How To Get Right Power Output From DIY Solar Panel




To save cost in a home residential solar power system, many home owners will opt for a DIY system. One of the components of the solar system that you can build on your own is the solar panel. This is a good idea because the solar panels alone will make up for more than 60 percent of the total project cost. Imaging how much money you’ll save by pre-making the panel on your own.

DIY Solar Panel 101

If you are building your first solar panel, here are a few basic things you have to know. Solar cells are measured by their power in watts.

To get the wattage figure, first, you must know the Photovoltaic (PV) cell Voltage (V) and Amps. Amps are commonly measured as current and is representation by I.

To get the wattage, you have to use a simple formula.

Volt x Amps = Watt (V x A = W)

The formula above is electrical engineering 101.

Measuring the Voltage and Current

How do you get the voltage and amps of a solar cell? That’s easy, you use a [tag-tec]multi-meter[/tag-tec].

To take the readings with a multi-meter, it is best to get it when the PV cell is under direct sun light. Any shadow casts over the cell will affect the readings.

Getting Solar Cell Output With Multi-meter

Here’s how you do it. First, hold the cell perpendicular to the sun. Next, touch the multi-meter negative and positive leads to the negative and positive electrodes on the cell.

The negative side of the PV cell is the bluish color surface while the positive side is at the back.

To make the process of measuring the readings from the solar cell easier, it is recommended for you to make a “testing block”. A testing block is basically a piece of copper plate with a wooden strip stopper.

The copper plate has to be big enough to accommodate a whole solar cell. Place the cell flat with the positive side touching the copper surface.

Now that the PV cell is flat and facing the sun, touch the negative lead of the multi-meter on the electrodes and the positive lead on the copper plate. That should get you the voltage and current readings of the cell.

Is it possible to make a DIY solar panel with a budget of less than $100? Yes you can by following a few simple instructions. If you want to know how to make an inexpensive solar panel, check out the Green DIY Energy program.

The guide comes with a series of High Definition (HD) instructional videos on how to construction your own solar module. For a comprehensive Green DIY Energy review, go to www.greendiyenergyreviews.com

==> Click here to visit Green DIY Energy now!

10 Vital Tools To Build a DIY Solar Panel

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

==> Click here to visit Green DIY Energy now!

 

Build DIY Solar Panel For Less Than $100

Recently, I bought a new home green energy program, the Green DIY Energy to see what it has to offer. I have a couple of similar residential homemade energy guides in my hard drive. What makes this one different?

High Definition (HD) Instructional Videos

I would say the Unique Selling Proposition (USP) for the Green DIY Energy program is the “Build your own solar panel for less than $100” video series.

To be honest, I am quite impressed with the quality of the videos. There are a total of 6 videos in the series. All of the videos were shot in High Definition (HD) using a professional film crew. Nice background, good music, good editing and a host that knows what he is talking about.

All of the videos were shot in the backdrop of Boulder, Colorado. The host is Byran Clark.

Building an Inexpensive Solar Panel

Is it really possible to make your own solar panel for under $100? Apparently you can get it done with such a low budget. Now, we are talking about 1 single panel, not the whole home solar power system.

A complete system will involve more capital investment because you have to purchase components such as disconnect switch, charge controller, switch box, power inverter etc.

After watching the videos, building a solar panel with a budget of about $100 is definitely possible. 1 solar panel will consist of only 36 Photovoltaic cells. You want to be able to get approximately 18 volts, 3 amps and a total power output of about 75 watts. That is enough to charge a deep cycle battery.

Step-by-step Building Process

The first step you want to take to make the solar panel at low cost is to buy some Photovoltaic (PV) cells from eBay. I actually did a blog post on how to find cheap solar cells a couple of weeks ago.

When you’ve gotten all the cells, your next step is to check each and every cell to see if it’s in good working condition. To do this, you will need a multi-meter. If you have never use a multi-meter before, luckily there is a video in Green DIY Energy what will show you how.

If the cells are working fine, your next step is to solder all of them together in series. The recommended arrangement is 4 cells across and 9 cells down. All the cells are to be placed in a box made from plywood and wood strips.

After the box is coated with UV protective paint, fix the PV cells on with some silicon glue and then cover it with a piece of UV proof Plexiglas. And that is how you make your own solar panel for less than $100.

If you want to know more about Green DIY Energy, check out the comprehensive Green DIY Energy review at www.greendiyenergyreviews.com.

==> Click here to visit Green DIY Energy now!


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1) Magnets 4 Energy Review – A comprehensive review of Magnets4Energy: Generate energy at home with magnet powered electric generator.