Solar Energy Kits

What are Solar Energy Kits and what kinds are available?

A solar kit is an option to make your home solar without having to invest a fortune. The best solar panel kits are packages consisting of tools to build your own solar energy setup at home. They are intended to be easy to assemble, economical, as well as qualify for  solar power rebates. There are numerous solar energy kits available in the market for residential solar panel set up, including portable, grid-tie, off grid, and RV. Generally, the most common use of these kits is not going to be a big residential-scale system, rather energy generation for your cabin or mobile home.

WARNING: Solar panels produce electricity, which is dangerous. Unless you’re a licensed electrician, you shouldn’t expect to wire a larger solar array together. Add to that that it’s illegal to do your own home wiring unless you have a license, and it my just be better to get someone else to do your home solar installation.

Here is some general information about these kits:

Capacity of Solar Kits

Solar kits are available in different power generation capacities. Right from the single family home to a small school, suitable solar kits are manufactured by many firms. The capacities of small solar kits can vary from 1 watt to an 80 watt system. Some solar kits even combine other renewable energy for more power generation. The hybrid wind and solar residential kit is an example.

Examples of Home Solar Energy Kits

Solarhome.org has a range of solar kits in its collection. Starting from a modest 10 watt solar kit, the capacity goes up to 80 watts. There is even a mini 5 watt solar kit for a single household or for emergency backup purposes. All these solar energy packages can be easily assembled by anyone and are very cost-effective. They can be used suitable in homes, house clusters or schools.

The Sub-$600 Solar Kit:

This is essentially a do-it-yourself solar power kit available for under $600. This kit consists of a photovoltaic assembly, an inverter, sealed backup batteries and a charge controller. The total cost includes that for wiring, mounting and everything else is $585.

Pros and Cons of Solar Kits

A solar energy kit that you can use to build your own solar power system has both its advantages and disadvantages.

Pros:

  • Economy: a small solar kit might be more economical than investing in a full scale solar power system. A big save is the installation cost spent on professional installation of solar panels at your home.
  • Self-sufficiency: solar kits are entirely self-sufficient in terms of equipment to set up your own solar energy system.

Cons:

  • Warranty: professional setups come with a warranty that may be absent (although not in the case for many of the kits we’ve seen) for independent solar power systems.
  • Workmanship: amateur workmanship is often a concern for many as it can result in faulty installation or unsightly set up.