CAN I BUY ONE SOLAR PANEL AND SIMPLY INSTALL IT MYSELF TO GENERATE ENOUGH POWER TO RUN ONE SMALL HEATER?

I dont want to yet convert my whole home to Solar – but i thought it must be simple enough to purchase one panel for a few hundred dollars that could run a small heater in my home just to keep the chill down – any suggestions?

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Comments (7)

#1 written by Blub blub blub
about 2 years ago

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ya, use this calculator. might be more $$ than you think

http://www.bigfrogmountain.com/calculators/solarpanelsrequired.htm
#2 written by a05vma2
about 2 years ago

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Also you have to factor in how much energy you will need to store to be able to run your heater for a given lenght of time. In short, how many batteries you need to bank enough energy to run the heater for say 6 hours? How about the wattage of the inverter required to convert 12v into household voltage to run your heater?

There are formulas available on the web to help you calculate all this.
#3 written by Abdu Rahim
about 2 years ago

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Not really sure what the current prices on photovoltaic panels are, but dang they are steep. Last time I checked, they were like 500 bucks for a 45 Watt panel.

Consider: A standard plug-in space heater uses 500-750 watts on low setting (depending on the model). You’d need a dozen panels to run it, and then only when you’re getting full sun! If you wanted to store any juice for when the sun goes down, add more panels, AND a bank of batteries for storage.

A small (500-1000 Watt) windmill is actually more cost-effective; the windmill itself running $500-1000. And, rather than use it for a heater, I’d recommend getting a 12VDC or 24VDC (or whatever is appropriate for the windmill you get) water heater element for your hot water heater, and use it to produce your domestic hot water! That is the second-biggest energy cost in the house, after heating!

But, back to heat: The best bang for your buck can be had from more insulation!
#4 written by sasha
about 2 years ago

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I’m not sure, but you could check this new DIY guide that was released recently. It’s called Earth4Energy and it promises step-by-step instructions for building your own solar panels.
#5 written by Marg B
about 2 years ago

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I bought an e book for about $40 from http://www.OurEarth4Energy.com and it has detailed instructions on how to make photovoltaic cells , and also a windmill for under $200. They will power up more than just one small appliance. Depending on how big your storage battery is, will determine how much you will have to spend.

It was really simple to put together though. Good luck.
#6 written by Deete
about 2 years ago

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Hi Marc

I think you will be surprised at he cost of a panel to run a heater. You should look in to spending a weekend on a home build. It will be more than worth your while. Quite simple and saves an awful lot of money.
#7 written by Get Off The Grid
about 2 years ago

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Hey Marc,

It’s not a bad idea to buy a panel, but I would definitely recommend that you learn to build the panel yourself. It will save you A LOT of money. It’s really not that difficult either.

Here are just some materials that you’ll need:

A sheet of copper flashing from the hardware store. This normally costs about $5.00 per square foot. We will need about half a square foot.

Two alligator clip leads.

A sensitive micro-ammeter that can read currents between 10 and 50 microamperes. Radio Shack sells small LCD multimeters that will do, but I used a small surplus meter with a needle.

An electric stove

A large clear plastic bottle off of which you can cut the top.

Table salt. We will want a couple tablespoons of salt.

Tap water.

Sand paper or a wire brush on an electric drill.

Sheet metal shears for cutting the copper sheet.