Making your own solar panels is very simple and requires no technical knowledge. When finished, you will be able to take advantage of an inexhaustible source of energy that does not pollute and whose only cost is the initial investment in materials.
Solar energy comes from the transformation of sunlight into electricity. This process is called photovoltaic conversion. To do this, solar cells are used which, when exposed to light, deliver an electric current. While they don’t produce much power individually, they can be connected together to produce whatever voltage and current are needed. For example, an 18-volt solar panel, made up of 36 half-volt solar cells, is capable of charging a common 12-volt battery.
Materials
- Solar cells
- plywood board
- saw
- Narrow strips of wood
- glue that conducts electricity
- Cable reel
- Diagonal Cutting Pliers with Wire Stripper Attachment
- silicone sealant
Instructions
Be very careful when handling the cells because they are very delicate and often expensive. To give them a little more resistance, you can paint their back. Just be careful not to paint the connection points.
1. Calculate the number of solar cells you will need to make your solar panel. The cells have different voltages. To find out how much you need, divide the voltage you want your panel to produce by the power of your solar cells. The result will be the number of cells you will need to produce 12 volts. Add a few extra cells to add a few volts and avoid the danger of overcharging, which could damage your panel.
2. Cut the plywood large enough to hold all the cells. Glue narrow strips of wood around its perimeter. When you mount your cells, they will hold the Plexiglas cover to protect your panel. Leave a small gap between two of the strips to run the wires through.
3. Attach the solar cells to the plywood panel using the electrically conductive glue. Let a small amount of this glue protrude above the top of each cell to form an electrical bond with the terminals on the bottom. This edge of glue will be called the “negative pole” of each cell.
4. Cut 6-inch strips. of cable from your reel using the diagonal cutters. Cut as many pieces of wire as there are cells in your panel, minus one. Remove 2.5 cm. of the insulation of the end of each cable and 7.62 cm. from the other end using the diagonal cutter.
5. Tape the ends of the wires with 3 inches. peeled at the top of the solar cells. Don’t let the glue go past the top of the cell and touch the negative pole. Also don’t let any bare ends touch the negative poles of the cells. Leave the last cell without cable on its top.
6. Glue the wires onto the glue sticking out from the edge of the cells after the other ends have been allowed to dry. Let it dry.
7. Cut two 36-inch pieces of cable from the spool. Take out 2.54 cm. of insulation from each end. Paste a section on the negative pole of the first cell, the one with no wires connected to it. Glue another one on top of the other end cell, which doesn’t have a wire on top.
8. Thread the long wires through the spaces between the strips of wood. Tape them to the sides of the solar panel, so they can’t touch each other. If this were to happen, it could cause a short circuit.
9. Cut the Plexiglas panel the same size as your panel. Glue it on top of the wooden strips. When the glue dries, seal all the edges with silicone sealant to protect it from water.
Another option for building a solar panel is to solder the cells. In this video you can find the steps to do it this way:
If you want to know more about alternative energies, you can continue reading here.