Building Your Own Solar Panel
Among all the components in a home solar power system, the most important part is the solar panels. The solar panels is also the most expensive component of the whole system. It usually take up about 60 percent of the total project cost.
To save cost, it would be a good idea to build the solar panels via a Do It Yourself (DIY) approach. To start building the panel, you will need some tools, gears or equipment to assist you. The following is a list of 10 vital tools you will need went building a homemade solar panel.
1) Electric saw
The saw will be used to cut up the plywood or pieces of wood strips into the correct shapes and sizes. If you do not have an electric saw, a regular table saw will do just fine.
2) Caulking gun
In this part of the project, we will be using a lot of caulk. Since caulk comes in a tube, we will need a caulking gun to squeeze it out. The caulking gun will make the job much easier and cleaner. The caulk will be used to fill up all the wood joints in order to prevent any moisture seepage.
3) Soldering gun
The soldering gun will be used to melt the solder needed to join the electrodes of the solar cells together. To help you in the soldering process, you will also need some flux. The flux will be used to clean the hot metal tip and at the same time, it makes dripping the solder off the hot iron tip easier.
4) Cutting knife
A very useful tool to cut the clear piece of Plexiglas needed as the cover for the solar panel. It can also be used to remove the insulation of a copper wire.
5) Screwdriver
A very useful tool when we need to loosen and tighten screws on the solar panel. The only screws on the panel will be used to hold the Plexiglas to the wooden strips securely.
6) A pair of tweezers
The tweezers will be used to hold on to the tiny electrodes ribbon on the solar. You can do without the tweezers but it will make your task much harder. The tweezers will come in handy if you want to remove a wood splinters from your hand.
7) Paint brush
All the wood surfaces have to be covered with a couple layer of UV protective paint. That will give some protection on the wood from the UV of the sun.
8) Multi-meter
The is the key device when you are constructing the solar panel. The multi-meter will be used to measure the voltage and current generated by the [tag-tec]Photovoltaic[/tag-tec] (PV) cells.
9) Eye protection
Eye protection is very important when you are cutting the wood or doing soldering. You don’t want to take any chances on anything that may damage your eye.
10) Respiratory protection
This gear will protect your respiratory system when you are doing the soldering work. The fume generated from the flux or melted solder can cause a head ache.
Is it possible to build a solar panel with a budget of less than $100? Yes it is possible if you follow the right instruction.
For step-by-step instructions on how to build a solar panel cheaply, check out the Green DIY Energy program. The program has a series of High Definition (HD) videos on how to build your own solar panel. For a comprehensive Green DIY Energy review, go to www.greendiyenergyreviews.com
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