Setting up your own home solar energy system is a great DIY project but for some it can be a fairly daunting task. The more you self educate on the do's, dont's and required steps of building and installing solar panels the more you'll enjoy the project and your journey to energy self-sufficiency. Before I continue let me warn you there are numerous cheap do-it-yourself solar energy products out there that claim they'll save you a ton of money and give fantastic results - but after buying these products you may quickly discover just the opposite is true. My advice: Do your homework and don't be scammed by trend-hungry marketers.

Some things you'll need to know and do:

1. Buy the right batteries. The battery (or battery array for large systems) is the single most important factor you must determine when starting your DIY solar energy project. The batteries you must have will depend entirely on the type, number and usage hours of all electrical appliances you plan to power with sustainable solar energy. Make a detailed list of everything you'll be running on a daily basis i.e., dishwasher, refrigerator, tv, lights, air conditioner, heating, hair dryer etc... and approximately how long each of your appliances will be powered on during the day and night. When this is done then add 20 percent to the time as a margin of error.

2. Know the wattage you'll consume. Calculate the total watts needed to run everything on your list during 24 hours. Here's the little magic formula for figuring this out: Watts = Volts x Amps. This step will determine the type of batteries you'll need to have. It's imperative that the battery array will provide the correct amount of amp-hours for your required voltage. In order for your system to work efficiently you must know how many sunlight hours your solar panels must receive to generate sufficient electricity for your battery storage and usage. Also be sure that your solar power supply won't over charge your batteries as this will cause damage and degrade the maximum life of the cells.

3. Build or buy the correct size and number of solar panels. When it comes to the solar panels many first time DIY solar energy enthusiasts make the mistake of buying or making solar panels which produce the same voltage as the capacity of the batteries. In actuality, you must have panels that are higher in voltage than the batteries. As a simple analogy, think of voltage as if it were water pressure. If the pressure in your city's water main is too low then you won't receive the volume in your home's water lines to meet your consumption needs. You'll be using water faster than you can get it. By the same token, if your batteries are expending more voltage than what is supplied by your solar panels, then you won't be able to run all of your necessary appliances. Just like water lines must be continuously recharged, your solar panels must constantly recharge your batteries. If the panels under perform then your "sustainable" solar powered home will not function normally.

In conclusion, installing your own "cheap" DIY solar energy unit comes with a learning curve and some costs. You will have to learn about and do the steps outlined above and you will have to invest considerable money. Batteries are expensive to buy and they require maintenance. A sustainable solar energy panel system is not a "build and forget" project. Efficiency is the name of the game with solar panels and Efficiency = Planning + Installation + Maintenance. Without proper P-I-M you'll find yourself generating zero electricity along with a lot of headache and expense! And remember, your solar energy system is only as good as the batteries which are connected so don't be "cheap" when monitoring your battery performance and storage.