Top 5 reasons for DIY Air to Air Solar Panel
- (Almost) Free Heat!
- The energy from the sun is directly converted to heat, and only a minimal amount of electricity is needed to power the fan. Operating costs are extremely low, as it’s only a small wattage fan (<100 watts) that is powered for ~6 hours every day the sun is shining during the winter. That’s like leaving one light bulb on in a room!
- DIY (Do it yourself)
- This is something you can buy all of the parts to and build it yourself, meaning you are in control, and not just giving money to the big Oil companies! All of the construction is quite simple, and no complicated tools or equipment are needed. Minimal wiring means you don’t need to be an electrical genius to hook it up.
- Green!
- In the cold winter months, you are spending a lot of money on carbon based energy just to heat your home. The sun’s energy is all natural, and provides plenty of energy to help reduce the amount needed from carbon based energy like electricity, natural gas, propane or fuel oil.
- Freely available
- All you need is a south facing wall that gets lots of sunshine. Nothing else is preventing you from doing this. No complicated systems that may or may not tie into your grid; it doesn’t need elaborate plumbing or support systems. Just a single wall outlet to power the fan, and a south facing sunny wall.
- Clean Energy
- Unlike burning wood or corn as supplemental heat, there’s no work to do once you’ve built it and installed it. No wood or corn to haul in, no ashes to haul out, no pipes to clean, safe as there’s no fire burning, and it works whether you’re home or not.
To get started on your own solar panel, click here to learn how I made my own solar panel.
