How to make solar panels with your own hands. Do-it-yourself solar panel, its manufacture and assembly Do-it-yourself solar panel production

Many people are interested in how you can convert solar energy into electricity. Alternative energy sources have always occupied the minds of people, and today everyone can get the energy of the sun. In the article we will tell you how to independently make converter panels from improvised means (at home), we will give step-by-step instructions for assembling the structure.

How it works

An alternative energy source is a generator operating on the basis of the photoelectric effect. It allows you to convert the energy of the sun into electricity. Getting on silicon plates, which are the components of a solar battery, light quanta displace electrons from the last orbits of each silicon atom. Thus, a large number of free electrons can be obtained, which form an electric current.

Before proceeding with the manufacture of a solar panel, you need to select the converter modules that will be used: monocrystalline, polycrystalline or amorphous. The most accessible are the first and second options. In order to select the appropriate elements, you need to know their exact characteristics:

  1. Polycrystalline wafers with silicon give a rather low efficiency - no more than 8-9%. However, they compare favorably in that they can work even during overcast or cloudy weather.
  2. Monocrystalline plates give out about 13-14% efficiency, however, any cloudiness, not to mention cloudy weather, significantly reduces the power of the battery assembled from such plates.

Both types of plates have a long service life - from 20 to 40 years.

When purchasing silicon wafers for self-assembly, you can take elements with small defects - the so-called B-type modules. Some plate components can be replaced, thus assembling a battery for significantly less money.

Solar battery design

When planning the placement of the converters, you need to choose the place of its installation so that it is located at an angle, receiving the sun's rays more or less perpendicularly. The ideal way would be to place the batteries in such a way that you can adjust their angle of inclination. They need to be located on the most illuminated side of the site, and the higher, the better - for example, on the roof of the house. However, not all roofs can withstand the weight of a full-fledged solar array, so in some cases it is recommended to install special support stands for the converters.

The required angle at which the battery should be located can be calculated based on the geographical location of this area, as well as the level of the solstice in the area.

Materials for manufacturing

You will need:

  • B-type converter modules,
  • aluminum corners or ready-made frames for a future battery,
  • protective coating for modules.

The support frames can be made independently using aluminum frames, or you can purchase ready-made ones in various sizes.

Protective coating for solar panels may be absent, and may be:

  • glass,
  • polycarbonate,
  • plexiglass,
  • plexiglass.

In principle, all protective coatings can be used without large losses of converted energy, however, plexiglass transmits rays worse than all the listed materials.

Mounting

The size of the solar panel frame depends on how many modules will be used. When planning the arrangement of elements, it is necessary to leave a distance of 3-5 mm between the modules to compensate for possible changes in size due to temperature changes.

  • Having calculated the data and received the desired dimensions, you can proceed with the installation of the frame. If ready-made frames are used, you just need to select modules that completely fill them. Aluminum corners allow you to create a battery of any size.
  • The frame of aluminum corners is assembled using fasteners. Silicone sealant is applied to the inside of the frame. It must be applied carefully, without missing a single millimeter - the battery life directly depends on this.
  • Next, a panel of the selected protective material is placed in the frame. It is recommended to fix the material on the frame with the help of hardware. To do this, you will need screws and a screwdriver. Upon completion of work, glass or its equivalent must be cleaned of dust and debris.
  • Purchased modules may or may not contain already soldered contacts. In any case, it is recommended to either solder from scratch, that is, three times - for greater reliability - using solder and soldering acid, or walk with a soldering iron along an already done soldering.
  • The solar battery can be assembled either immediately on a prepared frame, or first on a marked cardboard. Having laid out the elements on the glass in the necessary way, you need to connect them by soldering: on the one hand, the paths leading the current are with a plus sign; on the other hand - with a minus sign. The contacts of the last elements must be brought to a wide silver conductor, the so-called bus.
  • After soldering, it is necessary to check the work and carefully eliminate all problems, make sure that the panel is working.

The final stage of the work will be the sealing of the manufactured panels using a special elastic sealant. All connected modules are completely covered with this mixture. After it is completely dry, you need to put a second panel of protective material, as well as place the resulting source of alternative energy at the right angle in the planned place.

Video

Full video instructions for making a solar battery for the home:

A photo

How to make a solar panel at home, a photo of a step-by-step solar panel manufacturing.

You can make a solar battery yourself, and it will cost you less than buying a ready-made one.

Typically, a solar battery is used to charge batteries at 12 V, in order to ensure full charging, you will need to assemble a solar panel that will generate about 17 - 18V without load in sunny weather.

Solar cells are sold in sets, most often you can find sets of 36 and 72 (+ 2 spare) elements with a size of 152 x 76 mm. It is necessary to measure one panel with a multimeter and determine its exact characteristics, how much it gives out in the sun, then calculate how many panels to place and connect in series in a row.

For example, one socket gives out 4.5 V, to get 18V we need 4 sockets in a row. By the number of rows, you can achieve the desired power that the panel will give out. A panel of 36 cells will put out about 50W and 3.5A.

The set with solar cells also includes a pencil with flux, ribbon wire (conductive bus), connecting wire.

Depending on how many solar cells will be placed, you need to calculate the size of the future panel.

For the manufacture of the battery case, you can use an aluminum corner 25 x 25 or similar, and wooden slats.

The transparent top cover can be made of high transparency glass or Plexiglas. The back wall can be made of plywood.

We also need:

  • Schottky diode.
  • Terminals.
  • Copper wires.
  • The tape is transparent.
  • Silicone sealant.
  • Acrylic lacquer.
  • Self-tapping screws.

Making a solar panel at home.

We lay out the solar cells on the glass with current collector paths to the top, temporarily fix them with adhesive tape to the glass. We cut the ribbon wire to a size slightly larger than the width of the plates.

We cover the soldering points with flux and solder the wires to the plates. On the front side of the panels there are current-carrying tracks plus, on the reverse side minus.

In a row, we connect the plates in series, the rows themselves are already parallel, we output the extreme panels to a common bus.

We solder the conclusions, at the output to the positive terminal we solder the Schottky diode in series to avoid battery discharge at night, when the solar panel itself becomes an energy consumer.

We prepare the aluminum frame, glue the rubber seal on the inside of the frame. We insert glass with panels into the frame.

To prevent the glass from bursting in the sun during expansion, it is necessary to foresee a gap between the glass and the frame along the perimeter of about 5 mm. To prevent water from getting under the glass during rain, we process the joints between the glass and the frame with a sealant. We also glue the edges of the panels to the glass with a sealant, open the entire back side with acrylic varnish.


For more than a decade, humanity has been looking for alternative energy sources that can at least partially replace the existing ones. And the most promising of all today are two: wind and solar energy.

True, neither one nor the other can provide continuous production. This is due to the inconsistency of the wind rose and daily-weather-seasonal fluctuations in the intensity of the solar flux.

Today's energy industry offers three main methods for generating electrical energy, but all of them are harmful to the environment in one way or another:

  • Fuel power industry- the most environmentally polluted, accompanied by significant emissions of carbon dioxide, soot and useless heat into the atmosphere, causing a reduction in the ozone layer. The extraction of fuel resources for it also causes significant harm to nature.
  • hydropower is associated with very significant landscape changes, flooding of useful lands, causing damage to fish resources.
  • Nuclear power- the most environmentally friendly of the three, but requires a very significant cost to maintain security. Any accident can be associated with irreparable long-term damage to nature. In addition, it requires special measures for the disposal of used fuel waste.

Strictly speaking, there are several ways to get electricity from solar radiation, but most of them use its intermediate conversion into mechanical, rotating the generator shaft, and only then into electricity.

Such power plants exist, they use Stirling external combustion engines, they have a good efficiency, but they also have a significant drawback: in order to collect as much solar energy as possible, it is necessary to manufacture huge parabolic mirrors with systems for tracking the position of the sun.

I must say that there are solutions to improve the situation, but they are all quite expensive.

There are methods that enable the direct conversion of light energy into electric current. And although the phenomenon of the photoelectric effect in the semiconductor selenium was discovered already in 1876, but only in 1953, with the invention of the silicon photocell, did it become possible to create solar panels to generate electricity.

At this time, a theory was already emerging that made it possible to explain the properties of semiconductors and create a practical technology for their industrial production. To date, this has resulted in a real semiconductor revolution.

The operation of a solar battery is based on the phenomenon of the photoelectric effect of a semiconductor p-n junction, which is essentially a conventional silicon diode. At its conclusions, when illuminated, a photo-emf of 0.5 ~ 0.55 V appears.

When using electric generators and batteries, it is necessary to take into account the differences that exist between. By connecting a three-phase electric motor to the appropriate network, you can triple its output power.

Following certain recommendations, with minimal resource and time costs, it is possible to manufacture the power part of a high-frequency pulse converter for domestic needs. You can study the structural and schematic diagrams of such power supplies.

Structurally, each element of the solar battery is made in the form of a silicon wafer with an area of ​​several cm 2, on which a plurality of such photodiodes connected in a single circuit is formed. Each such plate is a separate module, which gives a certain voltage and current under sunlight.

By connecting such modules in a battery and combining them in parallel-series connection, a wide range of output power values ​​can be obtained.

The main disadvantages of solar panels:

  • Great unevenness and irregularity of energy output, depending on the weather, and the seasonal height of the sun.
  • Limiting the power of the entire battery if at least one part of it is shaded.
  • Dependence on the direction of the sun at different times of the day. For the most efficient use of the battery, you need to ensure its constant orientation to the sun.
  • In connection with the above, the need for energy storage. The greatest energy consumption occurs at a time when its production is minimal.
  • Large area required for sufficient capacity construction.
  • The fragility of the battery design, the need for constant cleaning of its surface from dirt, snow, etc.
  • Solar modules work most efficiently at 25°C. During operation, they are heated by the sun to a much higher temperature, which greatly reduces their efficiency. To keep the efficiency at an optimal level, it is necessary to provide cooling of the battery.

It should be noted that the development of solar cells using the latest materials and technologies is constantly appearing. This allows you to gradually eliminate the disadvantages inherent in solar panels or reduce their impact. So, the efficiency of the latest cells using organic and polymer modules already reaches 35% and there are expectations of reaching 90%, and this makes it possible to get much more power with the same battery size, or, while maintaining energy efficiency, significantly reduce the size of the battery.

By the way, the average efficiency of a car engine does not exceed 35%, which allows us to talk about a fairly serious efficiency of solar panels.

There are developments of elements based on nanotechnology that work equally effectively at different angles of incident light, which eliminates the need for their positioning.

Thus, already today we can talk about the advantages of solar panels compared to other energy sources:

  • No mechanical energy conversions and no moving parts.
  • Minimum operating costs.
  • Durability 30~50 years.
  • Quiet operation, no harmful emissions. Environmental friendliness.
  • Mobility. The battery for powering the laptop and charging the battery for the LED flashlight will fit in a small backpack.
  • Independence from the presence of constant current sources. The ability to recharge the batteries of modern gadgets in the field.
  • Undemanding to external factors. Solar cells can be placed anywhere, on any landscape, as long as they are sufficiently illuminated by sunlight.

In the equatorial regions of the Earth, the average solar energy flux is 1.9 kW / m 2 on average. In central Russia, it is in the range of 0.7 ~ 1.0 kW / m 2. The efficiency of a classic silicon photocell does not exceed 13%.

As experimental data show, if a rectangular plate is directed with its plane to the south, to the point of solar maximum, then in a 12-hour sunny day it will receive no more than 42% of the total luminous flux due to a change in its angle of incidence.

This means that with an average solar flux of 1 kW / m 2, 13% of the battery efficiency and its total efficiency of 42% can be obtained in 12 hours no more than 1000 x 12 x 0.13 x 0.42 = 622.2 Wh, or 0 .6 kWh per day from 1 m 2. This is subject to a full sunny day, in cloudy weather it is much less, and in the winter months this value must be divided by another 3.

Taking into account the losses for voltage conversion, the automation circuit that provides the optimal charging current of the batteries and protects them from overcharging, and other elements, can be taken as a basis for the figure of 0.5 kWh / m 2. With this energy, it is possible to maintain a battery charge current of 3 A at a voltage of 13.8 V for 12 hours.

That is, to charge a completely discharged car battery with a capacity of 60 Ah, a solar panel of 2 m 2 is required, and for 50 Ah - about 1.5 m 2.

In order to get such power, you can purchase ready-made panels that are produced in the range of electrical powers of 10 ~ 300 W. For example, one 100 W panel for a 12-hour daylight hours, taking into account a coefficient of 42%, will just provide 0.5 kWh.

Such a Chinese-made panel made of monocrystalline silicon with very good characteristics is now on the market for about 6400 rubles. Less effective in the open sun, but having a better return in cloudy weather, polycrystalline - 5000 r.

If you have certain skills in the installation and soldering of electronic equipment, you can try to assemble a similar solar battery yourself. At the same time, you should not count on a very large gain in price, in addition, the finished panels have factory quality of both the elements themselves and their assembly.

But the sale of such panels is far from being organized everywhere, and their transportation requires very harsh conditions and will be quite expensive. In addition, with self-manufacturing, it becomes possible, starting small, to gradually add modules and increase output power.

Selection of materials for creating a panel

In Chinese online stores, as well as on eBay, the widest selection of elements for self-manufacturing solar panels with any parameters is offered.

Even in the recent past, do-it-yourselfers purchased plates that were rejected during production, having chips or other defects, but much cheaper. They are fully functional, but have a slightly reduced return on power. Given the constant decline in prices, now it is hardly advisable. After all, losing an average of 10% of power, we lose in the effective area of ​​the panel. Yes, and the appearance of the battery, consisting of plates with broken pieces, looks quite handicraft.

You can also purchase such modules in Russian online stores, for example, molotok.ru offers polycrystalline elements with operating parameters at a luminous flux of 1.0 kW/m2:

  • Voltage: idle - 0.55 V, working - 0.5 V.
  • Current: short circuit - 1.5 A, working - 1.2 A.
  • Working power - 0.62 W.
  • Dimensions - 52x77 mm.
  • Price 29 p.
Tip: It should be borne in mind that the elements are very fragile and some of them may be damaged during transportation, so when ordering, you should provide some margin for their quantity.

Making a solar battery for your home with your own hands

To make a solar panel, we need a suitable frame, which you can make yourself or pick up a ready-made one. Of the materials for it, it is best to use duralumin, it is not subject to corrosion, is not afraid of dampness, and is durable. With appropriate processing and painting, both steel and even wood are suitable for protection from atmospheric precipitation.

Tip: Do not make the panel very large: it will be inconvenient in the installation of elements, installation and maintenance. In addition, small panels have low windage, they can be more conveniently placed at the required angles.

We calculate components

Decide on the size of our frame. To charge a 12-volt acid battery, an operating voltage of at least 13.8 V is required. Let's take 15 V as a basis. To do this, we will have to connect 15 V / 0.5 V = 30 cells in series.

Tip: The output of the solar panel should be connected to the battery through a protective diode to avoid its self-discharge at night through the solar cells. So the output of our panel will be: 15 V - 0.7 V = 14.3 V.

To get a charging current of 3.6 A, we need to connect three such chains in parallel, or 30 x 3 = 90 elements. It will cost us 90 x 29 rubles. = 2610 rubles.

Tip: Solar panel elements are connected in parallel-series. It is necessary to observe the equality of the number of elements in each consecutive chain.

With this current, we can provide a standard charge mode for a fully discharged battery with a capacity of 3.6 x 10 = 36 Ah.

In reality, this figure will be less due to uneven sunlight during the day. Thus, to charge a standard 60 Ah car battery, we will need to connect two such panels in parallel.

This panel can provide us with an electrical power of 90 x 0.62 W ≈ 56 W.

Or during a 12-hour sunny day with a 42% correction factor 56 x 12 x 0.42 ≈ 0.28 kWh.

Let's place our elements in 6 rows of 15 pieces. To install all the elements, we need a surface:

  • Length - 15 x 52 = 780 mm.
  • Width - 77 x 6 = 462 mm.

For the free placement of all plates, we will take the dimensions of our frame: 900 × 500 mm.

Tip: If there are ready-made frames with other dimensions, you can recalculate the number of elements in accordance with the outlines above, select elements of other sizes, try to place them by combining the length and width of the rows.

We will also need:

  • Soldering iron electric 40 W.
  • Solder, rosin.
  • Mounting wire.
  • Silicone sealant.
  • Double sided tape.

Manufacturing steps

To install the panel, it is necessary to prepare a flat workplace of sufficient area with a convenient approach from all sides. It is better to place the element plates themselves separately to the side, where they will be protected from accidental bumps and falls. Take them carefully, one at a time.

Residual current devices increase the safety of your home electrical circuit by reducing the risk of electric shock and fire. A detailed acquaintance with the characteristic features of different types of differential current switches will tell you for an apartment and a house.

During the operation of the electric meter, situations arise when it needs to be replaced and reconnected - you can read about this.

Usually, for the manufacture of a panel, the method of gluing pre-soldered plates of elements into a single chain onto a flat base-substrate is used. We offer another option:

  1. We insert it into the frame, fix it well and seal the glass or a piece of plexiglass around the edges.
  2. We lay out on it in the appropriate order, gluing them with double-sided tape, the plates of the elements: the working side to the glass, the soldering leads to the back side of the frame.
  3. Putting the frame on the table with the glass down, we can conveniently solder the leads of the elements. We carry out electrical installation in accordance with the selected circuit diagram.
  4. We finally glue the plates on the back side with adhesive tape.
  5. We put some kind of damping pad: sheet rubber, cardboard, fiberboard, etc.
  6. We insert the back wall into the frame and seal it.

If desired, instead of the back wall, you can fill the frame at the back with some kind of compound, for example, epoxy. True, this will already exclude the possibility of disassembling and repairing the panel.

Of course, one 50 W battery is not enough to power even a small house. But with its help it is already possible to implement lighting in it using modern LED lamps.

For a comfortable existence of a city dweller, at least 4 kWh of electricity is now required per day. For a family, according to the number of its members.

Therefore, the solar panel of a private house for a family of three should provide 12 kWh. If it is supposed to supply the home only from solar energy, we will need a solar battery with an area of ​​at least 12 kWh / 0.6 kWh / m 2 \u003d 20 m 2.

This energy must be stored in batteries with a capacity of 12 kWh / 12 V = 1000 Ah, or approximately 16 batteries of 60 Ah.

A charge controller is required for normal operation of the battery with a solar panel and its protection.

To convert 12V DC to 220V AC, you will need an inverter. Although now the market already has a sufficient number of electrical equipment for voltages of 12 or 24 V.

Tip: In low-voltage power networks, currents are much higher, so for wiring to powerful equipment, you should choose a wire of the appropriate size. Wiring for networks with an inverter is carried out according to the usual 220 V scheme.

Drawing conclusions

Under the condition of accumulation and rational use of energy, even today non-traditional types of electric power industry are beginning to create a solid increase in the total volume of its generation. It can even be argued that they are gradually becoming traditional.

Taking into account the recently significantly reduced level of energy consumption of modern household appliances, the use of energy-saving lighting devices and the significantly increased efficiency of solar panels of new technologies, we can say that even now they are able to provide electricity to a small private house in southern countries with a large number of sunny days a year.

In Russia, they may well be used as backup or additional sources of energy in combined power supply systems, and if their efficiency can be increased to at least 70%, then it will be quite realistic to use them as the main suppliers of electricity.

Video on how to make a device for collecting solar energy yourself

One way to cut down on utility bills is to use solar panels. Such a battery can be made and installed with your own hands.

What is a solar panel and what is it used for?

A solar battery is a device whose principle of operation is based on the ability of photovoltaic cells to convert solar energy into electricity. These converters are interconnected in a common system. The resulting electric current is stored in special devices - batteries.

The larger the panel area, the more electrical energy can be obtained

The power of the solar battery depends on the size of the field of photocells. But this does not mean that only large areas are able to reproduce the required amount of electricity. For example, well-known calculators can use portable solar panels that are built into their case.

Advantages and disadvantages

The benefits of a solar panel include:

  • ease of installation and maintenance;
  • no harm to the environment;
  • small mass of panels;
  • silent operation;
  • supplies of electric energy independent of the distribution network;
  • immobility of structural elements;
  • small cash costs for production;
  • long service life.

The disadvantages of solar panels include:

  • the complexity of the manufacturing process;
  • uselessness in the dark;
  • the need for a large area for installation;
  • susceptibility to pollution.

Although the manufacture of a solar panel is a laborious process, it can be assembled by hand.

Tools and materials

If it is not possible to purchase a ready-made solar battery for the home, you can make it yourself.

To make a solar battery you will need:

  • photocells (to create a solar panel);
  • a set of special conductors (for connecting photocells);
  • aluminum corners (for the body);
  • Schottke diodes;
  • fastening hardware;
  • screws for fasteners;
  • polycarbonate sheet (transparent);
  • silicone sealant;
  • soldering iron.

Choice of photocells

Today, manufacturers offer consumers a choice of two types of devices. Solar cells made of single-crystal silicon have an efficiency of up to 13%. They are less efficient in cloudy weather. Polycrystalline silicon photocells have an efficiency of up to 9%, but they are able to work not only on sunny, but also on cloudy days.

To provide a summer house or a small private house with electricity, it is enough to use polycrystals.

Important information: It is advisable to purchase solar cells from the same manufacturer, as cells of different brands can have significant differences, which affects the efficiency of work and the assembly process, and also leads to higher energy costs during operation.

When choosing photocells, pay attention to the following:

  • the larger the cell, the more energy it produces;
  • elements of the same type create the same voltage (this indicator does not depend on the size).

To determine the power of a solar battery, it is enough to multiply the generated current by the voltage.

It is quite simple to distinguish polycrystalline solar cells from monocrystalline ones. The first type is distinguished by a bright blue color and a square shape. Monocrystalline solar cells are darker, they are cut off at the edges.


Poly- and monocrystalline panels are easy to distinguish even at first glance

You should not give preference to products with a reduced price, as they may refuse rejection - these are parts that have not passed the test at the factory. It is better to use the services of trusted suppliers who, although they offer goods at a high price, are responsible for their quality. If there is no experience in assembling solar cells, it is recommended to purchase several test samples to practice, and only then buy products for the manufacture of the battery itself.

Some manufacturers seal the photocells in wax to prevent damage during shipping. However, it is quite difficult to get rid of it due to the high risk of damage to the plates, so it is recommended to buy photovoltaic cells without wax.

Manufacturing instructions

The process of manufacturing a solar battery consists of several stages:

  1. Preparation of photocells and soldering of conductors.
  2. Corpus creation.
  3. Assembly of elements and sealing.

Preparing photocells and soldering conductors

A set of photocells is assembled on the table. Let's say the manufacturer indicates a power of 4 W and a voltage of 0.5 volts. In this case, you need to use 36 photovoltaic cells to create an 18 watt solar panel.

With the help of a soldering iron, the power of which is 25 W, contours are applied, forming soldered tin wires.


The quality of soldering is the main requirement for the efficient operation of a solar battery.

Important information: It is advisable to carry out the soldering process on a flat, hard surface.

Then all cells are interconnected in accordance with the electrical circuit. When connecting a solar panel, you can use one of two methods: parallel or serial connection. In the first case, the positive terminals are connected to the positive, negative to negative. Then the terminals with different charges are connected to the battery. Serial connection involves the connection of opposite charges by alternately fastening the cells together. After that, the remaining ends are led to the battery.

Important information: Regardless of which type of connection you choose, it is necessary to provide shunt diodes that are installed on the plus terminal. Schorke diodes are ideal. They prevent the device from discharging at night.

When the soldering is complete, you need to take the cells to the sun to check their performance. If the functionality is normal, you can start assembling the case.


The device is tested on the sunny side

How to assemble the case

  • Prepare aluminum corners with low sides.
  • Holes are pre-drilled for hardware.
  • Then silicone sealant is applied to the inside of the aluminum corner (it is desirable to make two layers). The tightness, as well as the service life of the solar battery, depends on how well it is applied. It is important to pay attention to the absence of unfilled places.
  • After that, a transparent sheet of polycarbonate is placed in the frame and tightly fixed.
  • When the sealant dries, hardware with screws is attached, which will provide a more reliable fastening.

Given the fragility of the structure, it is recommended to first create a frame, and then only install photocells

Important information: In addition to polycarbonate, plexiglass or anti-reflective glass can be used.

Assembly of elements and sealing

  • Clean the transparent material from contamination.
  • Place the photocells on the inside of the polycarbonate sheet at a distance of 5 mm between the cells. In order not to be mistaken, first make the markup.
  • Apply mounting silicone to each photocell.

To extend the life of the solar battery, it is recommended to apply mounting silicone to its elements and close it with the back panel
  • After that, the back panel is attached. After the silicone hardens, the entire structure must be sealed.

Sealing the structure will ensure a snug fit of the panels to each other

Video: Making a solar battery with your own hands at home

Installation rules

To be able to use the solar battery to the maximum, it is recommended to follow certain rules when installing the device:

  1. You need to choose the right place. If you place the solar panel where there is always a shadow, the device will be ineffective. Based on this, it is not recommended to install the device near trees, it is advisable to choose an open place. Many people install solar panels on the roof of the house.
  2. When installing, you must point the device towards the sun. It is necessary to achieve the maximum hit of its rays on the photocells. For example, being in the north, you should orient the front side of the solar battery to the south.
  3. An important role is played by the determination of the slope of the device. It also depends on the geographical location. It is believed that the slope angle should be the latitude in which the battery is installed. When placed in the equator zone, you will have to adjust the angle of inclination according to the time of year. The correction will be 12 degrees, taking into account the increase and decrease in summer and winter, respectively.
  4. It is recommended to install a solar panel in an accessible place. As the device is used, the front side accumulates dirt, and in winter it is covered with snow, and as a result, energy production is reduced. Therefore, it is necessary to periodically clean the battery, removing plaque from its front panel.

Making a device from improvised means

To date, craftsmen have developed ways to create solar panels from improvised materials, but is such savings justified?

Using old transistors

For the manufacture of a solar battery, you can use old transistors. To do this, cut off their covers, fixing the devices in a vice by the rim. Then the voltage is measured under the influence of light. It is necessary to determine it on all instrument outputs in order to detect maximum values. The voltage depends on the power of the transistor, as well as on the dimensions of the crystal.


You need to carefully cut off the transistor cover, otherwise you can damage the thin wires that are connected to the semiconductor crystal

After that, you can begin to manufacture a solar battery. Using five transistors and connecting them in series, you can get a device sufficient to power the power calculator. The frame is assembled from sheet plastic. It is necessary to drill holes in it that are needed to output the transistor. A calculator based on such a solar battery works stably, but it needs to be no further than 30 cm from the light source. For better results, it is advisable to use a second chain of transistors.

Application of diodes

To collect a solar battery, you will need a lot of diodes. In addition, a substrate board is used. A soldering iron is used in the manufacturing process.

First you need to open the inner crystal so that the rays of the sun fall on it. To do this, the top of the diode is cut off and removed. The lower part, where the crystal is located, must be heated over a gas stove for about 20 seconds. When the solder of the crystal melts, it can be easily removed with tweezers. A similar manipulation is carried out with each diode. Then the crystals are soldered to the board.


Elements of a solar battery made of diodes are interconnected using thin copper wires.

To obtain 2–4 V, 5 blocks are sufficient, consisting of five crystals soldered in series. Blocks are placed parallel to each other.

Device made of copper sheets

To make a solar panel from copper sheets, you will need:

  • the copper sheets themselves;
  • two crocodile clips;
  • high sensitivity microammeter;
  • electric stove (at least 1000 W);
  • plastic bottle with cut off top;
  • two tablespoons of table salt;
  • water;
  • sandpaper;
  • sheet metal shears.

Procedure:

  1. First, cut off a piece of copper that is the same size as the heating element on the stove. Clean the surface of the sheet from grease and clean it with sandpaper, then place it on the stove and heat it at maximum temperature.
  2. During the formation of the oxide, multi-colored patterns can be seen. It is necessary to wait for the black color, and then leave the copper sheet to heat up for about half an hour. After this period of time, the stove switches off. The sheet remains on it for slow cooling.
  3. When the black oxide disappears, it is necessary to rinse the copper under running water.
  4. Then cut a piece of the same size from the whole sheet. Place both parts in a plastic bottle. It is important that they do not touch each other.
  5. Attach the copper plates to the walls of the bottle with clamps. Connect the wire from a blank sheet to the positive terminal of the measuring device, and from copper with oxide to the negative terminal.
  6. Dissolve the salt in a small amount of water. Pour the salt water into the bottle carefully, being careful not to wet the contacts. There should be enough solution so that it does not completely cover the plates. The solar battery is ready, you can conduct experiments.

When placing the copper plates in the container, you need to carefully bend them so that they fit, but do not break.

Is there a benefit?

The efficiency of a device made of transistors is very low. The reason for this is the large area of ​​the device itself and the small size of the solar cell (semiconductor). Thus, the transistor-based solar battery has not gained popularity, such devices are suitable only for entertainment.

Diodes tend to consume current and glow spontaneously. Therefore, when they are used to make a solar battery, some of the diodes will generate electricity, while the rest of the devices, on the contrary, will consume it. From this we can conclude that the efficiency of such a device is low.

To light a light bulb from a solar panel based on copper sheets, you will need to use a large amount of material. For example, to operate a 1000 W stove, 1,600,000 m² of copper is needed. To equip such a device on the roof of the house, it will be required that its area is 282 m². And all efforts would go to ensuring the operation of one furnace. In practice, it makes no sense to use such a solar battery.

Despite the relative high cost, solar panels pay off pretty quickly. Try this eco-friendly way to generate energy by building your own solar panel.

In recent years, the issue of energy conservation has become more and more acute. Many people are starting to think about how to save energy using a variety of energy-saving technologies. Recently, the use of solar energy in domestic conditions is beginning to interest more and more people who come to the conclusion that it would be better to install solar panels once, and then get significant savings in their budget. This is relevant in the context of a constant rise in energy prices both in Russia and around the world. You can save even more if you figure out how to assemble a solar battery with your own hands. The main feature of the collection of solar panels will be the availability of components and minimal financial investment.

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Selecting elements for panels


The great advantage of a self-assembled solar system is that it is not necessary to install the entire complex system at once, the power can be gradually increased. If the collection experience is successful, then you can continue to work and increase the volume.

A solar battery is a local generator that operates on the basis of converting solar energy into electrical energy using a photovoltaic cell. In order to assemble it with your own hands, you need to select solar modules in free sale. For example, on Ebay you can buy a set of SolarCells, consisting of 36 solar cells, which is just designed for self-assembly of the battery. Similar sets can be purchased in Russia.

We are developing a project

The development of the project will depend on where you will place the solar panel and the installation option. Such batteries should be installed at an angle that ensures that the sun's rays hit the photocells at right angles. Do not forget that the performance of the solar panel is completely dependent on the intensity of the light. They must be installed on the sunny side of the building. Depending on the location of the object, as well as the flow of solar energy in each region, the tilt angle for the solar panel is calculated.

Worth your attention to the fact that at the time of designing a system that is supposed to be installed on the roof of a building, it is necessary to identify or calculate the bearing capacity of the roof in advance. The roof must fully withstand the applied load, as well as provide a margin of safety.

We make a frame

Before you make a solar battery, you need to purchase solar cells (36 pieces). According to the calculations, one element produces 0.5 volts of energy, that is, if there are 36 elements, 18 volts can be obtained.

There is a huge selection of inserts on the market in various sizes, but you need to remember the following when choosing them:

  • All plates will produce the same level of voltage regardless of their size;
  • Large plates produce more current;
  • More power can be obtained by using larger plates, but be aware of the weight of the larger plates;
  • It is not recommended to use plates of different sizes in the same structural system.

For the frame in the manufacture of solar panels, an aluminum corner is used, but you can also buy ready-made frames designed for this. The transparent coating must be chosen according to your desire, but taking into account the refractive indices of light. The most affordable material will be plexiglass, and the least suitable in terms of its characteristics is ordinary polycarbonate. The best materials for the manufacture of the panel will be materials that have a high level of light transmission. If you use plexiglass, then during operation you can monitor the contacts in the system.

Mounting the solar panel housing

If we talk about the standard production of one solar battery, then it involves the use of 36 photocells with 150x81 mm plates. When calculating the dimensions, it is necessary to take into account the presence of gaps between the elements of 3-5 mm, which will be necessary when changing the dimensions of the frame under the influence of atmospheric phenomena. The dimensions of the workpiece with tolerances taken into account will be 690x835 mm and the width of the corner in the frame is 35 mm.The solar panel, which will be manufactured using an aluminum profile, will be similar to a factory-made panel and will provide a high level of tightness, strength and rigidity.

To begin with, you need to make blanks from an aluminum corner - frames with dimensions of 690x835 mm. For further fastening of the screws in the resulting frame, you need to make holes. Then silicone sealant should be applied without gaps on the inner surface of the corners. This is a rather important point, because. there should be no places that are not filled with silicone. In the resulting frame, you need to put a transparent sheet of plexiglass, special polycarbonate or anti-reflective glass.

Pay attention that the silicone must be allowed to dry, otherwise evaporation will create an excess film on the photocells.

The stacked glass must be carefully pressed against the frame and fixed. For good fixation, fasteners must be made around the entire perimeter of the frame. Everything, the frame of the solar battery is almost complete.

We select and solder elements

Also on the same Ebay or other similar store you can buy solar cells that have already soldered conductors. Be sure to evaluate your abilities, because. soldering contacts in such a design is a rather complicated process. Responsibility is further increased by the fragility of the elements.

If you still decide to solder the elements yourself, then first you need to cut the conductors using a cardboard blank and carefully lay them out on a photocell. Then, acid and solder should be applied to the soldering points. For more convenient work, press the conductor with a heavy object. Next, you should carefully solder the conductor to the photocell, but do not pinch the fragile crystals. According to the specified standards on the conductor, the silver coating must withstand three rations.

Assembling the elements of the solar battery

When making your first build, it's best to use a marked-up underlay to help you place the elements exactly in relation to each other. The base is made of plywood, be sure to mark the corners of the structure. After soldering to the battery cells on the reverse side, you need to fix a piece of tape for mounting and transfer them in a similar way. Only the connecting parts need to be sealed.

Next, the elements must be laid out on the surface of the glass. Do not forget to leave a distance between the elements and press them with a load. Solder according to the attached wiring diagram. Plus tracks should be placed on the front side, and minus tracks on the back. Solder all silver contacts. According to this principle, connect all the photocells. On the extreme elements of the panel, the contacts must be brought to the plus and minus bus. It is recommended to create a "middle" point - using two additional shunt diodes. The terminal is installed on the outside of the frame. For output wires, you can use an acoustic cable in isolation. After soldering, all wires must be fixed with silicone. After assembly, solar panels have the quality of soldering contacts as the main problem. That is why experts recommend testing before sealing, which must be performed in each group of elements when soldering is carried out.

If a competent design of the entire system is performed, then this will provide sufficient battery power. During the calculation of the entire structure, it should be taken into account that during the manufacture of one solar battery, only solar modules of the same size should be used, because. in the system, the maximum current is limited by the current of the smallest element.

Standard calculations make it clear that on a fairly sunny day, about 120 watts of power is obtained from one meter of the panel. Naturally, such power will not even allow you to work on a computer, but a panel of 10 meters will already provide 1 kW of energy, which will give you the opportunity to provide energy for the main appliances in the house. On average, a family needs about 300 kW per month, so a system that is optimally installed on the south side with a size of 20 meters will provide the family with electricity. To optimize the use of electricity in lighting, it is recommended to use AC LED or fluorescent bulbs. How to choose such light bulbs, for example for a stretch ceiling, you can read.

Solar panels are becoming more and more popular among alternative power sources. However, in our conditions, their price is most often overpriced, so using the materials available to everyone and the necessary instructions, you can assemble a solar battery with your own hands.

Video

And this video shows the process of assembling a solar battery.

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