How to Make PV Solar Panels
Experiment with solar energy by building your own solar panel. A solar panel powerful enough to power two AA batteries is simple enough for anyone to build. Build your panel and charge your batteries, then use the batteries to power anything that's battery-operated. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- 8 small solar cells
- Diode
- Ribbon wire
- Small gage insulated wire, black and red
- Wire stripper/cutter
- 8-by-8-inch wooden panel, approximately 1/2-inch thick
- Silicone adhesive
- Soldering iron and solder
- Two-bay AA battery charger
- Plastic container larger than the battery charger
- Utility knife
Instructions
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Construct the Solar Panel
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1
Cut the ribbon wire into 10 pieces that are each 2 inches long. Solder one piece of ribbon wire to the front of each solar cell.
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2
Arrange the solar cells face down on the wooden panel in two columns of four cells each. Make sure the free end of each ribbon wire touches the back of the solar cell directly above it.
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3
Solder the ribbon wire to the back of the solar cells. Solder the two remaining ribbon wire lengths to the two solar cells with no wire soldered to their backs.
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4
Position the two columns, still face down, so that one column's top cell has a ribbon wire soldered to its back and the other column's top cell has it's ribbon wire soldered to its front. In other words, after you finish soldering you turn one column, still face down, upside down from the position it was in while you were soldering.
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5
Cut a 6 inch length of black insulated wire and strip the ends so there is enough exposed for soldering.
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6
Connect the two columns of cells. Solder the ends of the black wire to the exposed ribbon wire coming from the top of each column.
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7
Apply a small amount of adhesive to the back of each cell and press the wood panel down onto the adhesive and cell backs. Be firm but gentle as the cells are easily broken. Turn the panel so that it is right-side up. The cells are now glued to the panel and the front of each cell faces you.
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8
Cut two pieces of insulated wire, each about 6 inches long, one red and one black. Strip both ends of each so there's enough exposed for soldering.
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9
Solder one end of the black wire to the bottom cell with the ribbon wire soldered to its back, bend the wire to the right, then solder the diode to the ribbon wire extending from the bottom cell of the other column.
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10
Attach one end of the red wire to the diode. Bend this wire to the right along with the first wire.
Attach the Battery Holder to the Panel
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11
Solder the battery charger wires to the panel's bottom wires matching black for black and red for red.
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12
Cut a notch in the top of the plastic container with the utility knife and thread the battery holder wires through it.
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13
Encase the battery holder in the container to keep it watertight.
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1
Tips & Warnings
When soldering ribbon wire, it is easier to place solder on the end of the wire first and then solder it to the solar cell.
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Comments
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list supplies required fo 30 PV panel.
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Mike
Feb 20, 2009
I stopped reading after step 1 where you said to cut the ribbon wire, yet you don't mention it in your list of supplies. You probrably should add that in. -
Mike
Feb 20, 2009
I stopped reading after step 1 where you said to cut the ribbon wire, yet you don't mention it in your list of supplies. You probrably should add that in.
