Homemade solar generators can make it possible for you to help the environment and save money on your home energy costs.

One fact you may not be aware of is that you can build your own homemade solar generator and the cost is negligible.

The truth is the devices and parts required will run you about $200 or less. This means theoretically you could affordably build your very own green energy source.

There are two basic kinds of homemade solar generators you can build; grid tied and non-grid tied.

Each one can effectively lower your utility cost, although the solar power system for a home off the grid may be a bit more expensive in the beginning.

Step-by-Step Guide to Building Your Own Homemade Solar Generator

Grid Tied
Whenever you receive utilities from a local municipality it is called being on the grid or grid tied. This is the most popular type of homemade solar generator currently as people enjoy having consistent energy to power their homes. You see when the sun goes down or is clouded during a storm; the amount of energy collected by your solar cells will also be reduced. For this reason, most people will stay with the grid in addition to their homemade solar generators.

When your aim is to provide the majority of your electrical needs through a homemade solar generator, it is important that you know the number of kilowatt-hours your system must produce. If you are currently receiving electricity from your utility company, you can get a fair idea of the usage from your bills or by calling and enquiring about your annual usage.

If your home remains tied to the grid, you may even find that your electricity meter can sometimes be running backwards, which is a wonderful feeling as it means your utility company are paying you!

Homemade Solar Generators - Parts to the System

• Solar panels
• An array DC disconnect
• Power inverter
• AC breaker box and panel
• Kilowatt per hour meter
• Local utilities
• Optional battery back-up

Homemade Solar Generators - Technical Considerations
There is a lot to consider when you begin building a homemade solar generator for all of your electrical needs. The first thing you should have done is received a rough estimate of the amount of power you need to create as suggested above. This is essential, as you will need this figure to determine how many solar panels, batteries and other supplies you will need.

You will also need to determine the available square footage of your roof where the solar panels will be installed. Do you have enough area that catches the sun during peak hours to place solar panels on your roof? From around 9am until at least 2 pm your solar panels should be able to receive direct sun with no shading from trees or other structures. This will give you the best chance of collecting enough energy through the day to fulfill your needs.

Your geographical location will have a good deal to do with the effectiveness of your homemade solar generator. While you do not have to live in the Deep South or extreme southwest to benefit from solar power you should check the hours of sunlight your area gets each year as well as your location relative to the equator. Solar panels need to be placed where they face the equator, which is not always true south. Generally speaking, the tilt of your panels should equal your latitude.

Acquiring Home Solar Panels
The most common way of acquiring solar panels for your homemade solar generator is to purchase them; however this can quickly become expensive. There are a few ways to get solar panels cheap or even free.

The best way to get free solar panels is to call around to repair or maintenance shops. You will want to speak to the head mechanic or someone similarly in charge and ask about damaged solar panels. These panels many times are not operating at full capacity and the customer will choose to replace them instead of fix them. Fortunately, most of the time these panels cannot be resold so companies throw or give them away. Of course the downside is they are damaged and will not give you access to full power; nevertheless, you could be amazed at what a little soldering or silicone can do for a damaged panel! It is also possible to manufacture your own solar panel very cheaply.

Conclusion
Creating your own homemade solar generator system is not difficult and can actually be done quite economically. To make solar energy work for you, calculate your energy needs, bring all the above components together based on those calculations and you are in business! The sun will be generating free energy for you before you know it.

For an excellent guide, with step-by-step directions, including video instructions, please follow our link below. We have reviewed many of the DIY Energy Guides available at the moment and we consider the one we recommend below to be the most comprehensive and best value:

You can also check out our Earth 4 Energy review for further information, together with our Earth4Energy QuestionsEarth4Energy Customer Feedback pages. and

We wish you luck with your homemade solar generator project. We're sure you'll find it to be very worthwhile and that if you follow our recommendations, you will receive a return on your investment very, very quickly and from then on, you'll be saving money on your power bill each month as well as helping to save your planet.

Step-by-Step Guide to Building Homemade Solar Generators