Solar Panels – How To Build Your Own Solar Panels
With continuing price rises on energy, solar panel is coming more to the fore; providing practically free power. It can be expensive to have these installed however, so is a good idea to build your own solar panel.
The first thing is ensure you have the necessary tools and equipment. This will mean sourcing the best solar cells for you, which should be given a good portion of time to decide. There are many out there.
There are a few other items needed. Plywood, a length of 1 x1, copper wire, a diode line, batteries and Plexiglas will be required for construction. You will also need a circular saw, screws and screwdriver, caulk, outdoor paint, soldering kit and glue.
Using your chosen cells as a guide, draw a grid on the plywood. Once satisfied, saw out the entire base and place to one side. It is now time to construct the actual panel itself.
The 1 x 1 should be cut into lengths according to the plywood and attached to the sides using the screws and caulk. Once fixed into place, all but the grid can be painted with the protective outdoor paint.
Before applying the cells, they need to be soldered together; using tabs at the back to attach one to the other. This work needs to be very careful, as the cells are very delicate at this point. Once in a suitable series, they can be applied with glue onto your plywood grid.
Once all set into place, the copper wire and diode line can be attached from the panel to the electrical system. The diode is necessary here, as it will prevent power being lost through reverse transfer from the batteries.
Plexiglas now needs to be attached across the entire panel. Fix this into place with suitable amounts of caulk to thoroughly protect from the elements. Now you have managed to build your own solar panel for the first time; there should be no stopping you.
By using solar panels for homes you can save money, help the environment, and generate electricity using free energy from the sun with DIY solar panels.
