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How to Make Solar Panels

Before embarking on making solar panels, you should consider whether you have the space, as homemade panels tend to take up substantial space, including sufficient storage for scrap materials, and equipment. Secondly, an individual needs to have a degree of technical knowledge and or DIY skills.

If however, you feel this isn't for you, you should look at the possibility of purchasing second hand Solar Cells (ideally one that has been left in storage for a long duration, as their value and wattage decreases steadily over time, with use). Expected costs vary, however for a 50 watt panel, average cost is approximately £130.00.

A step by step guide to making a PV Solar Panelled system is detailed below:


Obtain Solar PV Cells

Obtain Scrap Solar cells (those damaged/broken during manufacturing)which may be purchased at much lower prices, considerably below £1.80/ watt, or Solar Panel DIY kits. It should be noted that there are 3 main types of solar cells which may be purchased.

  • Amorphous Solar Cells - may consist of glass, plastic or metal
  • Monocrystaline - Hexagonal, highly efficient, expensive cells (which are used below)
  • Polycrystaline - 1-2watt, variable size, fragile cells

Tabbing the Solar Panels

Make sure you have Tabbing Wire - solders to the cells, Bus Wire - thicker, ties strings of cells together and Flux pen - opens cells to accept a better soldering joint

On observation of the Solar panels, if using a DIY kit, there should be large white guidelines, which run along the length of the panel. Using the flux pen, mark along these lines.

Using the soldering iron, gradually work along the length of the line, marked by the flux pen, using the tabbing wire, which should lead to progressive adherence of the tin. Make sure that the tabbing wire has sufficent length to overlap the width of another panel, to allow connection.

Once two panels have been tabbed, using the flux pen, apply to the markers on the rear of the panel. Then solder the tabbing wire to each marker, ensuring a firm connection is achieved. Now you should have two cells joined together. 36 panels are required to provide 60w electricity.

Testing and Connecting to Battery

To test the system, using a Voltmeter attach the negative lead to the front of the tabbing wire, and then touch any part of the underside of the solar panel.

The solar panel should be connected, using either one of two types of solar wiring systems.

  • Series solar wiring - connects positive terminal to negative of each panel
  • Parallel solar wiring - connects terminals positive to positive and negative to negative.

Blocking diodes need to be added, to avoid reverse current flow.

Casing

Due to the fragility of these panels, these should be encased within a glassed panel, which can be purchased at traditional hardware stores.