There was a definite chill in the air this weekend, the first time I’ve noticed it. I usually associate football season with cold weather but we’ve been so lucky so far that I think I was in denial. But Sunday morning definitely hammered home the fact that we’re running out of warm days and moving into fall.
But there’s still time for sunny day projects before the season really takes hold. I spent some time last week working with the kids on a solar panel, and it was a blast! If you’re looking for something to do outside, it’s a project that can improve your home’s energy consumption and provide neat lessons about solar power at the same time. Making a solar panel for your roof is easier than it sounds, and it carries the added benefit of potentially reducing your energy expenses as the winter arrives.
You’ve probably seen offers for a solar panel instruction guides before, and all of them have the same drawback – they’re not able to show you what to do, nor do they do that great a job explaining the science behind it. DIY Green, however, has solved that problem by creating a unique instructional video series that accompanies their plans and instructions. This way, you are able to learn by watching as well as reading the instructions. My family and I found this to be incredibly helpful. Video helps you do things the right way the first time, because you’ve seen someone else do it. They’re very professional and easy to understand, and they make this a great package for anyone who is looking for a project they can actually complete.
Having become the proud owner of a solar panel and inverter, I can say that this was a very worthwhile project! The instructions really work, and the materials came in a little bit under budget. I also got big compliments from kids, neighbors, and the Home Depot guys! It was really fulfilling to do a project that keeps on giving. We don’t have a good roof for mounting a panel, so we decided to build in a little stand for the panel. That way we can take it out wherever we need to plug something in.
And it really does work! I have to say that DIY Green did a fantastic job with this kit. I do wish the videos were a little slower, so that we wouldn’t have to rewind as much, but it’s so nice to see the steps on screen that this is a small quibble. Now that we’ve done one, my daughter wants to make one for [spin]a merit badge (which she hated two weeks ago!). All around, I’d say it was a major hit, and suitable for kids 10 and up with the help of an adult.
