Home Removal Services Blog

More people than ever before want to “go green,” make their own solar panels and go “off the grid” – going green is the newest, hottest trend around and homeowners everywhere want to participate. But you have to be careful who you listen to, because there’s lots of bad information out there – about how much solar panels cost, how much they can save you, and how to build them in the first place.

Solar panels don’t have to be expensive – and people who say they are always pricey are simply spreading misinformation. Panels are only expensive if you buy them through a large company and have them do all the work for you, which might add up to over $20,000.

If you do it yourself, you can spend a fraction of that money – often under $200 – and still get great results, using 2 main approaches.

The first method: you can buy broken or not 100% functional solar panels, on eBay, from the companies themselves, or by calling local stores and anyone else who has solar panels they need to get rid of (like the highway patrol!).

Why highway patrol? Well, solar panels are used along many highways in the US, and traffic accidents often result in broken solar panels – so this can be a great source for making your home 100% green. And it’s something not too many people know about.

Another method: you can buy the individual solar cells from eBay or from your local hardware store, and then assemble everything yourself. These cells are very cheap, but they don’t function at 100% – and it will take a few days to assemble everything.

Another piece of bad information is that everyone can completely eliminate their power bills with solar panels. Nice in theory, but this rarely works out in reality – at least for most people.

The first problem is that your area may not have much sunlight – or your house itself may be poorly positioned to receive solar exposure.

But even without that, the average house would require solar panels with the capacity for thousands of kilowatts to go 100% “off the grid.” And if you use air-conditioning, you’ll need double what the typical home would require.

But solar panels can still save you a lot of money. It’s just you’ll need multiple panels, or the addition of wind turbines, to go 100% off the grid.

The third myth is that do-it-yourself solar panels will fall apart easily, or are very fragile. Don’t get me wrong – nothing lasts forever, and solar panels are no exception.

However, if you construct your panels correctly in the first place and use silicone to prevent moisture from getting in, while also using flexi-glass on the outside to further prevent water and dust from settling there, they will last significantly longer.

And then there’s maintenance – you need to clean your panels, check the wiring, and clean out moisture at least once a year. Do this, and your solar panels will last for years and power your house long into the future.