{"id":6989,"date":"2022-02-28T09:48:14","date_gmt":"2022-02-28T14:48:14","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/wp.umpi.edu\/utimes\/?p=6989"},"modified":"2025-08-24T12:26:08","modified_gmt":"2025-08-24T16:26:08","slug":"affordable-diy-solar-power","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wp.umpi.edu\/utimes\/2022\/02\/28\/affordable-diy-solar-power\/","title":{"rendered":"Affordable DIY Solar Power"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Solar power has become the wave of the future. Across the country, the energy-conscious are putting in solar panels and disconnecting from the power grid. The issue is that going green usually comes with a fairly hefty price tag. Now, there are a fair amount of federal rebates and tax refunds available to ease the hit. But for some who are a bit more tech savvy, there is another option. Do it yourself. With a little bit of time, a lot of research and some smart shopping, homeowners can put together a solar power kit to fit any of their power needs at a fraction of the cost.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Solar array in the sun. Photo by: Rebekah Weaver-Ariza.<\/p><\/div>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Larry Turner, a lifetime Maine resident, has been living on solar power full time for the past five years. He put his kit together entirely by himself, out of pieced together parts bought mostly online and shipped in. Larry said, \u201cI haven\u2019t used my generator since I turned my solar panels on. Don\u2019t need it anymore. I\u2019ve got all the power I need and I never run out.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0You might be asking if it isn\u2019t just easier to buy it already put together. It might be easier. But it definitely isn\u2019t cheaper. And this is about inexpensive DIY solar. The internet has it all. There are articles, videos and websites for every level of DIY-er. For those who don\u2019t care to use the internet, the local library is another great resource. Solar power is not a new resource. The technology has been around for quite some time. Books are available that detail, step by step, every single item necessary for a functional solar set-up. In addition, there are brick and mortar stores that sell everything from solar panels to wire.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0The biggest question for some is why? What\u2019s the point of solar when electricity is cheaper and easier? There are plenty of reasons, but the number one is peace of mind. Solar power kicks in if the main power goes down. Also, when homeowners aren\u2019t using that extra power, it feeds back into the power grid and earns them a credit on their bill. It\u2019s a nice way for solar to pay for itself in the long run. At least, if you happen to be connected to the power grid.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Tyler Jacob checking his solar system before turning on the power for the first time. Photo by: Rebekah Weaver-Ariza.<\/p><\/div>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0According to Tyler Jacob, \u201cThe biggest reward for putting it in by myself is that I know everything about the system. I figured it out. And I built it with my own hands. Plus, I don\u2019t have to worry about storms knocking out my power even when town power is out. And I never have to pay another power bill again. All of that together means a whole lot less money going out every month for bills. And when the economy is this rough, every penny counts.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Of course, if the idea of putting together a solar kit to power your whole house is too much, why not try something smaller? Solar tech has come a long way. We now have portable solar chargers that charge just about everything: cell phones, laptops, tablets,\u00a0 portable lights, small batteries, etc. The list is truly endless. Anything with a battery can be charged with a solar panel. And anything that runs off electricity can be run with a solar panel and a battery.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0For most who enter into this journey, the matter comes down to self-sufficiency and a desire to be free. Having the ability to build a DIY solar power source allows one to live just about anywhere rather comfortably. If you get the urge to go green and have the patience to learn, DIY solar just might be right for you.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Solar power has become the wave of the future. Across the country, the energy-conscious are putting in solar panels and disconnecting from the power grid. The issue is that going green usually comes with a fairly hefty price tag. Now, there are a fair amount of federal rebates and tax refunds available to ease the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":219,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[7381],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6989","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-archives","et-doesnt-have-format-content","et_post_format-et-post-format-standard"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.umpi.edu\/utimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6989","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.umpi.edu\/utimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.umpi.edu\/utimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp.umpi.edu\/utimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/219"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp.umpi.edu\/utimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6989"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/wp.umpi.edu\/utimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6989\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8198,"href":"https:\/\/wp.umpi.edu\/utimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6989\/revisions\/8198"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.umpi.edu\/utimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6989"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp.umpi.edu\/utimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6989"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp.umpi.edu\/utimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6989"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}