Most people wish their energy bills could be less expensive, and a growing percentage of the population is looking for methods to create energy without depleting resources or creating profuse amounts of pollution. Taking advantage of the sun as an energy source is an answer to both of these desires. For many years, solar panels have helped provide free heat for homes, but the decreasing cost of solar panel technology means that more people can use the sun to provide electricity as well. To cut costs even more, even novice DIY-enthusiasts can learn how to build solar panels and install them.
Newcomers to the world of solar energy should not expect to go off the grid right away, or necessarily ever. Not all areas receive enough direct sunlight to provide sufficient power to support a household's needs, especially the needs of a house that runs a number of electricity-hungry appliances or relies on heavy air-conditioning use. A good start to introducing sunshine power to your house is the installation of one panel, or a few at most, and then observing the effects on the next electricity bill.
Some math is necessary before purchasing the supplies required to build solar panels. The average solar cell is capable of producing anywhere from .8 to 2 Watts; the numbers of cells per diy solar panels can vary according to needs, but the usual number is between 32 and 36 cells. The amount of power they generate for individual homes is measured during maximum sun exposure. A solar contractor can be consulted to determine precise needs, but to simply alleviate reliance on the electric company, a single panel will serve.
To construct a single panel with which to experiment, and do so as inexpensively as possible, search for solar cells on eBay. Look especially for those with chips or minor flaws to save the most money. Purchase the desired number - for this example, 36 cells - as well as plywood that will be cut to size, solder, a rosin flux pen, and tabbing wire.
First, if the cells were dipped in wax for protection in shipping, the wax must be removed. If possible, choose a seller that packs in foam as opposed to wax for simplicity's sake. Then the solar cells must be arranged in series and soldered together. Use the rosin pen on each solder point as preparation, before using a soldering iron with low wattage to solder the cell's tabs together.
Solder the cells together in rows of six, and then wire the rows together. Make sure they are arranged in parallel before soldering. Use silicone to fix your rows of cells to the piece of plywood. If this were a more permanent arrangement, the board should be prepared with several coats of paint prior to this step, but as an introduction to how to build solar panels, weather-proofing is not a priority.
Having built a rough panel of your very own, the last steps are connecting the panel to an inverter and then to the house's power box. An electrician is recommended for those who lack electrical training, and mistakes in this process can be dangerous and expensive. If the results are satisfactory, you can put more time and expensive materials into further solar panels and enjoy the benefits of an energy source that is friendly to the environment and household costs.
