Packages Reviewed:

GreenDIYEnergy.comrating: (4.5 stars)

Earth4Energy.com rating: (4 stars)

Quick Summary

This is a review of two of the top selling do-it-yourself solar panel building educational packages. Both give detailed, step-by-step video instructions that walk you through the entire process of building a solar panel –a process which is surprisingly simple once you have seen how it is done. If a picture is worth a thousand words, a video is worth at least ten thousand. For this reason, we consider both these packages to be worth their $50 price tag if just for the videos alone.

GreenDIYEnergy emphasized minimal cost using scrounged materials.

Earth4Energy advises the user to spend a bit more. It is our opinion that either method can work adequately.

What They Have In Common

Both packages provide materials covering:

• An overview what a solar electrical power system consists of
• How to determine what size power system you would need for your home
• How do to home energy audits
• How to install solar panels
• Step-by-step videos demonstrating exactly how to build and install solar panels

Green DIY Energy

rating: 

Approach:

GreenDIY Energy provides detailed instructions while emphasizing saving money by scrounging materials. Whether this avenue for cost-cutting is possible for the user depends on the user’s local resources, but many will save money using this approach. The construction method is fundamentally more durable than Earth4Energy’s method.

Cons:

• Manuals have minimal photographs and illustrations.
• No information on construction for high stress environments (extreme weather or unusual environmental threats).
• Additional measures for increasing the system lifespan are omitted.

Pros:

• Videos demonstrating each step are quite detailed and worth the full price alone.
• Videos have a folksy easy-to-follow tone.
• The resulting system is more durable and easier to mount than the Earth4Energy system.
• The limitations of the homemade system versus a manufactured system are clearly laid out.
• Complete energy audit system, including a Cost Analysis Worksheet and a Photovoltaic System Load Worksheet in Excel format, is provided.
• Instruction provides training that will enable the user to not only build the solar energy system, but also repair it should any part become damaged.

For a more technical review of GreenDIYEnergy, see the GreenDIYEnergy review page.

Earth4Energy

Rating: 

Approach:

Earth4Energy provides detailed instructions primarily using off-the-shelf products you can buy at the local hardware store, a higher cost approach than GreenDIYEnergy’s. Like GreenDIYEnergy, the cornerstone of the instruction is the detailed videos demonstrating each step of construction.

Cons:

• Structural method is less durable than GreenDIYEnergy’s.
• Videos are professionally produced, but with voiceover that comes off as artificial.
• No energy audit system is provided.
• No mention of limitations of the homemade system versus manufactured system.
• Manual is poorly illustrated.
• No information on construction for high stress environments (extreme weather or unusual environmental threats).

Pros:

• Videos demonstrating each step are quite detailed and worth the full price alone.
• Instruction provides training that will enable the user to not only build the solar energy system, but also repair it should any part become damaged.

For a more technical review of Earth4Energy, see the Earth4Energy review page.