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With continuing price rises on energy, solar panel is coming more to the fore; providing practically free power. It can be expensive to have these installed however, so is a good idea to build your own solar panel.

Ensure all the right equipment is to hand to avoid delay and frustration. The most important thing is to select the solar panels to be used. Time should be spent here, to ensure the exact right ones are used.

Having made that choice, you will also need; plywood, circular saw, 1 x1, screwdriver and screws, caulk, outdoor paint, solder and iron, glue, copper wire, a diode, batteries and Plexiglas.

Using your chosen cells as a guide, draw a grid on the plywood. Once satisfied, saw out the entire base and place to one side. It is now time to construct the actual panel itself.

The 1 x 1 will need to be cut into sections depending on the size of the base, and attached using the screws and the caulk. Once all set, this should be painted with the outdoor paint; though not over the grid of course.

Before applying the cells, they need to be soldered together; using tabs at the back to attach one to the other. This work needs to be very careful, as the cells are very delicate at this point. Once in a suitable series, they can be applied with glue onto your plywood grid.

Next, attach the copper wire directly to your electrical system. You will also need to attach a diode line, which will prevent the batteries from leaching power.

The final step is to entirely weatherproof the panel through Plexiglas over the cells. Secure in place with caulk and allow to dry. You have now managed to build your own solar panel.

By learning to build your own solar panel you can save money, help the environment, and generate electricity using free energy from the sun with do it yourself solar panels.