The Pro's and Con's Of DIY Solar Panels

Renewable energy is poised to change the way we power our planet, getting us off our of addiction to dirty, non-renewable fossil fuels.

Anyone who has had a passing interest in or done any research on solar power and solar technologies has probably come across any number of sites touting the benefits of do-it-yourself solar panels. Photovoltaics and solar panel technology is not particularly complex to understand, and with pre-manufactured solar cells readily available for purchase on the internet at a fraction of manufactured panel cost it is easy to understand why so many people are drawn to the possibility of building their own solar panels.

Any do-it-yourself project comes with it's pros and cons and DIY solar panels are no different. In order to best understand the pros and cons, let's determine what the ultimate goal and end result of the project is - the production of inexpensive renewable energy.

There are two benefits to doing it yourself. First and foremost, the final product will cost less than if you had purchased it pre-manufactured at retail prices. In effect the "cost savings" is the labor that you contribute to the project. Second, there is always a sense of accomplishment from having done the job yourself - it is human nature for us to want to tinker with and understand how something works. Both of these "in favor pros" are powerful motivators.

Now on the flip side. In order to legally install solar panels to your home / residence you will need to have a permit issued by your local municipality. for safety reasons, just about every municipality will require that your solar panels are UL approved, DIY solar panels are not UL approved. If on the odd chance your municipality does not require, or overlooks, any required safety approvals, or that you simply choose not to permit the installation, then you may be in luck. However, then consider that unlicensed and un-permited work using unapproved panels will void any property insurance. God forbid your property should catch fire, a natural disaster (tornado, hurricane, earthquake) should strike, anything should go wrong, even if it is not directly related to the solar panels, the insurance company has no obligation to remunerate you for damages. While for some this may seem to be an acceptable risk, it might be informative to follow this link, and see the equipment and care that a professional manufacturer uses to manufacture solar cells and solar panels, the facilities used are high tech clean room semi-conductor plants, to insure your safety, hopefully your skills are on par with those professionals.

While we have tried to be objective in this article and provide the pros and cons for DIYers, our personal research and opinion suggests that if you are simply tinkering with an desire to learn about solar technology, making your own panels for a small off grid project will help further your understanding of solar technology. If you are looking to contribute a positive impact to the environment and wish to significantly lower your energy bills, you should leave solar panels to the pros.