Here is a brief introduction to the process of soldering Photovoltaic (PV) solar cells together. You may be aware that both tabbed and un-tabbed solar cells are available in the market. Though tabbed cells are expensive, it better to use them if you are planning to build many panels.

Not only will you save time, but also benefit in terms of less number of broken cells and frustration. Since the solar cells are very fragile, the chances of breaking them are more. The number of broken cells will be more if you handle more number of cells.

It is important to carry out soldering with utmost care. This is because un-tabbed cells are required to be soldered across a cell. In the case of un-tabbed cells, the work involved is almost double and, therefore, the chances are that you will break some cells.

The free end of the top, sunny-face, tabbing strip is soldered to the bottom of the next cell. This process is repeated down the string. It is, therefore, important to arrange the cells according to the panel layout or design.

For example, it could be 3 strings of 8 cells each or whatever is the design. A gap of 1 centimeter has to be left between each of them. You can, in fact, make a cardboard or masonite template that represents the size of the array box to arrange the strings neatly.

After tabbing the tops, flip them over so that the sunny-side comes down. The tabbing strip can be slipped out from the first one so that it lies over the back of the next. This is to be repeated all the way down the string.

The strip is to be soldered to the contact points on the back of the cells. If you are using cells that look like the ones that I have used, you will see 6 small whitish contact squares.

Flux can be applied to the contact spots after ensuring that tab strips are properly lined up and are sitting over the contact spots. You will have to hold the hot soldering iron to the strip on the spot, touch the solder wire to the point and allow the solder to flow.

Extreme care has to be taken to ensure that too much solder is not applied and the contact is not overheated as it can damage the cell. There is one more way to do this. You can use solder paste on the contact, lay the tab on and keep the iron on the point till it flows. I found this to be a better way of doing it.

This is to be repeated for all the six contact points to have the two cells connected. The whole process has to be done for all the solar cells in the string. Finally, it is important to check that the solder connections have been done properly. This can be done by exposing the cells to light and measuring the output voltage.

It is worth checking at least each string. Otherwise it will be too late to check and rectify. After soldering the string of solders together, you will find that the top tabs are free at one end of the last string.

A short length of tabbing strip will have to be soldered to the back of the first top cell to complete the circuit. There you are! You have a completed a string of solar cells for your use. The number of strings of cells required per panel will depend on the voltage that you want.

It is fun to build your own solar panel, but some work is involved. You may opt to buy a solar panel if cost is not a factor and you don’t have patience.

Do you want to know how to build your own solar panel on a $150 budget? If you do, check out the Power4Home ebook by John Russel. For more information, read up on the Power 4 Home review written some time ago on this blog.

Before you start doing even the simplest electrical wiring job, it is vital that you ask yourself a few very important questions.

Is this something I’m knowledgeable about? How safe is this? Would it be better to ask for a professionals help?

If this is a DIY home solar panel project, it’s necessary that you understand what’s going on, or you may be putting yourself in danger and breaking your insurance policies. If you are thinking of attempting a homemade Photovoltaic (PV) system project on your own, you really should get an all-encompassing DIY solar guide to that type of project.

Even though solar panels themselves are not too difficult to build, for your project to be successful you need to be aware of some technical aspects and other practical points. Depending on a number of things, such as panels, your controller, the storage, and how far your cabling will have to run, you will need to be certain that your cables are of the correct thickness or gauge.

It’s important that the wiring inside the panel and the wiring that leads to the storage system has been done correctly. Also, it’s necessary for the cable to be the right gauge when you connect the solar panel array to your storage system.

An easy rule of thumb, is when buying electrical wire, the smaller the gauge, the thicker the wire will be. To do a proper install on any solar project, you need to ascertain the proper gauge and amperage on each of your wires.

When you run your cables, you will have to find out the power rating of the solar panel and how far the cables will be running to the storage system or the controller. No matter what the electrical wire is made of, it will have some resistance to it.

This resistance will increase as the diameter wire becomes smaller, and as the length of the wire increases. So using the right diameter of wire is vital to your projects success. Otherwise you will suffer dramatic drops in voltage as the electricity travels to the storage unit.

To avoid this, ensure the correct size of wire is used. This is especially true if the run is over 50 feet. Then you will want to use an even lower gauge or thicker wire, in contrast to the wire used in shorter runs.

Another side-effect of using the wrong gauge is that the wires will heat up because of all of the resistance and this will further lessen the voltage that will reach your storage unit. This can also be a severe safety concern. If you suddenly over-load you are at risk of a short out, and a possible fire hazard.

Make certain that you know the distance that the cables will be running, and the size of the load that they will be handling, and you will have much more success.

Building your own solar panels can save a lot of money for you. I do not know if you are a person who likes to do things by yourself and whether you have done your own projects before, but why not give it a try?

I have listed out the things that you will need to build solar panels on your own and my suggestion is that start with one panel. You can then decide on how many number of PV panels you actually require and just repeat the process.

Before you begin, you need to have Photovoltaic or solar cells. There are many manufacturers of solar cells in the market and you can buy any of them. You can even buy them on eBay and have it delivered to your doorstep.

But before that, you will have to determine as to how many number of PV cells you will need prior to placing an order. It is recommended that you go only for the A-grade solar cells. It is better to build solar panels with better grades of cells because you’ll get a better energy output.

The next item that you need is the frame to mount the solar cells. I suggest that you use 1/8th inch thick aluminum angles to make the frame. Of course, you can use 1/16th inch angles, but if you want it to last for many years, it is better to use thicker grade angles. I have built my solar frame with 1/8th inch thick angles and it works just fine.

Tempered glasses are also required for making solar panels. My suggestion is go with 1/4th inch thick glasses for your panels as it provides strength thus the panels that you build will last longer. You can easily buy tempered glasses online from any of the many listed glass suppliers.

In order to mount the solar cells to the substrate, you will need encapsulating epoxy. It can be bought online in varied quantities or for each panel. This is normally what I do.

Make sure you layout all the solar cells after ensuring that connections have been properly soldered and testing with a 300 watt light bulb to determine the DC voltage that it is generating. It is important to test each stringer of cells to avoid problems later.

Allow a setting time of 4 days for the finished encapsulated panel. If you need more instruction, check out all the DIY home solar guide in the market for step-by-step instructions on making solar panels.

I would, recommend that you buy a step-by-step guide before you attempt to build solar panels on your own. The book will tell you all that you need to do from start to finish.

Are excited about started your own homemade solar panel project? My first experience was pretty interesting. I was a bit hesitant in the beginning and did break some solar cells. However, after a few trial and errors, I did managed to solder a string of solar cells. Keep repeating the process and before you know it, you have enough PV cells soldered to make your solar panel.

Are you planning to go green by utilizing solar energy? Here are a few key aspects that are worth considering when choosing a home solar panel for maximum power output. It is not advisable to base your decision on price alone.

The cost of installing a solar panel is decided by wattage rating that you are looking at, the brand that you are considering, the warranty period offered by the supplier, the size of the panel, and the certifications that the solar panel might have.

You should also consider as to how it will fit in the place where you are planning to install the panel, whether the certifications that the panel has would enable you to avail discounts from the government, and whether the warranty period covers the payback period also.

The life term of a solar panel is very important. Reputed companies offer a 25-year warranty. If the manufacturer offers only a 10-year warranty and it is connected to a grid system, the panel would have to generate sufficient power to complete the payback within 10 years. Furthermore, only robust solar panel systems should be used for critical applications.

The cost of the solar panel is directly proportional to its power rating in Watts. The price is specified in dollars per Watt. As the power output rating doubles, the cost also becomes twice.

The price of a panel that has a rating of 200 Watts per hour will be twice that of a 100-Watts per hour panel. The output rating of a panel also impacts its physical size.

Another factor that impacts the size is the type of solar cells used in the panel. The output rating should be decided on the basis of the appliances that are required to be run and space available to install the solar panel.

The efficiency of the solar panel in converting sunlight to electricity is a frequently discussed topic and a matter of hot debate. As far as our discussion is concerned, it suffices to know that a 100 watt solar panel will produce 100 watts, irrespective of its efficiency ratings.

The 3 main types of solar cells are:

• Mono-crystalline silicon
• Poly-crystalline or multi-crystalline silicon
• Amorphous or thin-film silicon

Mono-crystalline silicon is the most efficient and the smallest solar cell. The panels made with these cells would, therefore, be the smallest panels.

Poly-crystalline silicon cells come second in efficiency rating and hence, the panels produced with these cells would be larger compared to that made with mono-crystalline cells.

Amorphous silicon cells are the least efficient, as they use least amount of silicon. As a result, the thin film system would occupy more space compared to the panels made with the other two types.

However, the thin film system could offer flexible panels that can be used on curved or irregular surfaces. This aspect has to be kept in mind at the time of selecting the panel for your requirement.

The selection of the solar panel should also be done on the basis of the climatic conditions of the place where it is to be installed. While mono-crystalline and multi-crystalline cells work well in bright cool conditions, amorphous silicon cells perform better at higher temperatures.

Mono-crystalline and multi-crystalline cells are recommended for large roofs without any shade, whereas panels made of amorphous cells are recommended for roofs with partial shading.

A solar panel kept in shade would not produce energy to its rated capacity. Hence, be wary of the feature – shade tolerant – that advertisers most often include their advertisements.

Home DIY Solar Panel Guide

Are you planning to make your own solar panel for your home solar power system? If you are, be sure to check out the Green DIY Energy program.

The program was specially created to teach you step by step how to construct a solar array on a shoestring budget. The instructions are in PDF files and also High Definition (HD) video recordings. Click on the link below and visit Green DIY Energy right now.

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

A solar panel must be kept well maintained and clean to run at its maximum efficiency. Any dirt particles on the panel will block the sun light from reaching that portion of the panel and reduce its efficiency. Proper and regular cleaning and maintenance of the solar panel will increase the energy output efficiency of the panel by almost 30% or even more.

Below are listed some useful tips to manually keep your solar panel clean and well maintained in order to get the most power out from the array. The materials required are water, cleaning solution, soft sponge or towel and a squidgy or other window-cleaning tool.

For cleaning your solar panel first of all you must ensure that the access to the panel is clear and safe. If your solar panel is located on the terrace, be sure that when you are there to clean it, you are not at any risk to injure yourself. The solar panels are water proof and the cleaning method is somewhat like that of glasses.

First you have to wet the surface of the panel with water and cleaning solution. This will soak the dirt and any other stain of filth that have settled on the panel and loosen them. The electric components of the panel are secured under the surface so you do not run the risk of damaging the electric components by wetting them.

After the entire panel completely soaked, use your sponge or the soft towel to rub off the dirt and the cleaning solution from the panel surface. Take caution not to scratch your panel else it will show up in the cleaned up panel.

Environmental friendly cleaning solutions are also available and are preferred by many. These are great as long as they can remove the dirt effectively. Best is to try your cleaning solution on a transparent glass window. This way it will be much easier to ascertain its efficiency rather than by trying directly on the solar panel which are darker.

Solar panels are kept in open to receive the solar energy. Hence it can only natural that debris like leaves, sticks etc. will fall and settle on them and many of them could damage your panel. Check your panel periodically and remove those debris to protect it from any kind of damage and maintain its efficiency.

While you are cleaning the panel with water, make sure that you remove all the debris before you put water and cleaning solutions. There are automatic cleaning systems available for the solar panels. Depending on the location where your solar panel is placed you may want to go for an automatic cleaning system. They are particularly useful if your solar panels are located in an area which is not easily accessible.

The automatic cleaning system works on the similar principle as that of the windshield wipers of a car. It has a spray hose and a mechanical arm which is used for cleaning the panel.

Another very simple yet very useful tip to clean and maintain the efficiency of your solar panel: install the solar in a tilted manner – at a little angle. Whenever it is raining the rain water will wash away all dirt from your solar panel cleaning them naturally without any effort from your end.

Home DIY Solar Panel Guide

Are you planning to make your own solar panel for your home solar power system? If you are, be sure to check out the Green DIY Energy program.

The program was specially created to teach you step by step how to construct a solar array on a shoestring budget. The instructions are in PDF files and also High Definition (HD) video recordings. Click on the link below and visit Green DIY Energy right now.

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

Dust and the dirt getting collected on top of the solar panel will prevent the sun light from reaching the solar panels. Solar panels have to store the sun light received from the sun without loosing any fraction of the sun light. By properly maintaining the solar panels, the efficiency of the solar panels get increased by 30%.

There are several ways to maintain the cleanliness of the solar panels. The following section details some of the ways in which the solar panels can be kept clean. The main utilities that are required for cleaning include
1) Water.

2) Soft cloth or sponge.

3) Cleaning liquid.

4) Tool for cleaning glasses.

First step involved in the cleaning of the solar panels is the manual cleaning of the surface of the solar panel. The location of the solar panel plays an important part in the cleaning of the solar panels. If the solar panels are located at the roof of the facility, then there should be some provision for the person to reach the roof of the facility.

The person should have a secure provision at the roof so that the cleaning of the solar panel surface can be performed safely. If there is no place for the person to secure, then the person may fall from the roof and get injured. After the person gets a secure point near the solar panel, the cleaning of the solar panel commences.

First the solar glass surface is dipped in water and the cleaning solution to a considerable amount of time. The water and the cleaning liquid combination won’t affect any part using the solar panels, as the glass surface of the solar panels safely insulate the underlying electrical connections from getting wet. After allowing sufficient time for the liquid solution to remove the dirt and the dust from the solar panel surface, the sponge is used to clean the liquid from the solar panel glass surface.

The sponge will remove the liquid along with the dirt from the surface. The person should take sufficient care to ensure that only the required force is applied to remove the dirt and the dust that has collected on top of the surface. When the person applies more force, there are chances of damaging the surface.

Other than this cleaning solution, one can also opt for an environment friendly solution. But the environment friendly solution should be capable of removing the dirt and the dust collected on top of the solar panels. One could also try to test the solution on a plain glass surface before using on the solar panels.

While cleaning the dirt and the dust that have collected on the solar panels, the cleaning person should also remove other debris such as the wooden sticks, leaves and flowers from the neighboring trees. One should also find for these debris in between the solar panels and also on top of the solar panels.

It is always ideal to plan for a periodic cleaning of the solar panels, so that solar plant functions properly and none of the sun light gets lost. In addition to the manual cleaning, there are automatic solar panel cleaning systems that are available in the industry.

These automatic cleaning systems can be used if the solar panels are extremely difficult for the person to reach and clean it manually. These automatic systems are very much similar to the automatic car window wiping systems. This also contains the spray hose and the wiper to clean the solar panels by removing the dust and the dirt that has collected.

There is also a way in which the cleaning of the solar panels happens naturally. In this way, the solar panels are installed at a particular angle relative to the horizontal surface. As the solar panel is tilted, the rain that falls on these panels, washes away any dirt that are present on the panels.

Home DIY Solar Panel Guide

Are you planning to make your own solar panel for your home solar power system? If you are, be sure to check out the Green DIY Energy program.

The program was specially created to teach you step by step how to construct a solar array on a shoestring budget. The instructions are in PDF files and also High Definition (HD) video recordings. Click on the link below and visit Green DIY Energy right now.

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

Since most residential solar panels are installed on the roof, cleaning them can be a major chore. To make the washing and cleaning of the PV panels easier, Mr. Long Arm has introduced its 1008 Pro Curve solar panel cleaning kit.

One of the key features of Mr. Long Arm 1008 is its extension pole. The pole can be extended from 5 to 8 feet length. If you are 6 feet tall and with your arm extended, using the 1008 you can reach a maximum of approximately 16 feet all the way to the side of your roof.

The 1008 Pro Curve comes with a 12 inches and 18 inches channel squeegee rubber. It also has the 18 inches and 22 inches wash bar and wash sleeve attachments.

With this tool, cleaning your solar panels shouldn’t be much of an issue. All you have to do is get yourself out into your yard and do the cleaning. If you rather have someone else do the cleaning for your, pay one of the neighborhood kid to do it instead.

Since you’ve invested a large amount of money installing your home solar power system, you might as well extract the most power out of it. The heart of the system, the solar array has to be cleaned a couple of times a year in order for it to function properly. With Mr. Long Arm 1008 PV panel cleaning kit, getting the job done will be a bit easier for you.

Homemade Solar Power System

Are you planning to use solar power to supplement your home energy consumption? If you are, download the free copy of 30 Solar and Wind Power For Homes Videos e-book. The e-book will show you videos of different parts and components needed to build your own home solar and wind power system. Click on the link below for free instant download.

==> Click here to download free video e-book now!

If you are using new solar panel, a damaged panel is covered by the warranty. You can simply send it back to the manufacturer and get a new one. What if you want to use a damaged Photovoltaic (PV) panel?

But why would anyone want to use damaged solar components? Reason being, damaged goods are cheaper. Some faulty solar panels can still be used but the power output may be lesser. The tricky part is to test the solar panel to make sure it is within its working capacity.

To check the solar panel, begin by having a quick look at the specification of the module. Next, get a multi-meter ready.

Position the panel in such a way so that the sun light is shining on the PV cells. The first process is to test the voltage.

Inside the junction box of the PV panel, you will see a “+” and a “-” sign. But be careful when you are doing this. Some PV modules are live and there is a risk of you being electrocuted. Use caution and make sure you do things appropriately.

Get your multi-meter set to DC volt at the 200 volts marking. Make sure you switch the leads from amps to volt. This is a very common mistake people do and that will give you incorrect readings.

Now, stick the positive lead on the positive terminal and then do the same with the negative leads. Looking at the specs, you will expect to see about 22 volts. If you were to change the angle of the solar panel towards the sun, you may see some increase or decrease of the readings.

The next thing you have to do is test the amperage readings. Set your multi-meter to read current and place the leads on the positive and negative terminals respectively. If the readings are within the factory specification, the solar panel is good to go.

Homemade Solar Power Guide

Do you need help to make your own DIY home solar power system? If you do, check out John Russel’s Power4Home guide. The manual comes with pdf files and step by step High Definition (HD) instructional videos. For more information, click on the link below.

==> Click here to visit Power4Home now!

First, get your multi-meter and set it on DC amperage. Clamp it on the live wire coming out from the charge controller going right to the battery. See what kind of juice you are getting. You should see a DC amperage figure on the multi-meter.

Since the battery is running on 12 volts, you can calculate how much power is going into the battery by multiplying the amperage (I) with the voltage (V). That will determine how much power in watts you can withdraw from the batteries.

When you want to find out how long the battery will last, it actually depends on what kind of load is consuming the power. If you are trying to run a 150 watt flood lights on the outside of your house at night, the deep cycle batteries of your solar system will only last for a couple of hours.

Therefore, when using renewable energy such as solar, it is best to go for economical lighting fixtures such as using compact florescent bulbs that draws only 800 milliamps. Such energy efficient light bulbs will run for weeks by using power from the battery.

If you don’t want to use the power inverter, you can even use a 12 volt marine activated light and it will work directly with the 12 volt battery. You don’t need to use the inverter at all thus extending the battery output.

Depending on what you actually want to run, you choose your lightings and your loads and that will determine how much run time you will get out of your home solar system battery bank.

DIY Home Solar Power System Manual

Do you want to know how to use solar power at home to reduce your electricity bill? If you do, check out the Earth4Energy e-book by Michael Harvey.

The manual will show you to build a low cost solar panel and the procedure to setup the charge controller, battery bank, power inverter etc.

Check out the Earth 4 Energy information post on this blog to find out how the e-book can benefit you.

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After you’ve done making the Do It Yourself (DIY) solar panel, the next step is to mount it on the roof. There are a couple of ways to do this. The simplest way is to mount the solar panel on metal rails attached to the roof.

But what happens when you mount the metal rail to the roof?

In the process, a screw will be used to penetrate the shingles. The screw from the rail will go inside a stud in the roof cavity to hold the entire thing sturdy. A hole in the shingle is a potential for leakage when it rains.

To seal the hole on the roof shingle, it is best to use an asphalt based caulking that goes into a standard caulking gun.

If you have never done this before, don’t worry, the caulking gun is quite easy to use. You’ll get a hang of it after a few trail runs.

Use the caulking gun to fill the hole made by the screw of the metal rail. That will prevent rain water from getting into your house once the solar panel is mounted.

This method of securing the holes on the roof is one of the simplest approach. Another better method to prevent water leakage when installing the solar panel is roof flashing. This is done by using a metal sheet barrier at the base of the mount.

Roof flashing is normally done by professional contractor because it involves more work. Flashing provides better protection from water leakages. It is aesthetically more pleasing but costs more.

Homemade Solar Power Guide

Are you planning to install a home solar power system to reduce your household electricity consumption? If you are, check out the Earth4Energy e-book by Michael Harvey.

The manual comes with step by step High Definition (HD) instructional videos showing you how to make a DIY solar panel with minimal cost. For more information, check out the Earth 4 Energy review on this blog.

==> Click here to visit Earth 4 Energy now!