Beware of “DIY” solar panel scams

[garybeck]

http://solarbus.org/blog/?p=97

After seeing and researching through a few of these “build your own solar panel” websites, I want to urge extreme caution to anyone considering spending even $1 with these. They are virtually ALL SCAMS. Like this:



I have read all kinds of outrageous claims, like for just a couple hundred dollars you can start running your meter backwards, or get most of your power from solar. This is pure BS! There is no way. Even if you got all the materials to make your solar panels for free, you still need an INVERTER to connect to the power company, which will cost you at least $2000. In order to sell power to the power company, youwill need to use UL listed equipment and your homemade panel will NOT be UL listed. Even if you don’t want to sell power back, you still need an inverter to get AC power and there is no way anyone is going to build their own inverter unless you’re an electrical engineer.

...

You might be able to build your own solar panel as a hobbyist and get some power from it to run a fan, charge a battery, or something like that. But to power your home? No way, it just isn’t going to happen. Anyone claiming you can do something like this for a “few hundred dollars” as some of these ads claim, is blatantly lying. Even if someone handed you free solar panels that were UL listed, that would only be about half of your system and the rest would cost several thousand dollars.

...

It is true that you can make your own solar panel, if you buy some surplus cells from a manufacturer and construct a frame around them. And you could charge a battery with them and run some small appliances and learn a lot. However these panels could NOT be connected to the grid as these scams claim.

http://solarbus.org/blog/?p=97

[lob1]

1. Thanks for the info. Crooks seem to be everywhere.

[earthboundmisfit]

2. Funny the "testimonial" is from Lisa LIIIER

pronounced same as - LIAR!

[valerief]

3. Bada bing! nt

[greyl]

4. Joe Greenpockets is the guy "selling" the secret.

It's from a joke site.

Hi I'm Joe Greenpockets

I want to express my thanks to all you simple minded, I mean wonderful customers who already sent me your $39.00 for my video guide and booklet that explains how to make your own home made solar panels. Never mind that you can get all this information for free from the nearest public library.

After spending 50 years in the solar industry I figured that it was time that I made some money.

Now that I'm rich and living in the Bahamas so you can't come after me, I'm going to fill you in on some more secrets on making your own solar panels and wind generators free of charge.
-Joe Greenpockets

http://diysolar.com/

[garybeck]

8. yeah, but it's not really a "joke" site.

i believe its purpose is to expose the scams that are out there.

[garybeck]

7. that image came from

a webesite that is exposing the scams. you can check it out at diysolar.com

:)

[earthboundmisfit]

13. Ah now that makes sense!

:)

[dysfunctional press]

5. when we bought our current home a couple years ago, we looked into a solar conversion....

and it just wasn't cost effective. i'm 49, my wife is 52...the cost of the overall system/conversion to meet our needs would have been in the neighborhood of $35K, barring any unforeseen complications. and there are ALWAYS unforeseen complications. i mention our ages, because we looked at it from a perspective of how much power we'd be likely to use through the rest of our lifetimes. we decided that it was pretty much out of our price range at the time, but hopefully we'll have some money in the future, AND the prices will have come down. :shrug:
instead, i bought a 15K nat gas automatic backup generator (w/tie-in box) on ebay for $1200.
i might try my hand this year at building a solar heater for our hot tub- it's a HUGH wooden monster that holds over 1300 gallons of water(7 feet in diameter, 6 feet deep).

[garybeck]

9. price of solar has dropped. depends on where you live.

there are big grants available, both state and fed which can pay for 50% to 85% of your system. Then the payback is much less. Plus, costs of solar panels have dropped in the last couple years. Might be worth checking into again.

[OKIsItJustMe]

6. Beware of scams in general

An old friend found a solar contractor who was offering a much better price than the local NYSERDA approved installer. It seemed too good to be true to me.

Sure enough, the "installer" skipped town with my friend's money, and the money of a number of other would-be customers.

[garybeck]

10. NYSERDA approved installer

i would always go with an approved installer because in most cases that is required to get the state rebate.

[OKIsItJustMe]

12. Absolutely

This guy's line was that he would charge them enough less than the established company, to more than make up for the loss of the rebate. (Like I said, "too good to be true.")

[Mike K]

11. Thanks for the heads-up.

I'm usually skeptical about things that look too easy but without some level of understanding of the technical facts it's easy to be drawn in by these con artists.

[tinrobot]

14. Why make your own when prices are dropping?

I've seen full solar systems with inverters for under $3.50/watt. With incentives and rebates, it's well under $2/watt.

[OKIsItJustMe]

15. I guess it depends on what you mean by DIY

Are we talking about manufacturing components or installing a system? (component prices are dropping increasing the percentage of expense associated with labor, creating a greater incentive to DIY.)