I have long been an advocate of conservation. Recycling, CFL bulbs and alternate sources of energy. Every little bit helps.

DIY solar energy has always been interesting to me, but the cost is so high and the gov’t incentives so pitiful it was always way to expensive for the RIO to think about. Don’t get me wrong, I am not interested in generating enough electricity to run my whole house, just something to supplement my usage and perhaps lower my electricity bill.

I have juggled many ideas regarding solar power; from the full enchalata of having a grid tie inverter professionally installed and signing up with microFIT, to using solar energy to charge batteries to run my computers. All have a huge investement and long ROI which I wasn’t prepared to do.

A collegue showed me the concept of the mini Grid Tie inverter and this seemed to me the best option to utilize solar power. No huge investment in provider grid tie equipment, batteries or other no value added items. You make your own solar panel, connect it to the mini grid tie inverter, connect it to any standard house outlet and watch your meter slow down.

After some initial research, I formulated a plan on what I needed to build by own solar panels and where I would get all the peices I needed from. Solar cells and inverter from ebay and construction material if available on hand or purchased locally.

I chose to go with a 400w mini grid tie inverter which I purchased from ebay. Greenergy Star is the manufacturer. Compact, no hassle, just plug it in and forget about it.

Solar Cells also purchased on ebay from Everbright Solar Inc. I chose the 6×6 Mono Crystalline sells because of their high efficiency and high wattage output. Being in Canada, I wanted the highest output possible from the smallest area.

Next up, the design and build process. Stay tuned.