Solar Panels?

How are solar panels made? How do they work? Can solar panels layed out on a rooftop power a house?

• I want to do a little project this year, and that is to make solar panels of my own. I want to see the pros and cons of how effective solar panels are. Also what are good websites where I may obtain more information on blueprints of how they are made.

• Answer:

  Unfortunately, if you want to do a fair test, it's not a little project. The best cost savings by solar is probably water heating. There will be very little cost difference between a small system and one to cover your whole house, if you do things right. For solar electric, the kind of system that saves money (if at all, depending on your location) is grid-tied, that is, with no batteries. That will require a permit and inspection, and must have panels with a safety certification - in other words, you can't hook up homemade panels. You could build a panel out of individual solar cells you buy, then connect it to a battery. That would be fun and illustrate the principle, but don't expect it to be cost-effective at all.