Should You Make Your Own Homemade Solar Cells?

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With alternative energy all the rage right now, many people are interested in solar Cells. Of course it’s possible to make your own, but is it worth it?

Many sites and resources claim it’s “easy,” but this is actually quite far from the truth – it’s time-consuming and expensive, especially if you want to power your entire house.

So what is wrong with a DIY solar cell project?

1. You will need to go to the hardware store to buy sheets of copper and wire along with an electric stove, separate from your kitchen stove.

2. You will need to heat up and then cool down the copper, which takes about an hour of work.

3. If you want to save a significant amount of energy and reduce your electricity bill, you will need thousands of these cells – not a viable option for most people.

Therefore a simple question may haunt your mind: if homemade solar cells are so problematic, what’s the better alternative?

Try buying solar cells on eBay by searching for “chipped” or “broken” solar cells, for one.

This would cost money but this would also save you precious time and money – which you would have lost if you had made your own solar cells.

And while it is true that having solar panels installed is expensive, it is not because of the parts. It is because of the installation and assembly of the panels.

A much smarter DIY project would be to purchase some cheap pre-made cells and save money on assembly and installation.

So, is making your own homemade solar cells always a bad idea?

It is a great idea if you have a year or two of free time, but if you don’t have that kind of time, you would be better served buying the parts used and by doing the “expensive” work yourself. While it might be a fun project, making your own solar cells is still just too difficult for nearly everyone out there.

Originally posted 2009-06-16 08:16:50.

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