The Lowdown on ‘Build Your Own Solar Panel’ Kits

One of the biggest controversies in the webosphere regarding renewable energy is the proliferation of ‘build your own solar panels’ systems and kits.  We get asked all the time if we offer them, what we think of them, and if they are a scam.  So we’ll answer some questions that come up.

Here’s full disclosure: we are going to start offering a build your own
solar kit in 2010.  Why?  Because there is enormous demand for them,
plain and simple.  Our customers want them,  we believe in do it yourself solar power and the fact is that you can build your own panels and get energy out of them.  When used properly these kits can be a great learning opportunity and can power simple devices.

Are these systems a scam?
Yes and no.  As with anything, the devil is in the details.  We believe the problem is more in HOW the systems are sold, instead of WHAT is being sold.  Earth 4 Energy and Green DIY Energy (the two major players in this market) use virtually identical sales strategies with affiliate links, sales pages, testimonials, etc. 

The difference here is E4E’s sales language.  If you read their materials they will tell you that you can power your home for less than $200 and that the energy is FREE.  This is simply not true.  The average American home would require dozens of solar panels, whether you build them or not, and it could cost thousands of dollars.

Green DIY, while selling a very similar product, doesn’t try to convince you that the energy is free or that you can power your entire home.  They are simply saying that you can create your own solar panels and save a ton of money compared to buying panels.  This is true.

So what exactly are they selling?
Its important to realize just what you are getting with these products.  First of all neither one of them are actually, at the time of this post, selling solar parts.  They are selling instructions on how to build solar panels, not the parts to do so.  Make sure you’re getting a video AND some written instructions with your kit as both are very useful if you’re going to undertake this project.

So what can you do with the panels if you do build them?
There are a few applications that these home-built panels are good for.  They are great primarily for building a science project or demonstration panel.  They will serve as a terrific learning opportunity in renewable energy for you or your kids.  They are also good at powering small DC devices, like pumps, lights, or small electronics.  Obviously you could build a bunch of them and power larger devices, but we find most folks are looking to just build one or two, which would not be adequate to power a large appliance.

What should we know about home built panels?
Well everything that is electronic in your home is ‘UL’ (or Underwriters Laboratory) listed.  This means that it conforms to certain electrical standards and is generally safe for the home.  Your home built panels wouldn’t have that listing and should be used with caution. 

The other issue is that you can’t just plug these panels into your power system and expect the meter to start spinning backwards.  You need a lot more components (namely an inverter, fuses and disconnects) to have a functional solar power system on your home.

If I do buy a learning kit, can I get the parts to actually build the panels?
This is something we’ve been working on to offer.  Because, of course, we are trying to empower your world with green energy, not just books and videos about green energy.  So, in the coming weeks, you will see we will offer the learning kits (with honest sales language!) and the cells and parts to actually build the panels.

So what are you experiences with these products?  Good?  Bad?  Leave us a comment and let us know what you think.