There is no denying the fact that you can make your own solar panels at home at a fraction of the commercial price, but it is also a fact that one solar panel is certainly not enough to meet with your domestic requirements of power. You'll definitely need more than one panel.
The retail price of a panel is about $600, whereas if you decide to make one on your own, it shouldn't cost you more than $200. One reason for this low cost is the profit of the middlemen and the other is the labor and time that you put in.
Basically, a panel comprises a number of solar cells or photovoltaic cells, as they are technically called. These cells are housed in a box and wired together to get current. It's not difficult to procure these cells, being available online. You may cut down the expense on solar cells by procuring them from one of the auction sites or buy used or damaged cells. These are physically damaged not electronically and would deliver satisfactory results. Then, you need some pieces of plywood, a glass sheet, preferably Plexiglas and some simple hand tools that are generally available in any household. You'll also need a soldering tool for wiring the cells together.
The output from the solar panels is in the form of D.C. and you have to employ an inverter for changing it to A.C. for operating your electrical appliances at home. You can assemble a solar panel without the help of any professional but it will be good to depend upon the services of an expert for connecting it to the wiring system of your home.
There is an abundance of solar energy and conversion of this energy to electrical energy saves you money while helping the environments