Information on making solar panels?

Question

I want to get definate instructions on how to make the components and convert my home to solar energy. I know I could hire some one to do this, but frankly I do not have the funds at my disposal to do it. I thought if I could find detailed instuctions I could slowly do it myself (with my husband's help). I have looked into loans for this purpose to no avail. Finding the information on the net could take forever! If anyone knows a site that would give me the information or even a hint on how to start? Any help will be appreciated, but if you have any good links to good information please share them with me..Thanks

Answer 1

I doubt that you are going to want to learn how to dope your own silicon wafers, add contacts and laminate them into PV panels.  I also doubt that you're going to even want the various chemicals to make e.g. cadmium-based cells anywhere near your house (cadmium is a very toxic metal).  In other words, making your own solar panels is not an at-home project.

You can buy solar panels based on cells of several different types.  A link to a Pricewatch-like website for current prices on solar panels is below.  Mounting panels to roofs or pole mounts, running conduit and wires, and installing battery banks and inverters are within the capabilities of skilled laypeople.

More data at the links.

Edit:  I am reporting all of Agua-Luna's cut-and-paste pieces as spam.  I encourage others to do likewise.

Answer 2

Typical solar panels like Engineer describes require a lot of space. A single panel may only light a single light bulb. You may want to look into a different way of generating electricity with solar, it doesn't use a cell to turn the sunlight into electricity, instead it uses mirrors to focus the sunlight onto a pipe between the mirrors. The heat causes water or another liquid in the pipe to boil and the steam created turns a turbine that produces the electricity. It has the potential to be less high-tech, more forgiving of minor design and structural problems and more affordable. I don't know of any system that is privately available but you can get more info at the link below. They're building a full test facility in Nevada right now. You could presumably cobble something like this up on your own.