How to Make Homemade Solar Panels

Learning how to make homemade solar panels is a fun and easy process that many home owners can take advantage of.  Solar power is a renewable energy source that has many advantages over grid-power which are not only good for the environment, but for the homeowner's energy bills. Initially, buying a solar energy system may seem very expensive, especially in the solar panel installation.  With a basic knowledge of where to find the materials needed and the know-how to build solar panels, you too can reap the benefits.

Home solar power systems are not as complicated as most people assume.  You can find most of the materials needed at your local hardware store and the solar cells themselves can be purchased in bulk lots off eBay.  Do your homework though, research a seller on eBay and find out as much as you can about the cells you buy.  Typically the cells you will want to purchase are 3x6 mono-crystalline solar cells, but be aware that these cells are very fragile and paper thin so handle with care.  Once you have found a good deal on some solar cells be sure to inquire about how they will be shipped, most cells are dipped in wax to provide a more secure method of shipping them. 

Also, you will find, some cells are sold with metal ribbon wire already soldered onto them and some that are not.  The best option is to shop around and find solar cells that come with the metal ribbon wires already attached to save some time since soldering those ribbon wires onto the cells is a tedious and painstaking process, which adds to the possibility of damaging the cells while being handled.  If you’re careful though, and take your time, you can certainly achieve the desired result with minimal damage done.  If you purchase cells that are dipped in wax for shipping, you can heat them in water to remove the wax.

Once you have your cells, generally you will want to connect 36 of them together to produce about 18 volts in direct sunlight.  This is an adequate amount when charging 12-volt batteries and ideal for home use.  The metal ribbon wire is attached to the front of the cell and you attach the excess ribbon wire to the back of the next cell with solder accordingly until you have a series of 6 cells, repeat this process 6 times to have 6 series of 6 cells each, totaling 36 cells. 

 The next step is to construct a shallow box to house the cells in series to collect sunlight.  With 36 cells linked together, the option is yours as to how you wish to construct the box, using them in a series of 6 and aligning them side to side in 6 rows will roughly leave you needing a 46inch x 24inch shallow box.  Use a good strong silicone material to fasten the cells and braided wiring into the box and cover it with plexiglass.  You will also need to have blocking diodes in the wiring to ensure there is no discharging of the energy being collected, otherwise the wiring is pretty straightforward, just attach all the ending metal ribbon wire ends together with bare braided copper wire or the like.  Before you begin sealing up your shallow box with the cells in it be sure to test the solar panel in sunlight with a volt-meter to make sure everything is working properly.

Now that you have constructed your first solar panel the choice is yours as to how you wish to distribute the power it generates and when more power is desired just repeat the process as many times as you like.  With the proper electrical components and a special meter from your utility company, any excess power your panels generate can even be sold back to the power company making the ability to make homemade solar panels a very attractive venture.