An Introduction to Residential Solar Energy.
How do solar cells work? Find out exactly how by making your own solar panels. Making a solar panel for residential solar energy is one of the most fun DIY projects you can ever take on. To be honest, it sure beats put together IKEA furniture. I’d say the main reason I love making a solar panel is that the end product saves me money. You may be surprised to know that the project is not that difficult at all. There’s really not much to it, using the tools in your garage right now some additional components it can be accomplished.
Now, you can literally make a residential solar energy panel from raw materials. But that’s not we’ll talk about here. What we will discuss today is a method of acquiring used solar components for your construction materials.
First you will create a wooden box and then place the soldered solar cells inside. Then you want to attach Plexiglas to the top and seal it.
Of course, there are some more steps involved but this is a basic overview. But it is my aim for you to have a good grasp of the essentials here. You can get your hands on a how-to guide and follow all the instructions easily.
Once you’re done creating your solar panel, you can test how much electricity it generates. Then, you’ll want to scout around for a great place to put the panel. Rooftops are best, so observe which part of the roof gets the most sunlight throughout the day.
You want to be sure that you’re in compliance with regulations and not breaking laws. Some folks even pump their extra power back to the grid. Imagine a world where the utility company actually cuts you a check.
Okay that wasn’t so bad, now you’ve got a great understanding of what it takes to make solar panel. Believe me when I say that you will have so much fun with this project. And if you’ve got kids it’s a great opportunity to show them some things. You’d be teaching the little ones about a variety of things that are useful to know. This is a great situation because it’s win-win for everyone involved.
Commercial solar panels still cost high nowadays, and its setup can still be considered as a costly feat.
This article will discuss building solar panels for your home.
Creating do-it-yourself solar systems can give you a lot of advantages such as the option to use lower priced components for the system.
For example, you can use wood as a solar panel housing material.
However, you should also consider the idea of investing on longer lasting materials for your solar panel.
Although it may cost more, it may be more advantageous in the long run.
Most builders use pre-tabbed solar cells when building their solar panel.
Even though you would shed a bit more for this, you would have an easier and faster time assembling it as you are no longer required to do the soldering.
But whatever materials you prefer to use, you would still be capable of building a home-made solar panel that would rival the performance of commercial solar panels, and on top of that, it would be cheaper.
You can also use materials like Mono-crystalline solar cells. Try looking for 3X6-inch sized cells that are rated more or less 3 amps each. Click here for more information.
The brand new cells are usually very expensive, so to keep things within your budget, you will have to search for similar items which are cheaper.
Each of these cells can produce up to ½ volts, this means that if you set up a solar panel with 36 cells in it you can generate up to 18 volts- more than enough to charge 12 volt batteries.
When you set the cells together in a series connection, the output generated will be slightly above 18 volts.
This means that when the 36 cells are wired together, they can get an accumulated power of 60 watts.
The generated electricity can now be stored in batteries that can later be applied for running lights and other home appliances; in fact you can even hook your appliance directly to the inverter slot of your solar panel.
If you want to have a higher output, you can apply solar cells that have higher amplitude.
To approximate the size you would be using, keep in mind the formula which is Amp x Volts= the amount of power in watts. Although the size of cells can be modified, the similar number of cells is needed.
Solar cells, whatever their size is, produce the same voltage.
Bigger cells translate to a higher amp production, that’s why you can use larger cells if you wish to increase the amp of your panel.
Although there is a clear advantage in using bigger cells, it may not be practical in most situations because you can produce more power with larger cells but the whole structure would be large and heavy.
Although you may want to explore your options by mixing different cell sizes, it is not recommended.
If you do this, your panels would only be able to produce a limited current because your larger sized cells would not be utilized to their maximum potential.
How to Make the Solar Panel Box
Creating a shallow box case is like creating an exoskeleton for your solar panels.
You can craft one by using some decent scrap wood.
Let’s say you would build a solar panel that will hold 36 3×6 inch solar cells. You would need 3/8 inch of thick plywood and some 3/4 x 3/4 wood pieces along the edges.
When you start working with the solar panel box, keep it as shallow as you can.
This is because the amount of light that reaches the cells may be reduced by the shadows it produces.
To start things out, follow these steps.
1 Make two sub-panels that consists of 18 solar cells each.
2 Craft a divider for the middle to separate the two sub-panels.
3 Drill about 3-4 ventilation holes in the middle to allow air flow.
4 You can also drill holes in the bottom to allow air to flow and prevent moisture from building up.
This would also even out the air pressure inside the solar panels with the air pressure outside.
5. For the substrate of the contraption, it is advisable to use an insulating material.
6. Create a front cover made from translucent material.
7. Lastly, apply paint so that your solar panel will not be weathered by various weather conditions. Experts suggest that light colored paint should be used. This is because darker colors are more likely to absorb heat, which may reduce the solar panel’s energy output.
Once you are done with the solar panel box, you can now begin the installation of the solar cells.
1. Begin by creating a layout of the cells in the panel, visualize and draw a grid board on both pegboard pieces to exactly illustrate where the 18 cells would be situated.
2. Lay out the cells on the panel, draw a grid board on both pieces of pegboard to show where each of the 18 cells will be located. Solder all 18 cells, on each sub-panel, together in a series. Connect both halves in series.
3. Solder the cells together, be sure to use a soldering iron that is low in wattage and a rine rosen core solder.
4. Have the cells lie face-down. Lay the tabs about a cell across the solder points in the other cell’s back.
5. Be sure that the spacing between the cells are matched with the grid pattern. Solder the cells carefully and precisely.
6. Glue the solar cells in place by applying silicone caulk in the middle of each cell. Be sure to follow the guidelines you traced earlier.
7. Test the cells for functionality first and then install them to the main frame. After this, you can do the wiring. To avoid a reverse discharge on your batteries, it is advisable that you include a blocking diode in the circuitry.
8. Link the sub-panels together using a wire that run through the vent holes of the center divider. Apply silicone caulk to anchor them in place.
Now you’re set, your home-made solar panel is now ready for installation.