Saving Green While Going Green

Have you ever wondered how solar panels work? And can drinking canned sodas and even beer help save Mother Earth? Researching these questions reveals a surprising new trend for do-it-yourselfers when it comes to renewable energy. Normal, marginally handy people are creating solar panels and heating systems from scratch with every day materials (including that empty can of Bud on your dresser).

Michael Davis, astronomer and do-it-yourselfer, bought a rural property in Arizona- and it wasn't just for that "country feel". In order to truly see the night sky in detail, he needed a significant reduction in light pollution that only distance from the city can provide. Davis explains his inspiration for his solar panel/wind turbine hybrid system in a written interview as being motivated by "a practical need". "To have electricity," he writes, in reference to his remote property, "I have to make my own."

This pressing need for manufacturing one's own source of electricity is rare, but many still find the concept of harvesting the sun's energy alluring. Some just want a reduction in their monthly utilities, while others pursue a completely off-the-grid lifestyle; certain unnamed article-writers want to prepare for the upcoming Zombacolypse, and still others want that tree-hugging, earth-friendly sense of accomplishment.

Whatever the incentive, with a little bit of guidance and diligent self-study, an otherwise-untrained individual can generate their very own solar and even wind power for much less than the cost of a commercially installed system. "I like to build things," says Davis. "I wanted to challenge myself and see if I could come up with a working solar panel design on my own, and save a little money too."

And save money he did. Today, the average cost of a basic 1 kilowatt (kW) solar panel system for a single family home "could be anywhere from ten thousand to fifteen thousand dollars", says Priscilla, a Pacific Gas & Electric representative.

But according to the receipt log found on his website, he only spent a total of $104.85 on the solar portion of his system, and another $140.62 for the materials used for the wind turbine. This notably does not include some of the miscellaneous building scrap materials he already had on hand, which he disclaims by saying "Your mileage may vary". And although his system only generates "a few hundred Watts" (as compared to one thousand Watts, or 1 kW), for an investment of a little over two hundred bucks, the savings are abundant.

Davis plans to expand his current system eventually to "not only produc[e] my own electricity, but also heating, hot water, and possibly vehicle fuel" in preparation for his transition to full time off-the-grid living. Michael Davis isn't the only person out there embarking on such projects. Checking out the many YouTube videos dedicated to the showing others how to build their own systems says volumes about the practicality of DIY solar.

And what about those beer cans? While Davis did not himself employ aluminum cans in his system, there is a wealth of information on the subject from various blogs and websites of avid "green DIYers". Jim Meaney is the owner of Cansolair, Inc., a company that sells solar panels constructed in large part by used aluminum cans. In an online video, Meaney explains why they make an excellent medium for a solar heating system: "They [aluminum soda/beer cans] have an excellent heat transfer ability, and it's virtually instant… if you were to say, put one under a stream of hot water, you'd feel the heat, just like that."

Despite the complexity of the actual science behind how it works, aluminum can solar furnaces are much easier to make than it sounds, according to eHow.com and the multitude of bloggers on the subject. They utilize passive solar heat, which really just translates into "cans get hot in the sun- let's stack a bunch in a box, and then pump that hot air into the house!". As silly as that sounds, even in partial sunlight (think crisp, clear winter days), Cansolair's solar furnace can generate heat "up to 10,000 BTUs p/hour". So yes- as it turns out, you can reduce your carbon footprint by drinking beer… kinda. Or you could take all of the fun out of it and buy one pre-made from Cansolair for upwards of $2000.

To the next generation of do-it-yourself solar "panelists", Michael Davis shares this tip: "A friend of mine likes to say that Google knows everything. That's where I always start my research." I think I'll start mine with a nice cold one instead.