Construction Of A Solar Energy Panel
You've made the decision
You've made the decision. You're going to increase your reliance on "The Big Power Company", the sun...and reduce your reliance on your local power company, while diminishing your carbon emission footprint at the same time.
It's a great idea. (but then you probably already know that, right?) Assuming, of course, you can capture enough sunshine to offset the cost over time. There are areas of the country where it simply isn't feasible to use solar energy, so before you start, you might want to check the U. S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) website to determine how well-suited your locale is.
However, once you've made a site determination and you're ready to start construction, you'll discover that building a solar energy panel isn't rocket science, and, once the upfront cost is offset, it can certainly save you a lot of money on your energy bills.
Many consumers think solar energy installation is an all or nothing project. Actually, nothing could be further from the truth. It's easy to start small, see how it works, and then add on if it works well and is energy-efficient.
Pre-build solar energy panels are getting cheaper. But that doesn't mean they're cheap yet. In fact, far from it. Building your own panels, however, can be both fun and interesting. If you can do it yourself, and have a little extra time, or are maybe a little short of funds, you can also save a bundle of money.
You'll find there are numerous ways to build a solar energy panel. The Internet has tons of articles on how to build solar energy panels, and there are plenty of books and e-books on the subject as well. With just a little research, you can find what will work best for how you plan to use your solar energy, and what materials are available for your use.
Research on the currently available technology, and most available construction materials for a photovoltaic (PV) panel, you can expect to find the following items on your basic list:
1.Solar cells
2.A shallow box built of plywood
3.Substrate of some material like masonite pegboard
4.Plexiglass to protect cells
5.Hardware and screws
6.Wire
7.Silicone Caulk
8.Diode
9.Jones Plug
The next step is soldering, or connecting, the solar cells together, mounting a blocking diode inside the panel, and connected a polarized two-pin jones plug at the end of the wires. The connected solar cells as protected by a glass placed over the box, and silicone caulk is used as a sealant to prevent water from seeping in. Once you've got everything together, and your panel properly sealed, connect it to a battery bank and inverter, and you've got an "off-grid" power system.
All of the details of one particular solar panel construction using this recipe, with box size, cell size, photographs, and where all of the material can be obtained, can be found at http://www.mdpub.com/solarpanel/index.html.
One of the things this article points out is that although there are many types of solar cells, cells of the same type all produce the same voltage. So if you use larger solar cells, you'll get more power, but the panel will weigh more.
Keeping the panels manageable for one person to handle is a major element if you're doing this project on your own. Since most DIY's (do-it-yourselfers) install as well as build, unless you're making a permanent installation and have plenty of extra help to put up, it will be a plus if you keep the panel small and light. If you decide the process is worthwhile, both from a cost-savings point of view as well as an energy-saving perspective, you can always add multiple solar panels with a larger battery bank and more inverts to expand your system.
Solar cells, as previously mentioned, are still fairly expensive. Construction of solar energy panels is advancing rapidly with new technology, however. A few fascinating innovations coming to the forefront are described at http://www.treehugger.com. One of these is CIGS (copper indium gallium diselinide) thin film technology for solar cells. It's being developed by the U. S. National Renewable Energy Laboratory, and it is expected to be cheaper to produce than the current silicon-based cells. Another innovation is the Cool Earth Inflatable Balloon, which is designed to directly concentrate sunlight into smaller solar panels. Then, there are thin solar panels constructed from 'hairy' thin nanowires. There are some very clever solar innovations on the horizon.
As you will see after a little research, there are choices for construction. Whatever you use, however, to construct your solar energy panel, it's a project with a payoff. You'll be decreasing your own reliance on a non-renewable energy source (fossil fuel), lessening your negative environmental impact, and, as a DIY'er, you'll be doing it the most cost-efficient way.
by: Timothy Peters.
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