For months now I keep seeing these ads pop up on the web (yet another reason why I don't have ads on this blog). BUILD YOUR OWN SOLAR PANELS FOR UNDER $200 USING PARTS FROM THE HARDWARE STORE REDUCE YOU POWER NEEDS BY 80% THE POWER COMPANY WILL PAY YOU! BULLSHIT!! I thought I would list them all but I found today that there are just way too many on the web now...so here is the short list and MHO about them.
One of my favorite bullshit sites (and one of many just like it) is http://www.make-solar-panel-home-now.com/goinggreen/ They appear to review and recommend the top three choices in this category - including my other favorite http://www.earth4energy.com/ In fact....if you do a search for "build your own solar panel scam", you come up with mostly sites like these or "testimonials" of folks saying it is not a scam. The masterminds behind this snake oil have loaded the search engines with run-a-rounds to avoid being found out. There are even some YouTube videos of folks showing off their "home made" systems - and if you look closely, their "home made" panels have manufacturers labels on the back. Some of the sites even claim that you can get free batteries....just remember - you get what you pay for.
DON'T BE STUPID AN BUY IN TO THIS CRAP! And by the way, if you somehow manage to build 2KW of solar and wire it up yourself to spin your meter backwards (with or without the permission of your local utility)...you will not reduce your utility bill by 80%, it will cost you far more than $200, you will not be able to get all the parts from your local hardware store, and if something shorts out and burns your house down....guess what the insurance company is going to say?
