What I enjoy most is the process of creation…
Dmitry Zaporozhets, head of the Communications Service of AlES JSC, spoke about his hobby.
Interest in alternative energy appeared a long time ago, about 10 years ago. The use of solar energy does not harm nature. In addition, during periods of blackouts it provides some independence from our energy system. My house is located in a village, and this is very important. I assembled the first panel in 2017. Due to the high cost of the equipment and panels, we initially had to order photocells separately, solder them together, lay them on pre-cut glass and fill them with a special composite glue. I assembled each panel myself. The power of one panel was approximately 90 watts. In a couple or three evenings after work I created the first panel, and before that a couple of months were spent studying manufacturing technology and purchasing the appropriate materials.
In two months I assembled twelve panels, which in good sunny weather generated about a kilowatt of electricity. Inverters and controllers for the panels were also purchased in stages. In 2019, home-made panels were replaced with twenty-two factory ones with a power of seven kilowatts, and two synchronized inverters with a total capacity of eight kilowatts were installed.
What I like most about this job is the process of creation. I found all the necessary information on the Internet, but I did all the calculations myself.
The panels form the roof of the veranda on the south side of the house, inverters, controllers and batteries are installed on a rack in the basement of the house. There were no difficulties in assembling and installing the solar panel; it just required careful handling of the glass during installation of the panels.
Today it is necessary to maintain the system in working order. This includes preventive maintenance and minor repairs as needed. The service life of solar panels declared by the manufacturer is 20 years. Each panel produces 330 watts. With all the advantages of solar panels, there is one big disadvantage: saving the generated energy! This requires high-capacity batteries, which are very expensive.
I find it difficult to recommend this hobby to anyone, it is still very expensive. But sharing your experience with interested people is always welcome.