Would like to know if the DIY Solar panel systems can be as efficient as a commercial grade panel.

I’ve been looking at this DIY project of making solar panels</a> and wondered if anyone has purchased any of the solar panel kits that you can buy online to build your own panels. Anyone tried this and if so, was it worth the effort. would love to hear your comments. Here is the guide that I was looking at: http://www.solarpanelsmake.com Let me know!

I’m planning to construct a solar powered ventilator. I have several questions.
If I use just one 12v dc solar panel (PV Module), how many fans( CPU Fan) can I operate?
Do i need a battery and a charge controller?
What about DC input?
How do I set up the system with the basic equipment to operate this solar powered ventilator project of mine?

Tips and links to other websites are are very much appreciated. Thank you for sharing your knowledge.

P/S: I am not an electrician neither an engineer in any engineering field. I just want to learn and invent something for the sake of inventing only.

I’ve checked out a bunch of sites and some youtube videos. Mixcat.com on youtube has an awesome tutorial on building your own solar panels. There’s a lot of info on the web but I feel I’m missing some of the better material. I was hoping some of you DIYers who have actually made a solar panel could turn me on to a website, a book, a forum, a video, or anything that could really get me on my way to building my own solar panel and putting it to work for me. Thank you all for taking the time with my other answers. You guys and gurls are awesome.

**enphase Energy does NOT endorse this video, and they do NOT recomend installing this micro inverter in this way as it void the warranty** This video shows the only known DIY solar panel array to be approved for grid interconnection. By recreating what is seen here, you can have a grid tie solar system for HALF the cost!! Main parts of this array- 1.) Evergreen Solar Photovoltaic cells 2.) enphase Micro Inverters 3.) Butt-load of wood from Big Box hardware store 4.) Time Take advantage of the 30% federal Tax Rebate before it is gone! By doing this project alongs side my other project (my DIY Geothermal Heating and Cooling System using a heat pump AC unit) I was able to pay for BOTH projects with my tax return!! This video is a suggestion… a starting point for you to DO LOADS OF RESEARCH before attempting to create such a project. I spent a couple months looking at diagrams and schematics on Google Images before attempting either of my projects. Unless you are a trained professional (who should ALWAYS be the one to install any grid tied system!) you should read untill you feel comfortable with the materials, then make your decision. ALWAYS secure all applicable permits and approvals from appropriate government departments and utility companies BEFORE starting any project to reduce loss of $$$. Permits and approvals required by my local gov’t were ‘Board of Zoning’ for a zoning variance for its unique placement, and ‘Building Inspections’ for an electrical and mechanical …

I’m trying to build a DIY Uninterruptable Power Supply to run some electronics in a remote location with intermittent grid power. I plan to use two 115Ah deep cycle batteries attached to a two stage battery charger. When grid power is on I want to charge the battery bank with grid power, but I also want to supplement with solar panels. I purchased a 30A solar charger (Sunforce), a 16v 20A regulated power supply (Samplex), and a battery isolator (to use when I get solar panels to keep them isolated from the power supply). I thought that the regulated power supply would power the charger when the grid was up, and solar panels (added later) would charger in the absence of power. PROBLEM: When the regulated power supply gets over about 5 amps, the charger basically stops working. The output voltage starts fluctuating and it eventually shuts off. Is there some way to get this working???
Oh and I know I could just get a higher end solar charger that will do all this, but the costs are very high. . .I’d like to spend under 0, thus the DIY aspect.
Thanks for the response, but not that I already purchased a batter isolator to prevent backfeeding either the panels or the power supply. Also I don’t have any solar panels right now, just the power supply, so solar panels aren’t the issue. I think there must be something fundamentally different about the DC that is coming out of my regulated power supply and a solar panel! Another interesting note, the solar charger says right on the side, "Only use with solar panels, do not use with other power sources". . .but WHY???? Seems like it should work to me. . .?

My DIY solar pannel installation on my fifty wheel camper. Visit filear.com for more videos.

I have seen a lot of DIY information on making your own solar panels. I have even purchased a couple of them. However, they have not been very helpful in the fact that they either call for buying tons of broken peices and putting them together, or buying each cell and building the frame, and wiring it together. I have a 14′X60′ Mobile home with the flat roof on it. It is in full sunlight 3/4 of every day. I am looking for an inexpensive way to build my own solar panel using the entire roof. I am not looking for the most efficient, because I have plenty of size to work with. I do not have a lot of electrical needs. I am on some medical machines though, if it werent for them I would probably just let the electric go and buy a propane fridge and stove and call it good. I do not want to spend a bunch of money on books either so please no advertisements on where to buy books on this subject. I have very little resources in the way of money or else I would just pay the electric bill, my electric company is 1/4 renewable energy anyway. So if anyone knows of a way to build this, or knows where I can get a book or website for free. please let me know. Thank you,
I have most of what I need. I have the inverter, the regulator and the wiring, what I do not have is the know how on how they built the first ones. I have seen some info. on the web. But not enough to even get me started. I am looking for how they made them back in the 50’s and 60’s when it took massive amounts of space. Because space I have, money I do not. Back then the parts would have costed a lot, but I am betting the parts are pretty cheap by todays standards since they would not be used for solar panels. They came up with the crystals sometime in the 60’s if my memory serves me. I am looking for instructions for the ones before that. I know I can not get more than an 8% yeild, but since I have the room to use, why not use it, if I can get the parts cheap enough to make it doable?

After having good success with adding a small solar panel at my home, I thought I would try to design and built one myself with the goal of having it near as good as a commercially purchased panel. No wood. No paint. In PART 1 I covered project objectives and I went over the design alternatives. In PART 2 I covered the basic parts and initial frame concept. In PART 3 I covered aluminum frame design considerations, options, and selection of approach. In PART 4 I covered cutting out the backing material and early cell tabbing work. In this PART 5 I cover cutting out the aluminum frame, and then I share my tabbing results. Video capture was done with a Casio EX-S12 camera. Video editing was done with Microsoft’s Movie maker.

I’ve been doing a lot of experimenting with renewable energy lately, mostly with the kits you buy online for solar-powered cars and whatnot. My question is: how can you convert the electricity coming from the solar panel (positive and negative wires) into a standard household 120V AC current? Preferably DIY, but I’m open to buying some equipment, as long as it’s not expensive.