So, you have electricity bills that are causing you to lose sleep and you have a desire to finally respect the environment. The trouble is, of course, that the cost of purchasing a complete solar power system, or array, and have it installed can be as high as $30,000 – a large investment in one chunk! The answer therefore is to make your own solar panel and system, which can be done at a fraction of the price. But how do you make solar panels?
None of the components needed to construct a solar panel are particularly expensive. Even the solar cells, by far the most important component needed, are inexpensive, with some 0.55V cells available for just $1.
Of course, you’ll need a lot more than one cell to construct a panel capable of making a realistic contribution to your home or business energy needs (probably at least 60 cells) but even in bulk the cost is quite low.
There are a variety of cells available to buy on the market, often made of different materials, but remember that you are making a photovoltaic panel to be run independently of any on-grid system. ‘Broken’ cells are crystalline silicon cells that come in fragments rather than full cells. Indium Copper Selenide cells look more like small glass tiles. Amorphus silicon are also printed on glass and are among the sturdiest of those available. They also produce the greatest power.
The other components needed are soldering equipment, copper wiring, a frame (picture, or maybe a shallow box), rechargeable batteries (deep cell is best) and an acrylic or plexiglas sheet to use as a polymer.
Depending on the type of cells that you chose, there may be some preparation to carry out on them to ensure they are connected (soldered) via the copper wire properly. When it’s done, the ‘wired’ cells can be placed in the frame, then covered by the Plexiglas sheet.
In essence that’s it, all that remains to be done is connect the panel to the deep cell battery, to store the power for night-time use, with a volt meter, a power booster (voltage doubler) and an AC inverter to complete the system.
The size and number of cells will dictate the power of the panel when it’s completed, but you can easily build one that gives 2 volts of power, which can run a significant share of your household appliances, thereby slashing your electricity bill.
Booklets and detailed instructions are available to download from the internet, or purchase in bookstores. All-in-all the cost of your home-made solar panel may be as low as just $100 – a bargain by any measure!
How To Make Solar Panels – Video 1
How To Make Solar Panels – Video 2
How To Make Solar Panels – Video 3
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