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HomeMadePowerPlant
2
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Preface………………………………………………………….4
If this all sounds too good to be true, read on. Allow your
conventional ideas to be challenged, because what you'll read
in the following pages can potentially have a huge impact on
your future.
Watts
Amps
Power Rates
AC Current
-Monocrystalline
-Polycrystalline
-Thin Film (also known as Amorphous)
Solid (or rigid) thin film panels are available, but they are
not as popular as flexible laminated thin film panels. These
flexible panels are very versatile – they can be applied to any
surface and are sometimes used as roofing material.
New Technologies
This solar generator will literally pay for itself within the
first few weeks of use. I describe the most basic setup, but
there are additional features you can add as well. You can use
multiple solar panels and batteries to add to this basic system.
How this is done will be covered later in the book.
You can create this simple solar power system for less
than $200. You can make your own solar panel, or purchase
one. (We will discuss the process of building an actual solar
panel later on in the book.)
If you are still using power from a grid, this is the type of
solar power system you should use. This is also known as an
on-grid, grid-tied, or utility-interactive solar electric system.
Solar Panels
Charge Controller
System Meter
Inverter
Generator
Unless you are living off-grid, the utility grid provides the
main power supply to your house.
Household Loads
Wood Free
Glass Free
Solar cells $160
Caulking $3
Solder $2
Two-sided tape $6
Electrical box $4
Screws and fasteners $7
UV varnish $13
Total $195
Setting Up Shop
Your first order of business will be to find those solar
cells and gather together the materials mentioned in the
material list above. Once you’ve acquired the solar cells and
all the other materials listed above, the next step is to set up
an organized, convenient work area. Now you’re ready to
begin building your first solar panel!
The Base
The solar cells will be placed on a base. You’ll need about
eighty cells, which will create a fairly large surface area.
Notice that these solar cells have two distinct sides. The front
of a solar cell is a bluish color, and the back of the cell is
similar to the back of a mirror. It’s very important to make
sure that the blue side of the cell is the side facing toward the
sun.
An individual solar cell only creates about a half volt of
DC power. The voltage remains the same; as the size of the
cells increase, the current or amperage will increase.
Once the cells are laid out, the next step is to measure
the outside dimensions of the rows. This will tell you how big
to make the backing board. You’ll be attaching the solar
panels to the backing board so it must be the correct size.
Locate the little tabs on the back of the cells. Heat your
soldering iron, and then touch the tip of the gun to the tab,
gently placing a drop of solder onto the heated surface of the
iron. Make sure you follow this procedure for all four or six
tabs you locate.
Make the leads long enough so it’s easy to join the ends
later. It’s a good idea to test-fit one or two cells before you
actually begin.
In the end, all your negative leads will be joined and all
your positive leads will be joined, and both your negative and
positive leads will be connected to just one wire going to the
batteries.
Next, place the glass over the front of your box. You can
fasten the glass to the box with aluminum sealer strips, or you
can make your own sealer strips from wood. Carefully seal all
the edges, and be sure to make a drain hole in the bottom of
the panel to allow any accumulated moisture drain out.
Charge Controller
Inside Locations
Outside Locations
Choices, Choices…
12 volts
24 Volts
You also don’t have any control about where a stream flows to
coordinate with where you’ve built your home.
48 Volts
It’s the size of your system and how you intend to use it
that will determine the voltage you’ll use. Take some time
58 HomeMadePowerPlant
• Series Wiring
• Parallel Wiring
• Series/Parallel Wiring (a combination of the above)
Series Wiring
Parallel Wiring
Series/Parallel Wiring
An Accidental Discovery
The twisted wreck told the story. There was metal and
tires and solar panels scattered all across the highway.
Bill realized that solar panels are improving all the time.
New manufacturing processes have made them more efficient
and more affordable. Because of this, homeowners who have
used solar panels for years (some for over twenty years) are
choosing to upgrade, much like buying a new vehicle after
several years. Installers and dealers often get calls from
individuals who want to install a new solar panel array.
67 HomeMadePowerPlant
Call all the local solar panel dealers or installers and ask
them if they’d be willing to save the old solar panels that have
been replaced. How simple is that?
The dealer may have more good news for you. Solar
panels are very fragile, which means they can frequently get
broken during shipping (and occasionally during installation).
What happens to these damaged panels?
have one and start shopping. You’ll typically find some really
good deals here.
• Cordless drill
• Soldering iron (small pen type)
• Pliers
• Hammer
• Caulking gun
• Miscellaneous nuts and screws
69 HomeMadePowerPlant
Chapter 4
Harnessing the Wind’s Power
• a generator
• blades
77 HomeMadePowerPlant
• DC Power Motor
• Body Assembly
• Tail Assembly
• Blades to Collect Wind Energy
• A Hub to Connect the Propeller to the Motor
• A Tower
• A Battery Bank
• Nuts and Bolts
• Miscellaneous Hardware
• A Socket Set
• Several Screwdrivers
• A Grinder
• A Jigsaw
• Some Sandpaper
A Step-by-Step Guide:
How to Build Your Wind-Powered Generator
Old golf carts and forklifts are both good sources for free
batteries. These batteries are often replaced long before their
shelf life is over, and they are perfect deep cycle batteries for
wind generator projects.
81 HomeMadePowerPlant
Finding a DC Motor
volts. This rating will give you an expected 12v at a low RPM
when the motor is used as a wind generator.
Finding a Tower
Cut one blade, and then use it as a template for the rest.
After you cut the blades, you might want to sand them down
for increased efficiency. The smoother the leading edge of the
blade is, the easier it will be to cut through the wind, which
will increase speed, so you’ll want to this edge of the blade.
By this time, you should have 3 blades that look like this:
Next you will attach the blades to the hub, and then
secure the hub to the motor shaft. You can use flat steel bars,
approximately a foot long and two inches wide, to attach the
blades to the hub. These bars are ideal because they will add
lots of necessary strength to the blades, especially crucial for
high winds. The next diagram illustrates how your project
should look at this point:
89 HomeMadePowerPlant
To make sure the hub doesn’t slide back out, drill a hole
through the end of the motor shaft and insert a small bolt.
Drill the hole as far down the shaft as you can (with the hub
on) to make sure the hub doesn’t shake back and forth.
You can build one from scratch, but it’s even more
economical to find an inexpensive one on eBay. You should be
able to get one for around $25.
AC Inverter
Chapter 5
How Much Energy Do You Require?
Appliance Watts
Chapter 6
Become Oil-Independent
One of the biggest challenges individuals face when they
try to reduce personal energy consumption is reducing the
amount of fuel they use for personal transportation.
Chapter 7
Tomorrow’s Self-Sustaining Home
Is Here Today
Chapter 8
Look at the Big Picture
Imagine Large-Scale Renewable Energy
Chapter 9
Ethanol Energy
Energy from sugar and corn
Chapter 10
All About Hydroelectricity
Chapter 11
Why Not Start Today?
Fact: Fossil fuels are in short supply, and they are becoming
increasingly expensive.
Simply put, the world has been very slow to catch on.
Until recently, most of us didn’t fully understand just how
depleted our fossil fuel supply has become. We weren’t
conscious of the huge impact their use has had on our
environment.
Chapter 12
Energy for the Future
Nanotechnology
Geothermal Energy
Chapter 13
Frequently Asked Questions
Why doesn’t my solar panel generate the energy I
expect?