Solar Power

Locating Solar Cells

How many cells you need to build a solar panel will depend on the size of solar panel you are going to build. The cheapest way to get solar cells is either from eBay or find a local firm who uses solar cells in their equipment. Like road signs, these get damaged and chipped and get thrown away. These companies don’t repair the actual cells, they just replace them. So you can salvage them and use them in your panel.

Strong Plywood

The plywood forms the backing board which the cells sit on and is an integral piece of the panel. Get a good sheet of flat plywood and cut it to size. We will be treating the plywood later to make sure it doesn’t rot when left outside to the elements.

Wood

You want to get a piece of 1″x1″ or 1.5″x1.5″ preferably hardwood to make a frame to hold the glass in place. Again we will be protecting it with a UV coating to give it added protection against the elements.

Flexi-Glass

Flexi- glass is used to protect the solar cells and all the electrical wiring. Some people like to use special glass that has the ability to collect infrared light. This is expensive but it will make your solar panel more efficient as the infrared feature will allow you to convert the suns energy in cloudy conditions.

Solder Tabbing Wire

The soldering or tabbing wire, connects the solar cells together either in series or parallel and caries the current to the copper wire. The wire is made from tin and is known as tabbing wire.

Silicone Gun

Silicon is used to make the solar panel water tight by filling the gap between the flexi glass and the wooden frame. The great thing about the silicone sealant is that you can also use to fix the solar cells to the plywood backing.

Solder

The solder is used to join the cells to the copper wire. When the current leaves the solar panel, it does so by connecting to copper wiring. You connect to the copper wiring by soldering the tabbing wire to the copper wire. Should the tin tabbing wire not stay in place, the solder can be applied to stick it back down again.

Flux

Flux is needed to ensure the tabbing wire sticks to the cells. A flux pen is very good for this as it is just the right width. The flux is essential for the tabbing wire to stick to the boards. If you do not use flux then the tabbing wire will not stick to the solar cells and no current will be able to run along it.

UV Plywood Protector

Paint the UV protector on to the plywood and the wooden frame to increase the life of the solar panel while it is left out in the sun.

Volt Meter

You want to know what the output of your solar panel is, so you connect the volt meter to the output and then angle your solar panel so that it is direct sunlight. As you add more cells, so the output should increase.

Learn more about how to build a solar panel or visit here to understand how to Build a Solar Panel if money is in short supply.