How To Build Solar Panels
How To Build Solar Panels-Learn How To Build Solar Panels
Author: N Jamal
The best thing about solar power is that it has an unlimited potential. Learning how to build solar panels is neither technical nor costly; in fact you can easily solar power your complete home for a very small and affordable investment. You just need to know how to make your own renewable energy source and today I am going to tell you exactly how to build your own solar panels
If you want to learn how to build solar panels, you’ll need to learn some basics on how exactly does a solar panel works. This way, the entire procedure will be much easier to handle.
The process starts with solar modules. They are the main components exposed directly to sunlight. Their main function is to convert the sun’s energy into usable electrical power for your home appliances. To get them correctly installed, solar modules are to be mounted on a steel frame and positioned on your roof top.
Power produced by the solar modules is converted from Direct Current (DC) to Alternating Current (AC) through a inverter. Usually, Alternating Current (AC) is the usable electrical power that we need to power the home appliances.
Next, the electrical power transfers from the inverter to the electrical service panel. The electrical service panel is used for distributing the electrical power to different parts of your house or office for use.
The unused electrical power produced by the solar panels will then be brought into the grid all the way through the utility electric meter. As a result, the meter will be made to spin backwards and this establishes a credit with the utility company in offsetting future usage. This method is known as Net Metering and is completely approved by State Level Electricity Policy.
Learning how to build solar panels isn’t really a difficult task. You don’t require many skills beyond being able to handle wiring & basic tools with care and safety measures.
The components needed for constructing solar panels include:-
1. Solar Cells
2. Sheet Plywood
3. Copper Wire
4. General Tools (Drills, screwdrivers, woodwork glue etc)
5. Clear PVC Sheeting
All these components can be easily picked up by you from the local hardware store. Photovoltaic cell is the only component that you might have to search online and it can be found easily on eBay.
Quality directions that are easy to follow are vital to find when trying to learn how to build solar panel. This will make the building process less stressful and make you happier that you made the choice to do it yourself. Online is just one of the places you are able to find some of these manuals. We have reviewed the best guides available to help you to learn how to build own solar panels. Go ahead and check them out NOW……learn how to build solar panels and STOP paying for electricity…FOREVER!
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/diy-articles/how-to-build-solar-panelslearn-how-to-build-solar-panels-1383048.html
About the Author
Stop paying your energy bills and throwing money out of the window. Learn how to build solar panels for a very small and affordable investment! Learn how thousands of people worldwide have slashed their electric bills by 80% and at times completely eliminated them by using the Best DIY Solar Power Guides on the planet, that have step by step instructions and videos that even a novice teenager can follow to build solar panels
November 30, -0001
12:00 am #comment-1
In commercial manufacturing, they take a silicon wafer and etch the surface with a chemical. There are also commercial panels that are created by crystallizing the surface on to the wafer.
Here website that makes a panel by an entirely different process. Probably not as efficient, but interesting never the less.
http://www.thesolarplan.com/articles/your-own-solar-panel-collector.html
November 30, -0001
12:00 am #comment-2
This doesn’t seem to easy. Don’t do anything dangerous.
http://www.thesolarplan.com/articles/your-own-solar-panel-collector.html
November 30, -0001
12:00 am #comment-3
There are several types of solar panels. If you mean photovoltaic panels for generating electricity, that is a really advanced project that few amateurs are equipped to do. In the long run, it will be a lot cheaper and easier to buy factory made PV panels.
You can try building one by sandwiching an array of photovoltaic cells between a sheet of glass or plexiglass and a sheet of aluminum. Remember that this assembly must be able to withstand great heat, and it must be sealed to make absolutely sure it does not leak.
So basically, you need to lay out the PV cells and wire them together to get the desired voltage and current, with some arrangement to allow the wires to extend outside without leaking. Then you enclose the panel around all four edges with aluminum channel and seal with silicone sealer. Lay it on thick and test thoroughly with water hoses to eliminate all leaks.
As mentioned, it’s easier and cheaper to buy them factory made.
If you mean a heat collector for a solar house heating system or hot water system, that is just a matter of building a thin, flat aluminum box with a glass lid. For hot air, you just need to circulate the air through the box when the sun is shining. For water, you need to have some arrangement to pass the water through the compartment in thin walled metal tubing. You won’t be surprised when I say it’s cheaper to buy one factory made.
Good luck.
November 30, -0001
12:00 am #comment-4
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
July 28, 2007
12:02 am #comment-5
Looking for websites on how to build a Solar Panel?
Can anyone point me to different websites that can tell me how to build solar panels? Thanks!
October 13, 2007
12:36 pm #comment-6
Science project help that deals with solar panels?
I am doing a science project and need to build solar panels (about three) of different sizes. Does anyone know a website where it says how i can build one inexpensively?
September 25, 2008
1:33 pm #comment-7
how to build solar panels?
I would like to know how do you build a solar panel?
July 30, 2009
3:53 pm #comment-8
How do I build solar panels?
I need to know what materials I need and instructions on putting it together
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.