# How To Make A Solar System For Almost Free



## truthseeker2015 (Oct 11, 2015)

If You Like Saving Money Or You're Budget Is Tight, Here Is A Nice Way To Get You Up And Running On Solar Power On The Cheap.

Free Solar Panels: This may take a little time but is a way to possibly get solar panels for free. Get a hold of the Dept. Of Public Transportation and find out who is working on the roads in your area. You know the road work signs that that are lit up that point for you to move into another lane. These are run by solar and people end up hitting them or things can happen to them. You can get these sometimes for free that may have a little crack in the glass but are still fully functional.

Free Batteries: This is a guide that you can buy that tells you how to get free batteries and recharge old ones whether they be golf cart batteries, car batteries, cell phone batteries, laptop batteries etc. The kind you are interested in are car, deep cycle, golf cart and forklift batteries for your system. You can get these where they are dead or almost dead and recondition them in just minutes for just a couple of bucks and is very simple to do. You can get the guide here. http://bit.do/brH9g

Charge Controller: The best prices I have found for charge controllers are at harbor freight or Aliexpress. You can get a charge controller to run a small solar system for $25 to $45 dollars. On Aliexpress (an online place similar to Amazon) you can put in the highest price you want to pay for what you are looking for. Put in $50 if you are looking for one for a smaller system. Since the charger will be coming from over seas it will take a few weeks to probably receive it.

Inverter- You can also try finding this at Aliexpress or harbor freight. Here is a link to harbor freight. http://www.harborfreight.com/automotive-motorcycle/power-inverters.html Also look at Auto Zone and truck stops. Sometimes you can pick up a 2000 to 3000 watt inverter for as little as $150.

Misc. battery connectors and wires: $75 dollars and can be found at Walmart for the battery connectors and wire to connect the system together can be found at your home improvement store.

It is cheapest just to mount your solar panels to your roof. That is if you have good south facing exposure. Other wise you may have to make some kind of mount. Here is a 2 minute youtube video of a solar mount a man made out of just a little bit of lumber. He doesn't show you exactly how to do it but it will give you a good idea because it is really simple. 
[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mPJfQFrBOMk[/ame]

So there you go! A solar power system that can run led lights, charge your phone, run your laptop, small fridge. 24 in. flat screen tv plus a few other appliances like your microwave toaster etc. and do it for just a few hundred dollars! Enjoy your solar peeps!


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## MichaelK! (Oct 22, 2010)

Have you actually done any of the things you are recommending? Are you speaking from experience, or are you just regurgitating somebody else's ideas?

After building my own system that's up and running, I have to say I wouldn't act on one single suggestion you're making.


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## Gary in ohio (May 11, 2002)

cracked solar panels, used up batteries, cheap chineese charge controllers and inverters, parts from wallmart. Sounds like a recipie for disaster.....


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## ShannonR (Nov 28, 2012)

I'm here to tell y'all that yes, it can be done. I started with old car batteries, a 12v car inverter and some harbor freight panels n charge controller. Jumper cables to hook my batteries together. A year and a half later the panels are still serving me well as is one of the harbor freight controllers...I did upgrade batteries and cables though. I now have some bigger, real panels that need to be set up now along with a used charge controller that came from a local solar power shop.


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## 12vman (Feb 17, 2004)

Mite git away with somethin' like that in Arizona but it ain't gonna work so well up here in the N.E. Summertime.. Maybe..


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## JeepHammer (May 12, 2015)

I got a bunch of mis-matched solar panels from the state highway department,
Sold at auction.
Some of them had been hit, (Those flashing arrows, message signs, ect.),
Some had been damaged by moisture,
CHEAP!

A little soldering on broken connections, 
They came with panels, charge controllers & batteries.

All in all, I would say it was worth it, although there where some mis-matched components,
So I mostly used them for 'Stand Alone' projects,
Security lights, electric fence chargers, stuff like that.

I've tried 'Harbor Freight' stuff,
Absolute bottom of the barrel when it comes to efficiency and quality.
Waste of time and money for me, no point in buying panels that are NOT weather sealed,
Chargers that are 70% losses BEFORE they charge the batteries, ect.


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