DIY Solar Kits Reviewed
Posted by Ed Szajniak on Monday, March 16th, 2009
With energy costs sky-rocketing, we decided to save some money by harnessing the abundant (and free) solar rays here in the Okanagan with a solar heating system for our pool. But rather than have a company charge us upwards of $3,000 for the pleasure, we decided to see if we could fabricate and install the solar panels ourselves.
Well, you’d be AMAZED at the number of DIY solar kits on the market!!!
After reading a number of them, we thought we’d save you some time by posting a review of the 3 best DIY solar kits that we bought – Earth4Energy, Power4Home and Home Made Energy.
Here are our DIY solar guide reviews…
 Earth4Energy – TOP Pick
Written by: Michael Harvey:
Guarantee: 8 weeks
Cost: $49.97US (at time of writing)
Michael Harvey starts by promising to help you reduce your power costs by 80% — or even eliminate them. He also asserted that we could buy the parts that we needed for $200 or less. “Oh sure”, we thought… but you know what? We picked up everything we needed for less than $200.
Michael’s Earth4Energy guide is clear, concise and put out in step-by-step format. Also included is the Earth4Energy video series, which is a brand new part of the Earth4Energy kit.
Considering the value for money and the way this material is presented, it’s no surprise that the Earth4Energy DIY solar energy kit had been featured in the New York Times, CNN, NBC, CNET and more.
Click here to Order Earth4Energy
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 Power4Home – 2nd Place
Written by: John Russel – Home Energy Expert, Electrician
Guarantee: 8 weeks
Cost: $49.97US (at time of writing)
I must say that the screenshot of John’s $47.19 energy bill compared with the previous month’s bill for $184.52 was pretty compelling — especially since our gas bills run in the $400 range here in winter — and we have MILD winters in the Okanagan.
In addition to well laid-out instructions, Power4Home includes these bonus products:
- Exclusive Parts Suppliers List
- 83 Ways To Reduce Your Home Energy Needs
- Advanced Power Saving Technology
- IRS TAX Rebate Forms
- Life Time PREMIUM Support Membership
Click here to Order Power4Home
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 Home Made Energy – Third Runner Up
Written by: Bill Ford, Energy Consultant
Guarantee: 8 weeks
Cost: $47.00US (at time of writing)
As with Earth4Energy, the Home Made Energy guide includes specific instructions and step-by-step diagrams on how and what type of system (wind or solar) to build , based on your geographical location and the size of your house. You can easily build both systems and generate even more energy, all with components that can be purchased from your local hardware store.
Home Made Energy has been featured in Popular Science and Popular Mechanics.
This product came very close to being our top choice as it includes regular site updates, but for the fact that it does not include video.
Click here to Order Home Made Energy
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Each of these books comes as an electronic book (eBook) which means that they are available for immediate download after purchase. While some may prefer a ‘real’ tangible book, remember that you can choose to print out exactly what you want (save paper) AND you’ll also be saving gas and money when you don’t drive to Borders or Chapters to buy that book.
Best of all, you get direct access to each of these authors — which would not be the case if you bought a book at a bookstore.
So, if you are serious about saving money on your energy bill and doing your bit for the environment, get one of our recommended DIY Solar Power Kits right now.
- Earth4Energy
- Power4Home
- Home Made Energy
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