You may have seenthe online offers for books, DVDs or instruction manuals about building homemade solar panels. Although it makes a nice science project, or if you are ahobbyist who wants to experiment with powering your birdbath, our opinion is asimple, DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME!
The “Do-it-Yourself”(DIY) solar instruction kits are a $200 waste of time and money.
- Second, yourDIY home built solar panels will not meet any electrical codes. In other words,they’re potentially a fire hazard.
- Third, you’llhave to hook it up to your own electric panel and work the utility, so you’llhave to hire an electrician.
- Fourth,because DIY solar panels are not approved by the state, you don’t get thebenefit of net metering, which many states provide toconsumers. This means you won't get credit for the power you produce.
- Fifth,because DIY solar panels are “home made” from spare parts, they end up lookingugly on your roof, decreasing your home value. Conventional solar panels lookmuch better and actually increase your home value.
- Sixth, youwon't receive Federal energy tax credits or state solar rebates and incentives.These are applicable only to solar panels that are UL listed (deemed safe bythe Feds) and/or registered with your State (deemed safe by your State).
Bottom line; don'tput DIY solar panels on your roof to power your home.
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