| Why should you build your own solar panels? Did | | | | And why not? After all, home energy costs |
| you ever try to price solar panels for your home? | | | | continue to rise and the availability of public utility |
| If you did, then you probably had an immediate | | | | power is coming into question with rolling |
| and intense feeling of hopelessness. How can it | | | | brownouts becoming more common each |
| cost so much? The average homeowner isn't | | | | summer. Home heating costs go up and down like |
| getting anywhere near conventional solar power | | | | a yo-you but always seem to end up higher than |
| for under $50,000. Sure there are tax rebates | | | | they were last year. Solar power is a reliable |
| available, but even with those the cost is | | | | alternative and do-it-yourself solar makes a lot of |
| astronomical and well out of reach for most of us. | | | | sense. |
| Solar energy is free, clean and unlimited once the | | | | Get this. You can actually build a solar panel for |
| equipment is installed, but they sure don't make it | | | | under $200. In a lot of cases, this can equal only |
| easy for us to get there. The technology has | | | | one tenth of the price of a single panel purchased |
| been around for many decades and it is | | | | from and installed by an energy contractor. |
| improving, but the prices haven't come down like | | | | Multiply that by the number of panels you'd need |
| they do on almost every other technology after | | | | to totally convert your home and you're talking |
| it is first introduced. In fact, we can expect solar | | | | about a significant savings and a total cost that is |
| prices to increase as interest and demand grow. | | | | much closer to being reasonable for the average |
| Here's a little secret that won't be a secret much | | | | family budget. |
| longer. Homeowners all over are beginning to | | | | That's not the only place you save either. Every |
| realize that the materials needed for building their | | | | watt you generate with solar is a watt that you |
| own solar energy systems, including the panels | | | | don't have to buy each and every month for as |
| are readily available, inexpensive and easy to | | | | long as you own the home. Think about how |
| assemble. In fact, more and more average people | | | | much money that will save even if you only |
| are quietly building their own solar panels, mounting | | | | converted a quarter of your consumption to solar. |
| them to rooftops, tying them into their home's | | | | The best part is that with a little planning and |
| power supply and reducing their consumption of | | | | design, a system can be built over time by building |
| commercial energy by substantial amounts. | | | | one panel and adding to it as you go. |