Building DIY Solar Panels

Building solar panels may sound a little complicated, however, investing a little time and dedication can help you accomplish everything. That said those without and electrical background should expect to spend more time on the project that those who already know the basics.

Solar panels are groups of solar cells that are all connected together electrically. Each sell only makes about 1 watt of electricity at about.5V, but if you connect them together in series the volts add up. Usually this is done up to about 18 volts or 36 cells in series. With 18 volts you are able to reliably charge a 12V battery that can be used to power some DC loads (most house loads are AC).

Those were the very basics of how a panel is built. If you plan to use these to power you house loads you will either want look for as many 12v dc appliances and lights as possible or get the equipment necessary to convert the energy to AC. The details on connecting the DIY solar panels to a system are a bit out of the scope of this article.

First, you will want to acquire the solar cells this can be done sometimes from a local hardware store or radio shack. I prefer just to look online for them, and buy them in bulk. Expect to pay approximately 1-2 dollars per cell.

Using soldering strips solder the cells together in series. Be sure to check the polarity of the cells so that they are not "fighting" each other to develop the desired voltage.

When you have a sufficient number of cells powered in series, solder blocking diodes into place at the end (be sure to bias the diodes properly). The diodes are important because they prevent the solar cells from draining your batteries when the sun goes down. Once you have the string of cells and diodes in place you will want to cover the cells in clear plastic or glass and waterproof around the outsides!

This is the basic information on how to make a solar panel at home. The overall idea is fairly simple, but it does take some time to put it all together. That said its time well spent, a commercial solar system can cost well over 30K, a persistent "DIYer" could do it at less than 2K for everything! Getting the right equipment to hook up your to the battery and transform it into AC is what usually throws people off but that to can be overcome.

Learn how to Building solar panels:
http://ezinearticles.com/?Building-Solar-Panels-From-the-Comfort-of-Home&id=3717430

Learn how to DIY solar panels:
http://ezinearticles.com/?Make-Easy-DIY-Solar-Panels-to-Generate-Your-Own-Electricity-and-Save-on-Your-Monthly-Electric-Bills&id=3832245

Learn how to make a solar panel:
http://www.squidoo.com/how_to_make_a_solar_panel