In this type of solar energy storage the medium for storing the energy has features like absorption of big energy, less volume and corrosion and greater repeating capabilities. At present the most effective mediums for this type of solar energy storage are hydrate carbonates, nitrates and sulphates. In latent heat storage method the energy storing density is high with longer periods of storage. The medium can be cooled easily also which makes it difficult for the medium to crystallize.

Chemical reaction energy storage
Here, the endothermic reaction of the chemicals is used for storing the solar energy. When the process is inversed the heat is released. Here some inorganic oxides are also used as the medium. By using this method you benefit by storing heat in larger quantities and for longer periods of time. For the generation of high temperature by the endothermic reactions the equipments that are needed are very costly.

Zeolites have the unique characteristics to absorb and deabsorb water which makes it the preferred material for solar energy storage. When the zeolites are heated the water molecules escape and the heat energy is stored. When the process of reabsorbing the water molecules starts the heat energy is released.

Bobbie Said:

Home-made solar panels VS. 30% federal tax credit?

We Answered:

No, home-made goods do not qualify since they don't have the manufacturer's EPA certification.

Miguel Said:

How to use a home-made solar panel?

We Answered:

Are you referring to an Electrical Generating Panel, or a Passive water heating panel?

Edit: Can you explain how you made a 'home made' solar panel without understanding how it would be used?