If you're someone who wants to install a residential solar power system in your home then you've probably already been looking on the internet at the prices of getting such systems installed. And no matter how much you want to do your bit for the environment, or how much you'd love to save money on your power bill, often the cost of having a residential solar power system installed in your home can make your best intentions seem almost impossible.

Of course, nothing is impossible - there is always another way to go about things and in the world of installing solar panel systems you can actually do it yourself and save significant sums of money. You don't have to be the best handyman in the world, nor do you have to be an expert in solar panel systems.

So what are the basic steps required to save you thousands by setting up your own residential solar power system?

1. Source readily available cheaper solar cells on the internet. In particular, check out the likes of eBay and discount hardware stores, although paying a trip to your local hardware store may also prove beneficial. The key is you are not looking to buy a large solar panel (although if you find a cheap one, by all ones do it!). You are instead looking for the much smaller solar cells.

2. Also source a nice large sheet of wood or plastic that can be used as a backing plate for the solar panels.

3. Combine the solar cells together. In effect, when you do this you are making your very own solar panel (a solar panel is simply a large number of cells wired together). Wiring them together is actually much easier than you might imagine.

4. Seal up the panel and put it in a sunny location (it doesn't necessarily have to be the roof, although this is preferable).

5. Run wires to a converter / battery pack.

You've done it! Yes, just like that you've created your very own electricity generating solar panel. The electricity generated will be stored in the battery and you will be able to make use of this ... of course, it goes without saying that to make use of this electricity in your household you will need to call on an experienced electrician, but you will have already saved so much money from the installation that it won't matter, and by making use of the electricity generated you will certainly reduce your energy bills.