DIY Solar Panels
Many homeowners looking for a way to lower their monthly electric bills are turning to solar power to help. Solar
panels provide a great way to generate electricity form sunshine, and this power can be used in your home to lower the amount of electricity you buy from your local utility. If you install enough of these solar panels, you can even eliminate your bill completely.
In addition to buying these solar panels all assembled and ready to go, some more adventurous homeowners are turning to DIY solar panels for smaller projects or remote locations. These less expensive solar panels are easy to build once you understand the technology and can provide a very good amount of power. To build these DIY solar panels you will need a few components and a general understanding of soldering and some basic carpentry skills as well.
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The most important part of your DIY solar panels is the solar cells themselves. The solar cells are the component that actually turns the sunlight that hits the solar panel into an electrical current. They are usually sold as small discs or squares in a fragile glass assembly, with a series of wires extending on one end. These solar cells produce a small amount of current individually, but can generate a lot of power when a group of them are wired together. When you purchase these solar cells, try to find ones that are square as these are easiest to mount in your DIY solar panels.
Once you have the solar cells you will have to find a backing material that you can mount them to that is sturdy. Half-inch exterior plywood works great for this and will give you a stable and weatherproof mounting platform for the cells. Before you mount the cells to this plywood, check the specifications that came with the solar cells when you bought them so you know how they have to be wired together. Most solar panels have the cells wired together as groups in a series-wiring configuration to increase the voltage to a certain level. These groups are then wired together in parallel to increase the current the DIY solar panels will produce.
Most solar cells are sold with a diagram that shows various wiring scenarios for different output voltages and currents. Be careful to mount the cells so that you can easily follow the wiring diagram for their connection. They also have to allow space between them for running the connecting wires. You have to be extra careful to not block any of the cells from the sun, as this will affect their ability to generate power.
Once these cells are mounted and wired together, they need to be enclosed in a weatherproof box so they can be used outdoors. This can be a simple wooden frame, but just be sure to seal the edges with caulking to protect the solar cells from the elements. Once the box is built and sealed, you need to attach a sheet of glass or Plexiglas to the top to allow the sun to hit the cells. Be sure to seal this as well so that your DIY solar panels will be completely weatherproof.
Now all you have to do is place your new DIY solar panels in the sun and enjoy the power it generates. You can use the DC current from the panel to charge a battery, or run any small appliance you have through an AC inverter.