Homemade solar battery – storing our own power

It seems that there is no shortage of items around the house that can be used to make a homemade battery, from lemons and potatoes to coins and the human body itself. It’s something of a science challenge set by tens of thousands of science teachers around the world every year. But what about a battery that can be used in a solar power system – a homemade solar battery – that can actually help in running your home’s appliances?

Most of these non-solar homemade batteries are good enough to power a small clock or turn on a flashlight, but none would have the capability to store the type of power that a solar panel can capture from the sun’s rays then distribute around the home as necessary.

Therefore, your freezer or air conditioner will have to turn to something else.

At the moment, the technology required to charge a battery directly from the sun simply to power your TV remote control or flashlight is there, but is not marketed as yet. However, one man has proven that it is viable to power your rechargeable batteries as they sit in sunlight.

Knut Karlsen created what he has called SunCast batteries. He simply wrapped a few NiMH rechargeable batteries in flexible solar cells and put them sitting on a windowsill for a few hours. The result was well-powered batteries that were replenished completely independently of any electrical system.

What he created was only really a prototype, but it’s worth you keeping an eye open for developments in this technology – or even trying out a version of your own. However, the problem still remains the amount of power needed to recharge the deep cycle acid battery that works in unison with your solar power system. If you want to build just such a battery yourself, then you need to get much more scientific.

To make a lead acid battery is not that difficult once you have all the components together, but you do need to know what you’re doing. What you’ll need are two lead plates (one oxidized), some sulphuric acid and water, a separator to place between the plates (wood or rubber) and a sealable container in which to place the plates.

The lead and lead oxide plates are immersed in the sulphuric acid, and once a current or load runs through them, the chemical reaction results in energy being stored to be discharged when necessary. Simply connect the battery to your solar panels to receive the load and store the power.

Of course, for most of us it’s simpler to buy a deep cycle lead acid battery and connect to our solar panels. As for solar batteries, they continue to be fun more than practical, but technology moves so quickly that it won’t be long before we’ll have the ability to create batteries charged directly from the sun that can power significant household appliances.

For now, the SunCat is about as good as it gets.

Homemade Solar Battery Video

 
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