DIY solar: fantasy or reality?

After a dismal June of dreary skies and downpours, we’ve finally had seven (count ‘em—seven!) straight days of sunshine in New York. Which got me to thinking about a letter This Old House received last year after we ran this story about homeowners who are saving big bucks with the help of energy-saving technologies. “Is it possible to put together your own PV system?” this reader asked.

The short is answer is yes, but it ain’t easy. You can find sites, though, where people share their experiences, and here are a couple of links to get you started: This post, on the highly addictive site Instructables.com, details one man’s trial-and-error approach to installing his 12v solar system (pictured above), which powers an air conditioner in summertime and a fridge/freezer the rest of the year. Also check out builditsolar.com, a site for avid greenies and DIYers, which is run by a retired engineer named Gary in Bozeman, Montana. My favorite resource is Gary’s list of solar-powered homes augmented with “how we did it” info.

I’d love to hear from anyone who’s tried installing a PV array, as well as resources you used -- online or other -- to get the job done. Post to our comments area, find me on Twitter (username tohdeb), or email me (non-spammable address: deborah underscore snoonian at timeinc dot com).