Pv Solar Panels
How to MAKE PV Solar Panels
Author: Lina Tiwa
Solar energy is becoming more popular every day as we look for alternative energy. Currently, solar systems are being looked at as ways of using clean renewable energy, but the cost of commercial solar systems are extremely costly, which prevents most from investing into solar energy. However, there are many individuals who have taken the initiative to learning about solar energy and how to build solar panels themselves.
Making your own solar and wind power for less than 0
This is usually referred to a Do It Yourself (DIY) type solar system, and these solar panels are about 5 times cheaper than buying a commercial solar system. Most DIY solar panel articles come with some type of fee you must pay in order to obtain the great information to how you can build your own solar system for a fraction of a cost, but there are some individuals that provide this information free of charge.
A quick Google search for “how to build a solar panel” will give you a few articles on how to get started to build your solar system, but most people learn best by visual content. One source from Google proved to be very helpful to providing the needed information to building a full panel from scratch.
Basic needed material to build a solar system:
- 36 Solar Cells
- 60ft. of Tabbing Wire
- 15ft. of Bus Wire
- Rosin Flux Pen
- Tube/Roll of Solder
- Good Soldering Iron
- 2×4 Pressure Treated Plywood or Marine Grade Plywood
- 2×4 Plexiglass
- 2×4 Pegboard
- (two) 1×2×10 Pressure Treated Plywood or Marine Grade Plywood
- Sander and Sand paper
- Staple Gun or Stapler
- UV Protector Sealant
- Paint Brush or Roller
- Transparent Silicone
- Caulk Gun
- Digital Multimeter
- Crimping Pliers
- 2 Wiremold Strips
- 20 Gauge Copper Wire (Red and Black) – Large Roll
- Tile Spacers
- Mending Plates
- Power Drill
- Drill Bit
Making your own solar and wind power for less than 0
To get started building a solar panel, you need to follow the following quick and easy steps:
1. Find the type of frame you want to use. Usually DIY’ers use wood, either pressure treated or marine grade wood. Also go ahead and build a template for your solar cells to align evenly, and use your tile spacers.
2. Figure out the size of the solar panel you’d like to make, and that will vary on the solar cells you get.
3. Once you figure out how many watts you want to produce, go ahead and buy your solar cells, usually off eBay, and start to assemble those. Be sure to check the voltage throughout the process to make sure you are getting the right voltage out of the strings.
4. Get some type of wood protection from UV rays and water from your home improvement store, and apply 2 coats to your wood. Go ahead and drill all your needed holes for the positive and negative connections, and go ahead and run your wires throughout the panel.
5. Go ahead and screw in your pegboard to your plywood, and place your strings of solar cells inside with silicon underneath them to hold the solar cells down. Go ahead and screw in your wiremold’s as well on the sides. Next solder on your bus wire, and make all your connections to complete the circuit.
6. Place your plexiglass on top of the solar panel, and be sure to have silicon underneath the plexiglass, and use your mending plates to give a even amount of pressure to the plexiglass on the outer edge. Once screwed in, let it stand for 24 hours before taking it outside.
Making your own solar and wind power for less than 0
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/diy-articles/how-to-make-pv-solar-panels-1629154.html
About the Author
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November 30, -0001
12:00 am #comment-1
That’s kind of like starting your own automobile manufacturing business. To be profitable, you would unfortunately need a large amount of starting capital. If you look around, there aren’t a lot of little companies making pv panels. The ones that are profitable are huge and control the supply chain starting from raw materials. And even those might be taking losses next quarter. Sorry, just trying to be realistic.
November 30, -0001
12:00 am #comment-2
There is a bit of a spiel on this link about the manufacture of silicon semiconductors and how they work.
http://www.phys.unsw.edu.au/COURSES/FIRST_YEAR/pdf%20files/LecNotesWeek3.pdf
To try and simplify this a bit.
Silicon is one of the most commonly occurring substances on earth. For pv cells it is refined to be virtually 100% pure. (Plenty of heat). Dopents are added to create either a surplus of electrons or a shortage of electrons. Making the final ingot produced either n type or p type respectively.
Slices of p and n type ingots are placed together and electrical connections are made to each side. (Diodes and transistors are made the same way with much smaller surface areas.) In the presence of light an electrical current flows from one contact to the other = electricity.
There are basically two types of silicon cells multicrystaline and monocrystaline. The later is more efficient and require more power to produce because they are manufactured from single crystals.
Not all solar panels are made from silicon. Gallium Arsenide cells are even more efficient and expensive
http://www.mdatechnology.net/techsearch.asp?articleid=412#sec6
There is a company called dyesol that claims to have produced a solar cell that utilises Artificial Photosynthesis.
http://www.dyesol.com/index.php?page=HowItWorks
Most countries have sand that can be refined into high purity silicon. If it is lower silica sand it takes more energy. The white sands usually contain the highest levels of silicon and are usually the preferred source. Countries with large sandy coastlines are the best sources of this sand.
As with anything if there is a buck in it, someone is going to get ripped off. If performed responsibly sand mining can have minimal environmental impact. It disturbs quite a small area which can be revegitated as the activity moves on. When driven by a quick buck it can be a disaster.
In short pv producition can be done in quite a green but not always.
.
November 30, -0001
12:00 am #comment-3
Put your carbon credits on eBay- I’m sure there are plenty of suckers willing to pay up.
Carbon credits: The Pet Rock of the 21st century!
November 30, -0001
12:00 am #comment-4
Hey Ofir, you need to subscribe to Home Power Magazine. It’s the only periodical that gets into the nuts and bolts of what you are asking about. About 3 or 4 issues ago they did a comparison of all known commercially available solar panels on the market today. The list compares about 20 items, such as power output, warranty period, size, weight, degradation due to temperature and lifetime, and so on. Each issue they take something related to renewable energy, like inverters, wind turbines, charge controllers, and so on, and compare all the models available.
We started subscribing about 12 years ago, and it’s where I still get lots of my information today. Our home is now powered entirely by the wind and sun, so in our case it’s been good research over the years. I don’t know anyplace else to get the in depth information you are asking for, but I will list some other non profit sources below you can look for on the net, but you’d be better off to just go to Home Power and pay the annual fee, it isn’t expensive, then you can research back issues at their website and read any articles in the past, including the one on solar panels. Good luck, and take care…Rudydoo
November 30, -0001
12:00 am #comment-5
Other than having a licensed electrician sign off on it (commercial buildings require this, especially for insurance) and making sure that the arrays are properly anchored, no.
June 12, 2007
12:57 pm #comment-6
How ‘green’ is the production of silicon for PV solar panels?
My understanding is that even though silicon is a common element there is only one usable type of silicon for PV panels.
My question actually has 3 parts: 1) How is it mined and refined? 2) What countries have the majority of it? 3) Will there be negative environmental and sociopolitical impacts on the mining of this material? (As with “blood diamonds” and strip-mining?)
To clarify: There is a very specific type of silicon used for PV panels. Different sand has different content. I figured in different parts of the world there would be higher concentrations of this particular type?
April 28, 2008
4:01 pm #comment-7
Can a homeowner install PV solar panels then sell “carbon credits” in accordance with the Kyoto Protocol?
I have been reading about businesses that engage in “carbon projects” that cut the emission of greenhouse gases (GHGs). These companies can then sell the associated “carbon credits” on the open markets under the “emissions trading scheme”. Could a household or a group of households establish a carbon project in order to offset the costs of the Solar Panels?
December 31, 2009
11:16 pm #comment-8
Where can i fing a comperisson between manufactures of solar PV panels world wide?
I need a good and reliable comparison between manufacturers of photovoltaic solar panel manufactures. German, US, Japan, China… for a new project i make.
Thanks, Ofir
April 14, 2010
3:11 pm #comment-9
Is there any restrictions on installing pv solar panels on a comercial building roof?
May 11, 2010
4:22 pm #comment-10
How do i get started as a manufacturer of commercial pv solar panels?
I want to start a business making pv solar panels.