How to Make Solar Cells at Home
Most solar cells are made using silicates, and these industrial solar cells are inarguably the most efficient. However, homemade solar power cells can be built in virtually any kitchen with an electric stove and using only a few basic tools. These cells have a limited power output but are great for either low-energy demand tasks or as a science project. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Sheet metal shears
- Clean copper sheeting
- All-metal tongs
- Electric hotplate
- Plastic scraper
- Electrical alligator clips with wiring
- Glass or heavy plastic jar with a wide mouth
- Salt
Instructions
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1
Use the sheet metal shears to cut a square from the copper sheeting. This square should be roughly the same size as the heating coil of the electric hotplate.
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2
Switch the hotplate's burner to on, and turn it up to its maximum setting. Set the copper square onto the burner, and leave it there for at least half an hour. The hot copper will react to form black cupric oxide on its surface.
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3
Switch off the burner, and let the copper cool for a minimum of 20 minutes.
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4
Use the tongs to remove the copper sheet at first, as the surface oxide and the sheet itself may cool at different rates. This can be deceptive, and you should exercise caution in the initial handling to avoid being burned.
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5
Take the plastic scraper and gently remove the black oxide. Use minimal force to avoid removing any red oxide deposits that have formed. You want to keep the red oxide, and get rid of the black.
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6
Repeat Step 1 to create a fresh copper sheet.
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7
Insert the sheets into a wide-mouthed glass jar or heavy, clear plastic jug. This jug should be chosen with the scale of your homemade solar panel in mind. The sheets should be bent to adjust to the curve of the jars wall's, which will be easy, as copper sheeting is very malleable.
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8
Arrange the sheets so they will not come into contact, to avoid a short circuit.
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9
Attach the negative (usually black) alligator clip lead to the "cooked" sheet, and the positive (usually red) alligator clip to the clean, "uncooked" copper plate.
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10
Mix up some salt water. You want the water saturated, so keep adding salt until it stops dissolving.
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11
Fill the jug with saltwater. This can be just a couple of inches to cover the bottom, halfway or almost to the top. The important thing is that the copper sheets be in contact with the saltwater but not the alligator clips.
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12
Connect the wires from the alligator clips either to a charge controller or a DC-compliant device. The two copper sheets will begin reacting within seconds of being in contact with both sunlight and the salt water.
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Tips & Warnings
The electrical output depends on the size of the unit. A solar unit of this kind built around a standard mason jar should provide enough current for a small (10 to 15 watt) lightbulb. A bigger jar that can handle bigger sheets will produce more current. If your unit is not performing as expected, it is probably because the "cooked" copper sheet did not form enough red oxide. Either "cook" it again or make a new "cooked" sheet.
