Anyone know anything about DIY solar?

[mac_stone]

 I'm interested primarily in a start-small project, like powering an electric pasture fence, with recycled/reused materials to build most of your own solar-power collection and storage system.

Anyone? Bueller?

Comments

[casacorona.livejournal.com]

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&sa=G&tbs=shop:1&q=parmak+solar+fence+charger

You don't need to figure it out. Just buy the solar charger and attach it to your electric fence wire. Don't forget the stand-offs to hold the wire away from your regular fence.

I used one of these for years, before we moved and put in metal rail fence. They are very reliable, and very very easy to install.

[mac-stone.livejournal.com]

:) I've got a solar charger on one pasture, already, actually - and I used a solar panel to charge the horse trailer LQ batteries for years, too.

I just get really curious about how the guts of things work, and how to put something useful together from found/salvaged bits. I was one of those kids that took things apart into little bitty pieces -- although, usually I could get 'em back together again.

The soldering together of the solar cells doesn't worry me - but how would one go about assembling one's own solar cells to begin with, I wonder,

[drumiller.livejournal.com]

Check out builditsolar.com. They've got a metric f-ton of information. Plus, Gary and crew (if you find a project you like) will probably answer any questions if you want.

His 'Half' project is what cut my monthly bill by a 1/2 to a 1/3rd year round. I also pursued my shade project (cooling the house and lowering A/C bill during summer substantially) based on one of the many projects listed there.

Conservation is the first step, but check it out for yourself.

[mac-stone.livejournal.com]

Awesome, thanks Dru!

[drumiller.livejournal.com]

No problem. You might also check out the instructables site. IIRC, they have a whole slew of solar DIY stuff there as well.