Solar hot water systems can provide your home with free hot water.  There are kits on the market that are much cheaper than outsourcing the job to a professional contractor.  You can choose from various pre-built solar hot water kits that would be suitable for your location.

Each pre-build solar hot water kit comes with a detailed manual to help you incorporate the kit to your existing water tank.  Kits make it easier for you than building an entire system from scratch.  Depending on where you live, here are two solar hot water kits you can choose from.

Cool climate solar hot water kits are for areas that experience freezing temperatures.  It is a closed-loop system where a non-toxic, freeze-resistant fluid transports heat from the solar collectors.  This process prevents clogged pipes on cold winter nights.  Enjoy hot showers anytime of the day.  Areas where the water is hard can also benefit from a closed-loop installation because it prevents scaling in the pipes.

A cool climate pre-build solar hot water system is efficient and reliable throughout the year.  It comes with a pump that automatically activates when the heat is sufficient in the solar collectors.  The transfer fluid will then circulate through the solar collectors and into the heat exchangers, which transfers the heat into the water tank.  Then the transfer fluid is pumped back into the solar collectors.  The loop will not end as long as there’s heat in the solar collectors.  When there’s no heat left, the pump will shut off.

For locations where freezing temperatures are unlikely, a warm climate pre-build solar water kit is the right choice.  This is an open-loop system where the water flows from the solar collectors.  This type of system is simple and inexpensive.

Warm climate pre-built solar hot water systems contain few components, so even inexperienced DIYers will find them easy to build.  You can incorporate one to an existing water tank without encountering problems.  This system can handle temperatures as low as 40 F.

You can find pre-built solar hot water kits at hardware stores, Home Depot and online.  Be sure to check what type of kit is best for your climate so you can get more energy from the sun.

This post was originally published on DIY Solar Power. To read the full post, please visit Find the Right Pre-Build Solar Hot Water System for Your Next DIY Project.

You can make homemade solar cells using materials purchased at a hardware store.  These cells are not as effective as the ones that are commercially available, and having an array of them would be impractical.  Yet teachers will find these homemade solar cells an ideal tool to use to teach their students about solar energy.

To make your own homemade solar cells you’ll need a plastic CD case, silicone rubber glue, copper flashing sheet, insulated copper wire, sandpaper, a soldering iron, and some saltwater.

1. Create a cuprous oxide plate by placing the copper sheet on a stove burner for at least 30 minutes.
2. When the copper sheeting is covered with a black coating, take it off the flame and let it cool for at least 20 minutes.  You’ll know it’s ready when the black oxide coating disappears and the sheet turns red with black spots.
3. Sand one corner clean until the copper is shiny.
4. Solder an insulated copper wire onto a corner.  This will be your negative lead.
5. Cut copper sheeting into a U-shape.  It should be bigger than the cuprous oxide plate, but the cutout portion should be small. This will act as the positive plate.
6. Solder another insulated copper wire in the corner of the U-shaped copper sheeting.
7. Glue the U-shaped copper plate onto the plastic CD window.  Be sure to use plenty of silicon glue to ensure the saltwater will not leak out, but make sure it doesn’t completely cover the copper. Saltwater must be in contact with the copper sheeting.  Also, make sure that the solder connection is covered with glue.
8. Apply a thick layer of silicone glue onto the U-shaped copper plate.  This will serve as the insulator between the cuprous oxide plate and the U-shaped copper plate.
9. Gently press the cuprous oxide plate onto the layer of glue.  Be sure to seal off the gaps without touching each other.
10. Add additional glue on the top to act as a funnel for the saltwater.
11. With an eyedropper, add the saltwater into your portable homemade solar cell.  Fill it to the top of the copper plate and seal it with silicone glue.  Let the glue cure for at least half an hour, and then your homemade solar cell is ready to be used.

This is another way of building your own homemade solar cell.  It will generate a small amount of power, and you’ll need a couple of cells to recharge a nine volt battery.

This post was originally published on DIY Solar Power. To read the full post, please visit Homemade Solar Cells Using Copper Plate and Saltwater.

RV solar panels can work wonders for your recreational vehicle.  You don’t need to worry about the location of the nearest RV park to charge your batteries during a trip, so installing RV solar panels gives you more freedom on the road.

People install RV solar panels to harness the sun’s energy to power up their electronic devices inside the recreational vehicle.   There’s no need to use noisy fossil fuel generators along the way, and you’ll save on generator fuel as well.

But before you purchase an RV solar panel kit, you need to know a couple of things.  One of the most important factors you need to consider is the total amount of energy you need for your RV, which will determine the number of solar panels, batteries, and the size of the inverter.

To accurately estimate the size of your RV solar panel kit, calculate the total energy you’ll use in a typical day.  Once you determine the amount of solar power system, you can then envision if you have enough space for the inverter and batteries inside your RV.

If the projected RV solar panel system is too big for your recreational vehicle, the best and only viable solution is to reduce the amount of energy consumed.  There are various ways you can save on your power usage.  Plan your trip during warmer times of the year, which will cut your furnace use since heaters consume a large part of electricity produced by RV solar panels.  You might also consider getting a catalytic heater for the job because this type of heater doesn’t use electricity.  Further, you should also switch off lights and devices when not in use.

The cost of RV solar panels varies among the different models available on the market today, although a complete kit typically costs around $500.  This includes batteries, the inverter, and wires to connect the components. The actual cost will depend on the quality of the parts, but that doesn’t mean that cheaper is not better.  Consider going online to find good bargains.

If you can’t afford a full RV solar panel kit, then opt for a portable solar panel instead.  This can be used to charge your batteries and power small electronic devices.

These are the points you need to consider regarding RV solar panels.  If you’re thinking about getting a kit for your next DIY project, be sure to keep these points in mind.

This post was originally published on DIY Solar Power. To read the full post, please visit Points to Ponder about RV Solar Panels.

To fully maximize your DIY solar heating systems, you must know the right tilt angle and orientation.  These two factors are important to ensure that your solar collectors receive the maximum amount of solar energy throughout the year, especially during winter when sunlight is limited.  These two factors should be taken into consideration during the planning stages so your setup will take up less space; it could lower the total cost as well.

The right tilt angle for DIY solar heating systems depends on your location.  If you’re in the northern hemisphere, your solar collectors should be titled toward the south.  The tilt angle must be at least 15 degrees plus the latitude of the site of installation.  This is the ideal setup to get the maximum sunlight throughout the year.

Most homeowners don’t consider the tilt angle at all and install the solar collectors of their DIY solar heating system directly on their roof, thus conforming to their roof’s inclination.  Setups such as these are not optimized, but that doesn’t mean that they are bad because solar collectors that are within 20 degrees in either direction don’t suffer that much loss.  If you tilt them 15 degrees northward, water will not overheat during summer and water will be hotter during winter.  The opposite will occur when you tilt the solar collectors southward because water overheats in summer and colder water during winter.

It is ideal if the tilt angle can be adjusted according to season, but aesthetically it will be unattractive because of the additional metals and joints needed for the setup.  Plus it would add maintenance work on the DIY solar heating system that most homeowners don’t want.

Orientation of solar collectors of your DIY solar heating system should be toward true south.  Veering off 15 degrees from true south is forgivable since the systems can still receive most of the solar energy. Beyond this, the effectiveness of your collectors will diminish.

If you can’t orient your solar collectors pointing to true south and must choose between west-biased or east-biased, go toward the west.  The collectors of your DIY solar heating system will be exposed to more heat because of the increased temperatures during the afternoons.

Lastly, inspect the location of your DIY solar heating system since there might be shadows that can affect the amount of heat absorbed by your solar collectors.  Make sure that you place them in an area unobstructed from 9 a.m. up to 3 p.m., as this is the period when the maximum amount of sunlight shines.

This post was originally published on DIY Solar Power. To read the full post, please visit Important Factors for DIY Solar Water Heating Systems.

This DIY article will teach you how to make a small solar panel that can charge two AA rechargeable batteries or power small DC electronic devices. There are several small solar panels available on the market today, but making one allows you to configure it to the exact amperage and voltage.

You can buy small 1 x 3 inch solar cells online, but for this DIY project you must first have some knowledge about how solar cells work. To increase the amperage of your solar panel, wire the cells in parallel. To increase the voltage, wire them in series. In addition to the eight solar cells, you’ll also need a small gauge wire, ribbon wire, clear plastic, four to six wood screws, ½ inch-thick wood, paint, silicon adhesive, soldering iron, wire stripper, drill, paint brush and saw.

1. Cut the piece of wood to back the solar cells. The size will depend on how you’ll arrange the solar cells, so be sure to have adequate space for the wiring.
2. Sand the wood and apply paint. Let it dry.
3. For this small solar panel, we’ll be connecting the solar cells in series. That means you’ll be connecting the front of the cell to the back of the next one in the series. To connect the solar cells, solder ribbon wires to each solar cell.
4. After soldering the ribbon wires to the front of the solar cells, carefully flip the solar cells and arrange them in two columns of four each. Make sure they’re not touching each other. Bend the ribbon wires and solder it to the back of the solar cells. Now you’ll have two sets of four solar cells.
5. While still upside down, place the two sets of solar cells alongside each other. Make sure that the column on the left has the ribbon soldered at the front and that the right column is soldered at the back. Solder the wire to the top ribbon wires.
6. Create a template for your backing. Use a piece of paper and outline the backing into it to make sure that the solar cells will fit.
7. Apply adhesive on the solar cells and gently press the wood backing over them, using the paper template as a guide. Pull up the backing to check whether the solar cells are in place.
8. Cut two wires and attach them to the bottom ribbon wires. Then connect them to a reserve diode to prevent the charge from draining.
9. Cut clear plastic the size of your backing. This will serve as the covering for your solar panel. Attach the plastic to the backing using adhesive.
10. Get a battery holder and attach it to the connector wires. Make sure that you get the polarity right.

This is how you make a small solar panel to charge your AA rechargeable batteries. Place it under the sun to charge your batteries. It will take around ten to twelve hours to fully charge them.

This post was originally published on DIY Solar Power. To read the full post, please visit How to Make a Small Solar Panel Charger.