About the "make your own energy for $200" ads on DU.

[garybeck]

Hi DUers

Wanted to let folks know, there are some ads on DU for "how to make your own power - cheap!" and it is a total scam. The ads link to a website called Power4Home.com and I can tell you there are blatant lies on this website. There is no contact info on the website (red flag). It is not possible, in any way, to make your own energy for only $200. Even if there was, you could not sell the power to the power company as they suggest on their website. You have to use a special device called a synchronous sine-wave inverter for this, and that costs around $2,000. Even if you could make your own solar panels, which you can't, you would still need the inverter. It is a total scam. I found it listed on the Ripoff Report:

http://www.ripoffreport.com/reports/0/442/RipOff0442201.htm

I would hate to think any DUers are getting scammed by this.

I want to say, the ads are not the fault of the DU owners or admins. They are automatically fed from Google. Someone should compain to Google.

Gary

[amerikat]

1. But, but you can get everything you need at the hardware store.

I have many years experience making thin film modules so people
always ask me about this offer. I always tell them that it's
just a scam. I wonder how many people actually send them money.

[Samantha]

2. Thanks for the heads-up on this

I rarely check out DU ads but thought this might be something interesting. Read the whole thing. As a total electrical novice, it sounded intriguing to me. I didn't sign up because regardless of how easy it seemed to make one's own solar panels after reading the ad, I had a very difficult time seeing me be successful in this arena. I envied those who might be however. From what you are saying, there is no such creature who could pull this off with this info and instructions, so you have restored my self-esteem.

Sam

[garybeck]

5. just out of interest...

you said on the website it seemed easy to make your own solar panels. I couldn't find anything on the site that actually says how to do it. It just says it's easy. Did you find any actual instructions, or even hints at what's involved?

I have seen a few similar things on youtube and they basically say you can order a bunch of solar cells for fairly cheap and wire them together yourself, and put them in a frame yourself. this is a major undertaking that 99.9% of us could never do. and if we did, they just wouldn't last. plus, for $200, there's just no way, even if you got the solar cells for free. You'd spend more than $200 on the mounting hardware, even if you fabricated your own. And again, no one here is going to make an inverter by themselves. You have to buy one, period, if you want to connect to the power company like that.

but if you saw something on the website that makes it seem easy, please show me where.

thanks
gary

[Samantha]

9. No, I didn't see literal instructions on this

but I read that comment and further down, people who had supposedly done it remarked it was easy.

Sam

[ColbertWatcher]

3. They're not as bad as the ads for the cult! n/t

[Liberal In Texas]

4. Saw that ad on another site, it looked pretty fishy, but now I know.

Thanks for posting....

[garybeck]

6. I should also add, in the promotional video they have on their website

they show all these solar panels on houses. Virtually all the solar panels shown in the video are commercially made. IN fact I could tell you which brand most of them are. They are not made by hand, like the ad says. It's all a fraud. I can't believe Google is allowing these ads.

[Dr.Phool]

7. I googled everything I could find about the ads.

And all it did was take me to more ads.

For the real scoop on home grown power, all different types, with reviews and ratings on all the equipment available, even installation instructions, check out Home Power magazine.

http://www.homepower.com/home/

I subscribe. It's very informative.

Now, who wants to buy my instructions for a new perpetual motion machine kit? Next I'm coming out with a time travel kit.

[BlooInBloo]

8. DU has ads?