| Excited by the idea of building your own solar | | | | 3. Make sure your tools are all in good working |
| panels? Thousands of people just like you are | | | | condition. |
| discovering the simple pleasure of homemade | | | | Before you begin, take a few minutes to check |
| solar power. You can too. But before you start, | | | | that your tools are all in good working order. Make |
| make sure to take all necessary safety | | | | sure the cords for all your power tools are intact, |
| precautions. Solar panels aren't rocket science, but | | | | with no cuts or exposed wires. If any of your |
| they contain electrical components, and should | | | | tools are working poorly or are loose, take the |
| accordingly be treated with caution and respect. | | | | time to either replace them with new tools, or |
| I'm going to give you five simple safety tips you | | | | borrow tools in better working condition from a |
| should follow as you begin your DIY solar panel | | | | family member or friend. |
| project. | | | | 4. Prepare your work area. |
| 1. Wear safety glasses. | | | | Make sure that the area you will be working in is |
| Hopefully you're already in the habit of wearing | | | | clean and uncluttered. You don't want to have |
| safety glasses when you work with power tools. | | | | anything around that you could trip over while |
| Make sure that you have a clean, sturdy pair of | | | | working. And a large work area also lowers your |
| safety glasses for your project. And regular eye | | | | chance of accidentally cutting your power cord |
| glasses don't count! They don't provide the | | | | when using a skill saw or jig saw. |
| complete, wrap-around eye protection that safety | | | | 5. Use a proven DIY solar panel guide. |
| glasses do. | | | | The most important safety precaution you can |
| 2. Wear gloves. | | | | take is to rely on the expertise of a proven solar |
| It's always a good idea to wear a pair of light | | | | panel building guide. The best of these types of |
| work gloves when working with wood and metal. | | | | guides will include detailed safety tips and wiring |
| A pair of sturdy work gloves will go a long way in | | | | diagrams, along with specific instructions on how |
| keeping your hands free of splinters and cuts | | | | to handle the electrical components of your solar |
| while you build your panels. | | | | panel. |