Solar hot water panels are one of the most popular ‘green’ energy home products of the moment. Many new builds now feature solar panels on their roofs, whilst many current homeowners are currently contemplating whether to retrofit them to their current property. However do their green credentials and money-saving features really stack up?

Solar panels aren’t cheap – they cost thousands of pounds to install. However these costs are said to be offset by the reduced amount of energy that the household will require once they are installed – with some companies claiming that solar panels will reduce gas and electric bills by up to 70%. So although the up front cost is high, over time the solar panels should pay for themselves thanks to significantly reduced bills.  Read more... (352 words, estimated 1:24 mins reading time)

A Nepalese inventor believes he has found the solution to the World’s energy needs thanks to a new type of solar panel which uses human hair.

Milan Karki, 18, comes from a rural village in Nepal. The young inventor uses hair as a conductor in solar panels instead of silicon, one of the normal components used in solar panels. Silicon is very pricey whereas hair is not therefore the new solar panels are a lot more cost effective.

Nepal is one of the poorest countries in the world. Many rural areas in the country lack any electrical supply and even in areas with electricity, there may be shortages of up to 16 hours a day.  Read more... (260 words, estimated 1:02 mins reading time)

UK technology firm Quantasol has come up with specially tailored solar cells to help boost their efficiency.

The premise behind the invention is that there are different forms of light around the world – at the equator, the sun may be burning hot however at higher latitudes, the sunlight is a lot weaker. Partly this is because the atmosphere acts as a light filter so the light reaching the ground will vary from place to place, and will also vary according to different atmospheric conditions.  Read more... (322 words, estimated 1:17 mins reading time)

A new solar plant in California is due to have construction started on it in the next few months. Unusually, the solar plant is not your typical photovoltaic solar panels – instead, BrightSource Energy will be using solar thermal technology.

Photovoltaic cells are what most people think of when solar power is talked about. Photovoltaic cells are the most popular form of solar power and there are plenty of these types of cells available for residential use.  Read more... (334 words, estimated 1:20 mins reading time)

If you have basic DIY skills, you should be able to make your own homemade solar panels.

Firstly, you should look for some damaged solar cells. eBay is a good first port of call for cheap, blemished solar panels. Solar cells tend to be about as thin as paper and are incredibly brittle and fragile therefore handle them with great care!  Read more... (338 words, estimated 1:21 mins reading time)