How to Make a Solar Panel For Free
More and more households are attracted to the benefits of solar power, especially now that power expenses have nowhere to go but up. Truth be told, it is a practical idea. But there is one thing that some find intimidating and that keeps them from installing their household solar power system: the cost. Decent solar panels, for instance, eat up unbelievably way too much money, which average and low-income earning households can barely afford. There is one way to address this financial concern, though, and that is to make do-it-yourself solar panels. Unlike their commercial counterparts, home made solar panels cost at least a hundred dollars and are fairly easy to make. But just like their commercial counterparts, they work efficiently.
Making a home made solar panel requires solar cells, plywood, pexiglass, and wires. And here is a step-by-step guide.
1. Make the wooden panel out of the plywood. See to it that your panel has the right measurements. A single panel usually holds 36 3×6 solar cells wired in a series and which produce 18 volts. Make sure the panel is sturdy enough and well screwed. You may also want to paint it to protect it from the weather.
2. Prepare your solar cells. Solar cells come in different sizes, but the most commonly used are 3×6. Remember that the bigger the size, the more electricity they can produce; however, they also tend to make the panel a lot bigger and heavier. Now, if you’re using 3×6, buy more than 36 pieces. So in case a few cells break, you still have extra pieces to work with. When buying, you can choose to pick the wax-dipped solar cells. Wax works to stabilize and protect the solar cells from damages during shipping, but they prove to be a little hard to remove. But if you don’t mind minor damages, like chips on the edges, you can make do with solar cells not dipped in wax.
3. Solder the solar cells. Start by arranging a line of, say, 9 solar cells. Then, lay the soldered wire of one solar cell across the solder point of the other cell. Do the same to the remaining solar cells in the line. Next, arrange three more lines of 9 solar cells and repeat the soldering process. After which, wire the four lines together. Using silicone caulk, glue the solar cells to the panel. Make sure, however, to put caulk only on the center of each solar cell, and not in any other area.
4. Test the voltage. See to it that the solar panel produces the expected volt. If everything works fine, cover the panel with a plexiglass to protect it from the weather. Screw it properly.
