The time is definitely right to take a look at home solar power systems. A combination of much lower prices for solar cells combined with massive tax credits and incentives from federal and local governments made the price of systems drop significantly. In addition, fossil fuels are jumping in price because of increased demand and dwindling resources. Finally, we all are increasingly aware of the environmental effects of burning carbon fuels, and using solar energy is a great way to reduce the individual impact. For those of us that like to do home projects ourselves, the question is do we have the ability to build our own a DIY solar panel?

The first skill is one that most ‘DIY folks’ already have. You need the ability to work with materials like wood and metal. You need to be able to use power saws, drills and other common tools, and have the ability to fabricate things from scratch with these materials. The more experience you have in building projects, the easier you will find the challenge of building and installing solar panels. There is nothing about this project that can’t be learned by the average handyman. Just have confidence in your ability to use a home owner’s tool kit and you are good to go.

In order to make the electrical connections between the solar cells, you must be capable to make a clean solder joint that will make a complete electrical connection and never fail. This is one area that most people need to practice since it is not a common requirement for most home projects. The good news is that with a little instruction and practice, it is an easy skill to learn.

Probably the most foreign set of knowledge that’s required is the understanding of electricity. Some homeowners have done some simple wiring to add fixtures and switches, but most have to go all the way back to high school science to refresh their memory about DC electric current. It is unlikely, unless you studied physics that you know what a photon is and how electrons move to form a current. Fortunately, you will not need to know all the physics to build your own solar panel, but you definitely will have to come up to speed on basic electrical concepts.

There are two things I would highly recommend to get ready to begin a diy solar project. Firstly, get a book or some articles that explain the basic electrical concepts that make a solar system work. This will give you a framework for understanding how each of the system components fit together.

The second is a course that actually shows you how to assemble solar panels in detail, and gives you all the parameters for installing a successful system. There are a number of these courses available by searching on the internet. Some are excellent. Good courses make extensive use of videos and give step by step instructions that are easy to understand. Other courses offered, sometimes at high prices, might not be worth the money.