10 Steps On How To Make a Solar Panel

June 17, 2009 - PRLog -- Solar energy is the most popular form of renewable energy everywhere in the world. The reason for this is simple: the energy the sun produces is clean, renewable, and abundant. So if you want to eliminate your electricity bill and do good for the environment, you need to learn how to build a solar panel.

The first thing you need is to acquire the necessary parts:

•   Solar cells
•   Plywood
•   Plexiglass
•   Tin Wire
•   Silicon
•   Solder
•   Rosin Flux Pen
•   UV Protector
•   Volt Meter

Step 1: Cut the Plywood

You need to cut your plywood to the correct size so that your solar cells cover all the plywood. The number of solar cells to use varies depending on how big of solar panel you want. Typically 80 solar cells will produce about 100 W of power. That may not sound like much, but it can power about eight compact fluorescent light bulbs and you can always wire multiple solar panels together to produce more power.

Step 2: UV Protector

Apply a few coats of UV protector to the plywood.

Step 3: Flux Pen

Trace the flux pen across the solder points on the solar cells to help keep the wiring down. This is a necessary step to ensure proper connection of the solar cells.

Step 4: Solder the Solar Cells

Solder together all of the solar cells and the wiring to connect the cells. Do one row at a time. Once you have soldered all the rows, you need to connect the rows together, also using tin wire.

Step 5: Connects Solar Cells to Plywood

Use the silicon to bind the solar cells to the plywood. Do not use too much silicon.

Step 6: Connect Wires through Plywood

At this point, you should have two ends of the wire hanging off the sides of the solar cells. Drill a couple holes in the plywood where the wires can go through to the back of the plywood.

Step 7: Attach Border to Edge of Plywood

Now you need to create border around the plywood that encompasses your solar cells, sort of like a picture frame. Use silicon as your adhesive for the border so there will not be any water leaks onto the solar cells. For added strength, screw the border with wood screws.

Step 8: Attach the Plexiglass to the Border

Attach the plexiglass to the border to cover your solar cells. Use silicon again. As with the previous step, you're going to want to screw this part down for added support. Drill holes in the plexiglass first slightly smaller than the size of the screws you are using, otherwise you'll crack the plexiglass.

Step 9: Seal Plywood Holes around Wires

Remember the holes you drilled in step six? You’ll need to seal those holes around the wires with silicon as well as any other holes or gaps on your solar panel.

Step 10: Moisture Prevention

Despite your solar cells being completely sealed by the plexiglass and silicon epoxy, moisture can still build up inside the solar panel. To prevent this, simply drill hole near the bottom of the solar panel, away from the wiring. Make sure that the sold the bottom so that when it rains, it won't have an underwater solar panel. That wouldn't be good for anybody.

This information provides you an idea of what is involved with building a home solar panel. You only need a handful of parts, most of which are available at any hardware store and the others can be found cheaply or even free if you know where to look.

A detailed diagram and video will eliminate all confusion and speed up construction time. If you are interested to learn more about how to make a solar panel, visit us at:
http://www.greenearth4energy.com/build_solar_panel.html
http://www.earthenergyguide.com

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Andy O Silliven is an engineer and author in the fields of electrical engineering. He enjoys writing about the topic and keeping up with current events and research in the area of renewable energy sources.
http://www.greenearth4energy.com