If you are among one of those zealous people who want to have their own solar energy house then you must have taken DIY Solar Panels into account. Even as I admire this thought of yours but let me alert you that building solar panels will cost you a lot. Lets see how.

DIY Solar Panel Cost:
First lets see what materials you require and how much they would cost you.
Ø 2ft x 4ft x 1/4in Plexiglas (Clear) / iron solar glass low $34 or more
Ø Plywood panel 3/4in 2ft x 4ft $23
Ø $119 Solar Cell kit at “ebay”, including:

· 10ft bus and 10 ft tabbing wires,
· 50 Solar cells each 3in x 6in, 1.75w, pre-tabbed
· Solder and flex pen

Ø Diodes $3
Ø Sealant / Silicone caulk (Clear) $3
Ø 2 panels of Peg board 2ft x 2ft $5
Ø Junction box $5
Ø Wood, Paint, stainless screws for frame $10

All these costing $202, but if you cut 10 spare solar cells which costs $20 then the total cost would be $182 for a 60 watt panel which means $3 per watt.

Factory made panels expense:
Upon searching over the Internet we found that there are retailers who were selling 120-watt panels for $358, nearly $2.98/watt. But there are also few wholesalers agreeing to sell directly to consumers, minimum quantity as 2 panels. Like 225 watt solar panel for $549, nearly $2.44/watt.

Risks and Cautions of DIY Solar Panels:
Dependable, refundable, secure and cutback electricity bills, these are the most important things that people must see if they want to have their own solar energy house. Do you think you can find all these needs in DIY Solar Panels, we don’t think so. DIY Solar Panels may be the most advance technology of this modern world but it’s not a feasible substitute. Lets see why,

- DIY solar panels comes with no guarantees may be last for few year most likely but on the other hand factory made solar panels offer 25 years guarantee.
- According to US policy, people are not allowed to connect their solar panel to the network. They are required to have a UL Certificate in order to connect their solar panel to the grid. This policy has been implemented in other countries too.

- Also there is high risk involve in home made solar panel, for instance if you DIY solar panel catches a fire due to weak soldering or by any other reason for that matter and does damage to the house, the insurance company might show hesitant in paying for the damage done by the solar panel which didn’t have UL certification.
- In US, solar panels that are made at home not qualified for the available tax credit and reimbursement.

Building Solar Panel as a science or DIY project
Yes there is no problem if you want to make a solar panel for your project, on the contrary it would be worthwhile and gratifying. If you complete such project you could just show off to people around you or you can use it at your home for small purposes.

You would need a guide like “how to make solar panels for dummies” if you want to make such projects. These guides will work great for you, answering every question that comes in your mind, like what to do or how to do plus they also come with video CDs in it. These guides may cost you a little too much but you won’t regret spending your money for sure.

In the end you won’t be able to save money on the thought of reducing electricity bills by making your own DIY solar panels, it sure costs a lot and involves too much risk for you. On the other hand making solar panels as any science project would be good for educational purpose. If you think these $40 – $50 guides are too much for you then my advice is that you should search them over the Internet, it would be easy and free in this way.