It can start off as weekend projects and a semi-serious hobby, but learning to build solar panels is something that will be beneficial to you in so many ways. It will save you money, and save the environment from being poisoned by greenhouse gases. It can also be a lot of fun.

Getting Your Feet Wet

If you’re not too keen on spending hundreds of dollars on something that you are not sure you can get working, buy some used solar cells and “recycle” a few household materials. These are the basic materials that you will need:

1. Solar cells- you can get used ones online and will be about half the cost of new ones. Small chips and scratches do not affect the generating capacity of these cells by much, but make sure that the ones you buy will have the metal tags or you’ll be soldering tags for weeks.

2. Frame- a large flat surface where you will be placing the solar cells. The cells are little squares that you need to put in groups and connect together with wires that will go through the frame and eventually to your battery.

3. Soldering Equipment and Flux- these are what you will use to attach the cells to the frame.

4. Rags, tweezers, ruler, pencil, pliers, and gloves just for good measure.

Assembling Your First Solar Panel

Building a solar panel is a skill that is easy to acquire because there is only one way to go about it. There’s no secret recipe. Lay down the frame on a flat surface, stick the solar cells on to it, drill holes to attach the wires on to the cells and connect those with the battery. That’s it, but there are ways to make the process easier and more logically.
The first thing that you need to have is a dedicated work area. While the solar panel is not the Sistine Chapel, it is delicate and involved work.

Before you start your project, you should have all your ducks in a row. Make sure you have all the basic materials that you need before starting off work. You could also make a basic sketch or blue print of your project on paper before you start attaching the cells. Once those are attached, you can’t take them off without breaking them into useless pieces. These are the basic tips that you can use for your first project:

1. Measure your frame, and measure your solar cells. Try to fit in as many cell blocks onto the frame that way you can generate more electricity. At this point you may want to think about how much power you want to generate eventually;

2. Attach the cells in an organized manner, either top to bottom or side to side.

3. Finish the cell attachments first before wiring them together to avoid having the wirings getting all tangled up while you are attaching the cells.

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The green energy trend has certainly picked up momentum in the last year alone. Alternative energy researches that have long collected dust or put in the back burner are now taking the world stage, front and center. One of the leading contenders for this new (and hopefully, sustained) green energy research is finding a way to be more efficient in turning the sun’s light into electricity.

The idea that light can be turned into electricity (the process is more scientifically known as the “photovoltaic” effect) is nothing new, but the efficiency of the process has always been a little off. In the beginning, the first solar cell had a conversion efficiency of 1%. This means that only 1% of the light that is absorbed is actually turned into electricity. Today, that rate has come a long way, about 40%. It really isn’t comparable (yet) to the way fossil fuels can generate electricity but there are a number of advantages to sourcing electricity from the sun than from fossil fuels, like being environmentally friendly and easily installed.

However, the initial expense in creating the solar panel array can be quite high, especially if one buys a prefabricated panel, and become a victim of shameless profiteering. A single solar panel can go for around $500 to $800, with the most expensive parts being the solar cells (but only because you really need a lot of them). After the solar panel is up and working, maintenance cost is quite low. The problem is that an ordinary house will need more than just one panel.

For every problem, there is a solution. The answer to lowering the costs of installing a solar panel would be to build one from the ground up. There are hundreds of Do It Yourself kits in the market, and these come in different sizes. Should one feel doubtful about their building skills, they could always buy the smallest ones first, which are usually used as educational tools. They cost a lot less and the task would not be as overwhelming.

The next size to try would be the type of solar panels that will power only specific equipment or appliances, like the water heater or the Jacuzzi. After a while, the builder will probably get the hang of it and be churning out panels to cover the roof.

A school DIY kit often costs less than $100, and a full solar panel will cost about $200. Even if they mess up one kit and be able to succeed only on the second kit, they would still be able to save at least $100, though it really is not as hard as it seems. With a bit of practice, anyone can do it.

Another advantage of building the solar panel is the satisfaction of being able to create something useful with one’s own hands. It may not be a work of art in the first few tries, but it’s really not a beauty contest anyway.

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Solar panels convert sunlight into electricity, charges the battery that will be used to power up electrical appliances in a home or a business structure. This is a fact that almost everyone knows about. However, it raises another question, how exactly do these solar panels work? One can find this out by examining the parts of the solar panel.

The parts of the solar panel itself are very simple. There are the solar cells, and these are attached to the frame. Onto the frame are little holes drilled through to allow access to the cells by wires that are in turn attached to the battery. A meter may be placed to measure the amount of energy being generated.

The Function of Each Part

1. Solar cells- these are made of semi-conductive materials, mainly silicone with a few other additives that help them absorb more light to turn into electric energy. Not all light that will hit the surface of the solar cell will be absorbed, some will pass through, and some will be reflected. About 41% will be turned into electricity (half a volt per 3×6inch cell surface) through what is called the photovoltaic effect.

2. Wires- these will collect the electricity generated and conduct them into the batteries. It is important to know how much energy is generated because the power generated needs to be a lot more than the battery being charged. This is where an ampemeter will come in handy, and these can be found in many electrical equipment stores.

3. Batteries- this is where the electricity generated will be stored after being charged up. Since it takes more power to charge it than it can store, one can opt to buy smaller batteries and connect them together when needed to power up something.

The Sum of the Parts

When all these parts are connected properly, the entire contraption becomes a small power generation plant that makes no sound, has no toxic by-products, are built to last for a long time with minimal maintenance needs (also quite affordable), and comes from the cheapest and most renewable source. Seeing that the parts of the solar panels are as uncomplicated as they can get, they are also very easy to install and incorporate onto the structure of the house (the roof is best).

Solar panels are also becoming more affordable as they are becoming more efficient. Although the silicone cells need to be manufactured in factories with really high-tech equipment, more and more companies are investing in building such manufacturing plants.

Solar panels are best used in areas that have sunlight all year long, but in parts of the country where it can get windy on some days, the solar panel array can be complemented by wind turbines or micro-hydrogenerators (which work best in running water like rivers and strong streams).

Solar panels have been around a while, and thanks to the new developments and manufacturing companies, it looks like it will be around a long time.

Visit HomemadeSolarEnergyPanels.Com to learn how to build your own solar panels, advantages of homemade solar panels and homemade solar power!