Electricity and heating costs are soaring for everybody these days. Beat this problem easily, cheaply and effectively- today you are going to learn how to harness solar panels' energy in your home with a minimum of effort, fuss and cost. Don't pay thousands of dollars for somebody to build and install a solar power system for your, you can build one for yourself for very little money, and the results are extremely powerful at cutting your power bill to pieces.

Although you could pay a technician upwards of $3000, the best way to use the energy of solar panels is to build an assemble one (or more) for yourself. Here's what you need to do this -

- Sheet Plywood. You will need at least three reasonably large sheets of plywood to make one panel. Don't worry, this stuff is cheap if you get it from DIY or hardware stores, or lumber yards.

- Solar Cells. These are the small individual squares or rectangles that make up a solar panel; this is where the energy from the sun is turned into energy! Buy these off eBay, or from a number of large DIY stores, which are starting to sell them. What's even better is the fact that they are getting cheaper and cheaper as technology advances further and further.

- Copper Wire - Buy this in large rolls, or by the foot/metre from electronics stores.

- Sheet/Panel Glass - This should be the last thing that you purchase, after you have determined the exact measurements of the panel. Why? Because it is hard to cut glass precisely yourself without the right tools. After everything else is assembled, go to a glazier with the measurements you need and have them cut it for you.

- Instruction Manual - This is like the final piece of the jigsaw puzzle, as it contains all the diagrams, instructions and blueprints that you need in order to put everything together easily and quickly. It will also show you how to install the finished solar panels into your home, so that you can use them to generate energy for free. It really is vital that you purchase one as it contains all the measurements that you need as well.

The basic process of assembling a solar panel involves sizing up a piece of plywood according to the measurements set out in your instruction manual. Next, you have to drill holes at set distances on the plywood, and then arrange the solar cells on the ply in the correct pattern. After they are attached, copper wire is used to provide the wiring, and a second piece of plywood is sized up to provide a backing piece. Another piece of ply is used to make a frame in which the glass sheet sits that will protect the delicate solar cells. Finally, the finished panel is installed somewhere where it will receive the maximum amount possible of sunlight, and is wired up safely according to the instructions in the manual. From what I have seen, you can build a system that will cut at least 80% off your power bill, for less than $300.