Build Solar Panels
Build Your Own Solar Panels Learn How it is Easy Affordable and Fun to Build Solar Panels
Author: houston bruce
If you have thought about learning to build your own solar panels, today’s technology has advanced to the point where it’s very easy and affordable. Solar energy systems now can work twice as well and even work in less sunlight. Building solar panels has become much more simple and easy allowing any one with a little motivation and instruction manual to be able to build and install their own solar panels. By utilizing solar technology you can save thousands of dollars a year in energy costs.
All the materials like plywood, glass and copper wire needed to build solar panels can be purchased from your local hardware store. Photovoltaic cell’s can be purchased for below wholesale prices if you know where to look. A lot of them are available online or in some cases they can be found at local retailers where you can purchase them. Solar panels can be built in your garage or back yard and it takes about a day to build a solar panel once you have all your materials.
With homemade solar panels saving you thousands of dollars, I would recommend you invest in a good quality instruction manual, as this would save you from many mistakes and wasted time researching for what you need. Over all the cost of building your own solar panels can be very low and a good how to guide can end up saving you even more.
The truth is solar energy has become a lot easier and affordable for home use, it is growing in popularity and can even be see along roadways in use to power signs and lights. Solar power could lesson the effect of global warming, save you money and help become less dependant on fossil fuels. With the energy crises, now could be the perfect time to go solar. Plus building your own solar panels can be a fun project the whole family can be involved in.
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/diy-articles/build-your-own-solar-panels-learn-how-it-is-easy-affordable-and-fun-to-build-solar-panels-616554.html
About the Author
Learning to build your own solar panels can be something you can be very proud of, it is very easy, fun and rewarding to build your own solar panels
November 30, -0001
12:00 am #comment-1
The following steps were taking directly out of a DIY guide I offer to those who would like to run their homes on solar power, reducing their monthly utility bills or even selling power back the electrical companies. The entire guide is available at http://www.agua-luna.com/diy_guides.html. It’s pretty simple but if you have any problems feel free to email us directly at info@agua-luna.com we can walk you threw the process.
Materials you will need…
A sheet of copper flashing from the hardware store. This normally costs about $5.00 per square foot. We will need about half a square foot.
Two alligator clip leads.
A sensitive micro-ammeter that can read currents between 10 & 50 microamperes. Radio Shack sells small LCD multimeters that will do, but I used a small surplus meter with a needle.
An electric stove. My kitchen stove is gas, so I bought a small one-burner electric hotplate for about $25. The little 700 watt burners probably won’t work — mine is 1100 watts, so the burner gets red hot.
A large clear plastic bottle off of which you can cut the top. I used a 2 liter spring water bottle. A large mouth glass jar will also work.
Table salt. We will want a couple tablespoons of salt.
Tap water.
Sand paper or a wire brush on an electric drill.
Sheet metal shears for cutting the copper sheet.
The first step is to cut a piece of the copper sheeting that is about the size of the burner on the stove. Wash your hands so they don’t have any grease or oil on them. Then wash the copper sheet with soap or cleanser to get any oil or grease off of it. Use the sandpaper or wire brush to thoroughly clean the copper sheeting, so that any sulphide or other light corrosion is removed.
Next, place the cleaned & dried copper sheet on the burner & turn the burner to its highest setting.
As the copper starts to heat up, you will see beautiful oxidation patterns begin to form. Oranges, purples, & reds will cover the copper.
As the copper gets hotter, the colors are replaced with a black coating of cupric oxide. This is not the oxide we want, but it will flake off later, showing the reds, oranges, pinks, & purples of the cuprous oxide layer underneath.
The last bits of color disappear as the burner starts to glow red.
When the burner is glowing red-hot, the sheet of copper will be coated with a black cupric oxide coat. Let it cook for a half an hour, so the black coating will be thick. This is important, since a thick coating will flake off nicely, while a thin coat will stay stuck to the copper.
After the half hour of cooking, turn off the burner. Leave the hot copper on the burner to cool slowly. If you cool it too quickly, the black oxide will stay stuck to the copper.
As the copper cools, it shrinks. The black cupric oxide also shrinks. But they shrink at different rates, which makes the black cupric oxide flake off.
The little black flakes pop off the copper with enough force to make them fly a few inches. This means a little more cleaning effort around the stove, but it is fun to watch.
When the copper has cooled to room temperature (this takes about 20 minutes), most of the black oxide will be gone. A light scrubbing with your hands under running water will remove most of the small bits. Resist the temptation to remove all of the black spots by hard scrubbing or by flexing the soft copper. This might damage the delicate red cuprous oxide layer we need to make to solar cell work.
Cut another sheet of copper about the same size as the first one. Bend both pieces gently, so they will fit into the plastic bottle or jar without touching one another. The cuprous oxide coating that was facing up on the burner is usually the best side to face outwards in the jar, because it has the smoothest, cleanest surface.
Attach the two alligator clip leads, one to the new copper plate, & one to the cuprous oxide coated plate. Connect the lead from the clean copper plate to the positive terminal of the meter. Connect the lead from the cuprous oxide plate to the negative terminal of the meter.
Now mix a couple tablespoons of salt into some hot tap water. Stir the saltwater until all the salt is dissolved. Then carefully pour the saltwater into the jar, being careful not to get the clip leads wet. The saltwater should not completely cover the plates — you should leave about an inch of plate above the water, so you can move the solar cell around without getting the clip leads wet.
now place in the sun with the magnified on top.
The solar cell is a battery, even in the dark, & will usually show a few microamps of current.
That’s it it’s that simple. If you’d a more detailed process & some pics (couldn’t put them here) it’s available along with some other DIY alternative energy projects at www agua-luna com
Hope this helped, feel free to contact me personally if you have any questions if you’d like assistance in making your first self sufficient steps, I’m willing to walk you step by step threw the
November 30, -0001
12:00 am #comment-2
Well, the first thing is to check out all options. Here is an excellent place to start, but it takes time and patience and a willingness to learn – http://diysolarpanelsfordummies.blogspot.com/
November 30, -0001
12:00 am #comment-3
If you want to make solar panels and get an energy rebate, this link will show you how.
http://solarpanels.infoworldhelp.com
good luck.
Chris Cordoba
November 30, -0001
12:00 am #comment-4
It is not easy. I would stick to heating for home made solar.
“Because solar cells are semiconductor devices, they share many of the same processing and manufacturing techniques as other semiconductor devices such as computer and memory chips. However, the stringent requirements for cleanliness and quality control of semiconductor fabrication are a little more relaxed for solar cells.
Making solar panels is still a delicate process, and it is for this reason that major solar advances did not come into play until the last quarter of the century, when advances in semiconductors and photovoltaic design allowed increasingly efficient and affordable solar cells to be developed.”
March 2, 2009
11:48 am #comment-5
Where can I find a website so I can learn to build solar panels?
Im looking into building my own solar panels for my home, anyone know of a good place to start looking?
Thank you!
July 30, 2009
3:53 pm #comment-6
How do I build solar panels?
I need to know what materials I need and instructions on putting it together
January 26, 2010
6:46 am #comment-7
What is the Cheapest Way to Build Solar Panels? is it worth it?
What is the Cheapest Way to Build Solar Panels? is it worth it?
February 26, 2010
1:43 pm #comment-8
where to get plans to build solar panels at home?
I am interested in building solar panels for my own use. I think an output of around 20 watts will be sufficient for my purpose if I can tie them together and charge deep cycle batteries. Need the plans for dummies as I know nothing about these things.Thanks for any help you can provide me!
June 17, 2010
4:12 pm #comment-9
How to build solar panels?
Where would I find information on buying materials needed to build solar panels? These would be for homes and small businesses and I would have a team or pay someone to install them.
I’m not interested in little ‘kits’ that a father and son build, I mean actual materials for full sized panels for homes, etc.
There are a lot of government backed small business loans available now and I want in.