In general, from a diode solar panel I wanted to get the rated voltage at normal sunlight 9 volts, the voltage in cloudy weather is at least 6 volts, and in bright sunlight it was planned to get up to 14-16 volts of voltage, we’ll talk about the current strength later. So, since my crystals produced a peak voltage value of 0.7 volts very rarely (during 3 days of testing in the sun, the multimeter only showed such a value once from one crystal), I decided to use the calculated current value of one crystal for the convenience of calculations 0.5 volts. To obtain 12 volts of voltage, you need to connect 24 semiconductor diode crystals in series. Now I’ll explain how to get the crystal out of the diode. We take the diode itself and use a hammer to break the glass holder of the upper contact of the diode. Then, using pliers, you need to open the diode. There we will see a crystal that is soldered to the base of the diode. Copper is soldered to the crystal stranded wire at the end of which the upper contact of the diode is attached. We take the lower base of the diode on which the crystal is soldered and go to gas stove. We hold it on the fire with pliers (so that the semiconductor crystal is on top). After half a minute, the tin of the crystal will melt and you can safely pick it up with tweezers. This should be done with all diodes. It took me a couple of days. The work is really hard, but it's worth it. As already mentioned, each semiconductor crystal is capable of delivering up to 7 milliamps of current in bright sunlight. For ease of calculation, I used the current value of one crystal of 5 milliamps. That is, if we connect 32 crystals in parallel, we get a current of 160 milliamps, why exactly 160 milliamps? It’s just that I only had enough diodes to produce such a current. You need to connect 24 diodes in series to obtain 12 volts of voltage and assemble 32 blocks of 12 volts and connect them in parallel to obtain the desired capacity. As a result, when the panel was ready (after almost a week of work), for some reason I received different parameters that made me very happy. The maximum voltage in bright sunlight was up to 18 volts, and the current reached 200 milliamps, sometimes up to 220 milliamps.
For the panel body, two frames from a Soviet voltage stabilizer were used. The stabilizer has holes for ventilation and it is in them that the semiconductor crystals were placed.
Since sunlight will not always illuminate our panel, it was decided to reserve the voltage from the panel in batteries. The batteries were used from Chinese lanterns. Each battery has the following parameters: voltage 4 volts, capacity up to 1500 milliamps.
That is, our panel will have time to charge such a battery in a day, or rather three such batteries, since the batteries were connected in series to receive 12 volts of voltage, then I remade the panel and it could also supply 8 volts 300 milliamps if desired. It was also made small panel from glass diodes. In bright sunlight, the glass diode delivered a voltage of up to 0.3 volts and a current of up to 0.2 milliamps.
My glass diode panel gives a voltage of 4 volts, a current of up to 80 milliamps. All the voltage from the solar panels was accumulated in lead batteries from the flashlights, but it is advisable to use a battery with a large capacity, even from a car. All the voltage from the batteries was spent for one purpose - to illuminate the house at night. Lighting was provided by LEDs.
For this purpose, flashlights were purchased from the store. Then LED panels were created.
Each panel has 42 LEDs. A total of three identical panels were created that together consumed only 20 watts. But the illumination is equal to a 100-watt incandescent lamp and even more.
The light provided by LEDs is more pleasant and calming. In addition, LEDs have negligible heat losses.
Well, other than that, I think everyone knows perfectly well what is more effective. All LEDs were connected in parallel and powered by 4 volts, but the voltage must be supplied through a 10 ohm current-limiting resistor - the resistor power is 1 watt, and no heating of the resistor was observed. Aka.
Discuss the article POWERFUL HOMEMADE SOLAR BATTERY
The sun is an inexhaustible source of energy. People have long learned how to use it effectively. We will not go into the physics of the process, but will look at how this free energy resource can be used. A homemade solar panel will help us with this.
Operating principle
What is a solar cell? This is a special module that consists of huge amount the most basic photodiodes. These semiconductor elements were grown using special technologies in factory conditions on silicon wafers.
Unfortunately, such devices are by no means cheap. Most people cannot purchase them, but in this case there are many ways to make solar panels yourself. And this battery will be able to compete with commercial models. Moreover, its price will not be at all comparable to what stores offer.
Building a battery from silicon wafers
The kit includes 36 silicon wafers. They are offered in sizes 8*15 centimeters. General indicators power will be about 76 W. You will also need wires to connect the elements to each other, and a diode that will perform the blocking function.
One silicon wafer produces 2.1 W and 0.53 V at a current of up to 4 A. The wafers only need to be connected in series. Only in this way will our energy source be able to produce 76 watts. There are two tracks on the front side. This is the “minus”, and the “plus” is located on the back side. Each panel must be positioned with a gap. You should get nine plates in four rows. In this case, the second and fourth rows must be turned in the opposite direction relative to the first. This is required so that everything is conveniently connected into one circuit. The diode must be taken into account. It allows you to prevent the storage battery from discharging at night or on a cloudy day. The “minus” of the diode must be connected to the “plus” of the battery. To charge the battery you will need special controller. Using an inverter, you can obtain a normal household voltage of 220 V.
DIY solar panel assembly
Plexiglas has the lowest refractive index of light. It will be used as a body. This is a fairly inexpensive material. And if you need it even cheaper, then you can buy plexiglass. In the worst case scenario, you can use polycarbonate. But it is not very suitable for the case in terms of its characteristics. In stores you can find special polycarbonate with a coating that is protected from condensation. It also allows you to provide the battery high level protection from heat. But these are not all the elements that will make up the solar panel. It’s easy to find glass with good transparency with your own hands; this is one of the main components of the design. By the way, it will even fit ordinary glass.
Making a frame
During installation, silicon crystals must be mounted at a short distance. After all, you need to take into account various atmospheric influences that can affect changes in the base. So, it is desirable that the distance is about 5 mm. As a result, the size of the finished structure will be somewhere around 835 * 690 mm.
A solar panel is made by hand using an aluminum profile. It has the maximum resemblance to branded products. Wherein homemade battery more airtight and durable.
For assembly you will need an aluminum corner. A blank for the future frame is made from it. Dimensions - 835*690 mm. In order to fasten the profiles together, it is necessary to make technological holes in advance.
The inside of the profile should be coated with silicone-based sealant. You need to apply it very carefully so that all places are coated. The efficiency and reliability that the solar panel will have depends entirely on how well it is applied.
With your own hands, you now need to put a sheet of pre-selected transparent material into the profile frame. It could be anything else. An important point: the silicone layer must dry. This must be taken into account, otherwise a film will appear on the silicon elements.
At the next stage transparent material it is necessary to squeeze and secure well. To make the fastening as reliable as possible, you should use hardware. We will secure the glass around the perimeter and at four corners. Now the solar panel, made by hand, is almost ready. All that remains is to connect the silicon elements to each other.
Soldering crystals
Now you need to lay the conductor onto the silicon plate as carefully as possible. Next we apply flux and solder. To make it more convenient to work, you can fix the conductor on one side with something.
In this position, carefully solder the conductor to the contact pad. Do not press on the crystal with a soldering iron. It is very fragile, you can break it.
Latest assembly operations
If making solar panels with your own hands is your first time, then it is better to use a special marking substrate. She will help position necessary elements as exactly as possible at the required distance. To cut wires correctly required length, connecting individual elements, it should be noted that the conductor must be soldered to the contact pad. It is slightly placed beyond the edge of the crystal. If you make preliminary calculations, it turns out that the wires should be 155 mm each.
When you put it all together single design, it is better to take a sheet of plywood or plexiglass. For convenience, it is better to pre-position the crystals horizontally and fix them. This is easily done using crosses for laying tiles.
After you connect all the elements together, stick a double-sided one on each crystal on the back side. construction tape. You just need to press the back panel a little, and all the crystals will be easily transferred to the base.
This type of fastening is not additionally sealed in any way. Crystals can expand when high temperatures, but it's not scary. Only individual parts need to be sealed.
Now you need to use it to secure all the tires and the glass itself. Before sealing and completely assembling the battery, it is advisable to test it.
Sealing
If you have a regular silicone sealant, then there is no need to completely fill the crystals with it. This way you can eliminate the risk of damage. To fill this structure, you need not silicone, but epoxy resin.
This is how you can easily and effortlessly receive electrical energy almost for nothing. Now let's look at how else you can make solar panels with your own hands.
Experimental battery
Efficient systems for converting solar energy require huge factories, special care and a significant amount of money.
Let's try to make something ourselves. Everything you need for the experiment can be easily purchased at a hardware store or found in your kitchen.
DIY solar panel made from foil
For assembly you will need copper foil. It can be easily found in the garage or, in extreme cases, can be easily purchased at any hardware store. To assemble the battery you need 45 square centimeters of foil. You should also buy two alligator clips and a small multimeter.
To get a working solar cell, it is advisable to have an electric stove. You need at least 1100 watts of power. It should heat up to a bright red color. Also prepare the usual plastic bottle without a neck and a couple of tablespoons of salt. Get a drill with an abrasive attachment and a sheet of metal from the garage.
Let's get started
The first step is to cut a piece of copper foil of such a size that it fits completely on the electric stove. You will be required to wash your hands to avoid any greasy fingerprints on the copper. It is also advisable to wash the copper. To remove the coating from the copper sheet, use sandpaper.
copper foil
Next, we place the cleaned sheet on the tile and turn it on to its maximum capacity. When the tile begins to heat up, you will be able to observe the appearance of beautiful orange spots on the copper sheet. Then the color will change to black. It is necessary to hold the copper for about half an hour on a red-hot tile. This is very important point. Thus, a thick layer of oxide peels off easily, while a thin layer will stick. After half an hour has passed, remove the copper from the stove and let it cool. You will be able to watch how pieces fall off the foil.
When everything cools down, the oxide film will disappear. You can easily clean most of the black oxide with water. If something doesn't come off, it's not worth trying. The main thing is not to deform the foil. As a result of deformation, a thin layer of oxide can be damaged; it is very necessary for the experiment. If it is not there, a solar panel made by yourself will not work.
Assembly
Cut the second piece of foil to the same dimensions as the first. Next, very carefully you need to bend the two parts so that they fit into the plastic bottle, but do not touch each other.
Then attach the crocodile clips to the plates. The wire from the “unfried” foil goes to the “plus”, the wire from the “fried” foil to the “minus”. Now take salt and hot water. Stir the salt until completely dissolved. Let's pour the solution into our bottle. And now you can see the fruits of your labors. This homemade solar panel, made with your own hands, can be slightly improved in the future.
Other ways to use solar energy
Solar energy is no longer used. In space, it powers the famous Mars rover on Mars from the Sun. And in the United States of America, Google data centers operate from the sun. In those parts of our country where there is no electricity, people can watch the news on TV. All this thanks to the Sun.
This energy also makes it possible to heat houses. A do-it-yourself air-solar panel is very simply made from beer cans. They accumulate heat and release it into the living space. It's effective, free and accessible.
More and more people are striving to purchase houses located far from the centers of civilization. There are many reasons for this, the main one of which is probably environmental. It's no secret that intensive industrial development has a detrimental effect on the environment. But when buying such a house, you may be faced with a lack of electricity supply, without which life in the twenty-first century can hardly be imagined.
The problem of providing energy to a building located far from the centers of civilization can be solved by installing a wind generator. However, this method is far from ideal. In order for there to be enough electricity for the entire house, the installation of a large windmill or several will be required, but even in this case, the energy supply will be sporadic, absent in calm weather.
To ensure stable energy supply at home, effective solution is sharing a wind generator and a solar battery, but, unfortunately, batteries are far from cheap. The solution to these difficulties would be to produce a solar battery with your own hands, capable of competing on equal terms with factory ones in terms of power, but at the same time pleasantly differing from them in price. And there is such a solution!
To begin with, you need to decide what constitutes solar battery. At its core, it is a container containing an array of elements that convert solar energy into electrical energy. The word “array” is applicable in this case, because in order to generate sufficient volumes of energy necessary for the energy supply of a residential building, a fairly impressive number of solar cells will be required. Due to the high fragility of the elements, they are necessarily combined into a battery, which provides them with protection from mechanical damage and combines the generated energy. As you can see, there is nothing really complicated in the basic design of a solar battery, so it is quite possible to make it yourself.
Before proceeding directly to action, it is customary to conduct in-depth theoretical preparation in order to avoid unnecessary difficulties and costs in the process. It is at this stage that many enthusiasts encounter the first obstacle - the almost complete lack of information useful from a practical point of view. It is this phenomenon that creates a far-fetched appearance of complexity of solar panels: since no one makes them themselves, it means it’s complicated. However, using logical thinking, you can come to the following conclusions:
- the basis for the feasibility of the entire process lies in the acquisition solar cells at an affordable price
- the purchase of new elements is excluded due to their high cost and the difficulty of purchasing in the required quantity.
- solar cells with defects and damage can be purchased on eBay and other sources for significantly more low prices than new ones.
- defective elements may well be used under given conditions.
Based on the conclusions drawn, it becomes clear that the next step in solar battery manufacturing will be the purchase of defective solar cells. In our case, the items were purchased on eBay.
The purchased monocrystalline solar cells were 3x6 inches in size, and each of them produced about 0.5V of energy. Thus, 36 such elements connected in series produce a total of about 18V, which is enough to effectively recharge a 12V battery. It should be remembered that such solar cells are fragile and brittle, so the likelihood of them being damaged if handled carelessly is extremely high.
To ensure protection from mechanical damage, the seller waxed sets of eighteen pieces. On the one hand this effective measure, which allows you to avoid damage during transportation, on the other hand - unnecessary problems, since removing wax is unlikely to seem like a pleasant and easy task to anyone. Therefore, if possible, purchasing items that are not covered with wax is the best solution. If you pay attention to the depicted light elements, you will notice that they have soldered conductors. Even in this case, you will have to work with a soldering iron, and if you purchase elements without conductors, the work will be many times more.
At the same time, a couple of sets of elements that were not filled with wax were purchased from another seller. They came packaged in a plastic box with minor chips On the sides. In our case, chips were not a matter of concern, because they were not capable of significantly reducing the effectiveness of the entire element. However, others may have experienced more disastrous results from damage during transportation, which is something to keep in mind. The purchased elements were enough to produce two solar panels, even with a surplus in case of unforeseen damage or failure.
Of course, in the manufacture of a solar battery, you can use other light elements, which are available from sellers in a wide range of sizes and shapes. In this case, you need to remember three things:
- Light elements of the same type generate identical voltage, regardless of size and shape, so their required number will remain unchanged
- The generation of current is directly dependent on the size of the element: large ones generate more current, small ones - less.
- The total power of a solar cell is determined by its voltage multiplied by its current.
As you can see, the use of elements big size in the manufacture of a solar battery can provide a higher power rating, but at the same time it will make the battery itself more bulky and heavy. If smaller cells are used, the size and weight of the finished battery will decrease, but the power output will also decrease. It is highly not recommended to use solar cells in one battery. different sizes, since the current generated by the battery will be equivalent to the current of the smallest cell used.
The solar cells purchased in our case, measuring 3x6 inches, generated a current of approximately 3 amperes. In sunny weather, thirty-six elements connected in series are capable of delivering about 60 W of power. The figure isn't particularly impressive, but it's better than nothing. It should be taken into account that the specified power will be generated every sunny day, charging the battery. In the case of using electricity to power lamps and equipment with low current consumption, this power is quite sufficient. Don’t forget about the wind generator, which also produces energy.
After purchasing solar cells, it would be a good idea to hide them from human eyes in a safe place, protected from children and pets, until the moment when it is possible to directly install them in a solar battery. This is a vital necessity, due to the extremely high fragility of the elements and their susceptibility to mechanical deformation.
In essence, the solar battery housing is nothing more than a simple shallow box. The box must be made shallow so that its sides do not create shadows when sunlight hits the battery at a large angle. The material used is 3/8" plywood and 3/4" thick edging strips. For better reliability, it would be a good idea to fasten the sides in two ways - gluing and screwing. To simplify the subsequent soldering of elements, it is better to divide the battery into two parts. The role of the separator is performed by a strip located in the center of the drawer.
In this small sketch, you can see the dimensions in inches (1 inch equals 2.54 cm) of the solar battery manufactured in our case. The beads are located along all edges and in the middle of the battery and are 3/4 inch thick. This sketch in no way claims to be a standard for making a battery; it was formed rather from personal preferences. The dimensions are given for clarity, but in principle they, like the design, may be different. Don’t be afraid to experiment and it’s quite possible that the battery may turn out better than in our case.
View of half of the battery housing, in which the first group of solar cells will be placed. The small holes you see on the sides are nothing more than ventilation holes. They are designed to remove moisture and maintain pressure equivalent to atmospheric pressure inside the battery. Should be paid Special attention on the location of the ventilation holes in the lower part of the battery case, because their location in the upper part will lead to excess moisture from the outside. Holes must also be made in the strip located in the center.
Two cut pieces of fiberboard will serve as substrates, i.e. Solar cells will be installed on them. As an alternative to fiberboard, any thin material that has high rigidity and does not conduct electrical current is suitable.
To protect the solar battery from the aggressive effects of climate and environment, plexiglass is used, which must be used to cover the front side. In this case, two pieces were cut, but one large piece can be used. The use of ordinary glass is not recommended due to its increased fragility.
What a disaster! To ensure fastening with screws, it was decided to drill holes around the edge. If you apply strong pressure during drilling, the plexiglass may break, which is what happened in our case. The problem was solved by drilling a new hole nearby, and the broken piece was simply glued back on.
After this, all wooden parts of the solar battery were painted in several layers to increase the protection of the structure from moisture and environmental influences. Painting was carried out both inside and outside. The color of the paint, as well as the type, can vary over a wide range; in our case, we used paint that was available in sufficient quantity.
The substrates were also painted on both sides and in several layers. When painting the substrate, special attention must be paid; if the painting is of poor quality, the wood may begin to warp from exposure to moisture, which will likely lead to damage to the solar cells glued to it.
Now that the solar battery housing is ready and drying, it’s time to start preparing the elements.
As mentioned earlier, removing wax from elements is not a pleasant task. During experiments, by trial and error, it was found effective method. However, recommendations for purchasing non-waxed items remain the same.
To melt the wax and separate the elements from each other, you need to soak the solar cells in hot water. In this case, the possibility of boiling water should be excluded, because violent boiling can damage the elements and disrupt their electrical contacts. To avoid uneven heating, it is recommended to place the elements in cold water and heat gently. You should refrain from pulling elements out of the pan by the conductors, as they may break.
This photo shows the final version of the wax remover. In the background on the right side is the first container intended for melting wax. In the left foreground is a container of hot soapy water, and on the right is pure water. The water in all containers is quite hot, but below boiling water. Simple technological process wax removal is as follows: in the first container you need to melt the wax, then transfer the element to hot soapy water to remove wax residues, and finally rinse clean water. After cleaning the wax, the elements must be dried; to do this, they were laid out on a towel. It should be noted that draining soapy water into the sewer is unacceptable, since the wax, when cooled, will harden and clog it. The cleaning process results in almost complete removal of wax from solar cells. The remaining wax is not able to interfere with either soldering or the operation of the elements.
The solar cells are dried on a towel after cleaning. Once the wax is removed, the items become significantly more fragile, making them more difficult to store and handle. It is recommended not to clean them until they are required to be installed directly into the solar array.
To simplify the process of installing elements, it is recommended to start by drawing a mesh on the base. After drawing, the elements were laid out on the grid with the reverse side up in order to solder them. All eighteen elements located in each half were connected in series, after which the halves were also connected, also in a series manner, to obtain the required voltage
At the beginning, soldering elements together may seem difficult, but over time it becomes easier. It is recommended to start with two elements. It is necessary to place the conductors of one element in such a way that they intersect the soldering points of the other, and you should also make sure that the elements are installed according to the markings.
A soldering iron was used for direct soldering. low power and rod solder with rosin core. Before soldering, the soldering points were lubricated with flux using a special pencil. Under no circumstances should you put pressure on the soldering iron. The elements are so fragile that they can become unusable from slight pressure.
The soldering was repeated until a chain consisting of six elements was formed. The connection bars from the broken solar cells were soldered to the back side of the chain element, which is the last one. There were three such chains - a total of 18 elements of the first half of the battery were successfully combined into a network.
Due to the fact that all three chains need to be connected in series, the middle chain was rotated 180 degrees relative to the others. The overall orientation of the chains ended up being correct. The next step is to glue the pieces in place.
Implementing solar cells may require some skill. It is necessary to apply a small drop of silicone-based sealant in the center of each element of one chain. After this, you should turn the chain face up and place the solar cells according to the previously applied markings. Then you need to lightly press the elements, gently pressing in the center to glue them. Significant difficulties can arise mainly when turning the flexible chain over, so an extra pair of hands at this stage will not hurt.
It is not recommended to apply an excessive amount of glue and glue elements along the edges. This is due to the fact that the elements themselves and the substrate on which they are installed will deform when humidity and temperature conditions change, which can lead to failure of the elements.
This is what the assembled half of the solar battery looks like. To connect the first and second chains of elements, a copper cable braid was used.
For these purposes, special tires or even copper wires. A similar connection must be made on the reverse side. The wire was secured to the base with a drop of sealant.
Test of the first manufactured half of the battery in the sun. With weak solar activity, the manufactured half generates 9.31V. Pretty good. It's time to start making the second half of the battery.
Each half fits perfectly into place. To secure the base inside the battery, 4 small screws were used.
The wire intended to connect the halves of the solar panel was passed through the ventilation hole in the central side and secured with sealant.
It is necessary to equip each solar panel in the system with a blocking diode, which must be connected to the battery in series. It is designed to prevent battery discharge through the battery. A 3.3A Schottky diode was used, which has a significantly lower voltage drop compared to conventional diodes, which minimizes power loss on the diode. A set of twenty-five 31DQ03 diodes was purchased for just a few dollars on eBay.
Based technical characteristics diodes, best place their location is the inside of the battery. This is due to the dependence of the diode voltage drop on temperature. Since the temperature inside the battery will be higher than the ambient temperature, the efficiency of the diode will therefore increase. Sealant was used to secure the diode.
In order to bring the wires out, a hole was drilled in the bottom of the solar panel. It is better to tie the wires in a knot and secure them with sealant to prevent them from being pulled out later.
It is imperative to allow the sealant to dry before installing the plexiglass protection. Silicone fumes can form a film on the inner surface of plexiglass if the silicone is not allowed to dry in the open air.
A two-pin connector was attached to the output wire of the solar battery, the socket of which in the future will be connected to the battery charge controller used for the wind generator. As a result, the solar battery and wind generator will be able to operate in parallel.
This is what the final version of the solar panel looks like: installed screen. There is no need to rush to seal the plexiglass joints until the battery’s performance has been fully tested. It may happen that a contact has come loose on one of the elements and you will need access to the insides of the battery to eliminate the problem.
Preliminary calculations were justified: the completed solar battery in the bright autumn sun produces 18.88V without load.
This test was carried out under similar conditions and shows excellent battery performance - 3.05A.
Solar battery in working conditions. To maintain orientation to the sun, the battery is moved several times a day, which in itself is not difficult. In the future, it is possible to install automatic tracking of the position of the sun in the sky.
So, what is the final cost of the battery that we managed to make with our own hands? Considering that we had pieces of wood, wires and other things useful in making the battery in our workshop, our calculations may differ slightly. The final cost of the solar panel was $105, including $74 spent on purchasing the cells themselves.
Agree, it’s not that bad! This is a fraction of the cost of a factory battery of equivalent power. And there is nothing complicated about it! To increase the output power, it is quite possible to build several of these batteries.
Recently, solar panels have become especially popular - devices that allow you to obtain energy from sunlight. Such items allow ordinary people to save money on bills and are environmentally friendly clean sources alternative energy, as they do not produce any harmful emissions. You can charge your phone or other gadget from them. field conditions, if you are far from the outlet. For those who care about environment or simply doesn’t want to spend extra money, we offer an article on how to make a solar battery with your own hands from scrap materials. Thanks to our tips, you will learn how to completely build a homemade prototype at a minimum cost.
Materials for production
In order to make a device at home, you will need:
- Thin copper sheet. Its average cost is about one hundred and fifty rubles per 0.9 m2. You will need about 0.45 m2.
- "Crocodiles" including two pieces.
- Tester or microammeter. This device is needed to measure current strength and evaluate the efficiency of the energy source.
- An electric stove with a power of 1100 watts or more requires that the coil in it become red-hot.
- A plastic bottle that you have to cut off the neck yourself.
- Regular salt. A few tablespoons.
- Heated water.
- Fine sandpaper (zero).
Step-by-step instruction
So, to make a solar battery with your own hands, you must follow these steps:
- We cut a piece of copper sheet of such a size that we can place it on the spiral electric stove. The cut piece must be thoroughly cleaned of any contaminants using sandpaper, if necessary, you can use cleaning agents. Any traces of fat will inhibit oxidation, so they must be removed and the clean sheet should only be handled by the edges.
- Next, place it on the spiral of the stove and turn it on so that it becomes red hot. At the same time, be extremely careful and follow safety precautions! Under the influence chemical reactions, when heated, copper will oxidize. When the copper turns black, count another 30 minutes until the black layer becomes thick.
- Then turn off the stove. Let the piece intended for making a solar panel with your own hands cool until room temperature. As it cools, copper and copper oxide will begin to cool and shrink at different rates. Then the oxide will begin to peel off.
By the way, such a solar battery can produce several milliamps even without the sun, working like a battery! Of course, such a design is not capable of powering anything serious; it can be used as a demonstration or prototype, from which low-power LEDs can light up. We recommend that you immediately review the more serious option for using alternative energy sources, which we described in the article about!
Training video on how to create a charger at home
Charge your phone from the sun
Now we will tell you how to assemble a solar battery yourself that can charge mobile phone. When making a battery consisting of separate parts based on monocrystalline silicon - one of the most popular types of cells, problems with soldering due to the fragility of the panels cannot be ruled out. If you are not sure that you can do everything yourself, it is better to choose already soldered modules. It would be good if they consisted of ten monocrystalline elements and had an output voltage of five volts.
Solar cells can also be present in calculators and flashlights powered by the sun, from where they can be pulled out. These devices use mostly amorphous elements, where a layer of semiconductor is located on a small glass plate. Considering that modules of this type provide about one and a half volts, we will need four pieces that must be connected in series. Don’t forget to solder a diode to the positive terminal of the battery, which will prevent the battery from wasting charge through the solar panel. You can get the diode from the flashlight board.
It is highly advisable to install a simple 5-Volt linear stabilizer and a USB connector after the solar battery. This is necessary to limit the voltage, since if connected incorrectly, the device being charged can be damaged. You can purchase a stabilizer at any radio parts store or remove it from a non-working board.
To make our product serve more reliably, we fill the transverse edges of the modules with hot glue to protect them from mechanical damage.
Overview of a more complex model
So, in this article we told you how to make a solar battery with your own hands from scrap materials. Of all the options, namely: making a battery from aluminum beer cans, silicon, foil, transistors, using only diodes, etc. We offered simple assembly made of copper plates, and also described a method where solar modules can be removed from a calculator or flashlight, and properly connected, used to charge a phone.
Also read:
Ecology of consumption. Life hack: Independence from energy and rising prices for it, be it thermal or electric. Solar panels and homemade windmills will come to the rescue - one of the types of alternative sources of electricity
What does being a farmer mean to you? For me this is independence. Independence from various types of sanctions imposed different countries. Independence from rising food prices, since everything can be grown on your own farm. And, of course, this is independence from energy and rising prices for it, be it thermal or electric. In one of my articles, I wrote about how to build a biogas plant with your own hands, but it is suitable for those farmers who raise livestock, but what about those farmers who are engaged in vegetable growing or crop production?
Solar panels and homemade windmills will come to the rescue - one of the types of alternative sources of electricity. In my opinion, everything should be together. A windmill will charge the batteries when there is wind but no sunlight, and a solar panel does the opposite.
Operating principle of solar panels:
To understand how to assemble solar panels with your own hands, you need to understand their operating principle. This will allow you to select the appropriate material when purchasing. I think you need to know the following:
- Solar batteries operate using photocells, which can be monocrystalline or polycrystalline. Very often photovoltaic cells are called solar cells.
- It is unlikely that you will be able to assemble solar cells yourself, so you will have to buy them in any case. I looked for them in Russia, but unfortunately now everything is made in China.
The video below is an excerpt from a science program about solar panels, it tells a little history and how solar cells work. At the end of the article there will be detailed video on how to assemble a solar panel with your own hands.
After you learned from the video about the principle of operation of a solar battery, we can summarize some results:
- For monocrystalline solar cells, the efficiency is about 13%, but it is more profitable only if the number sunny days quite high.
- In Russia, I think it is not profitable to install these panels, so there are polycrystalline solar cells, their efficiency is approximately 7%, but they work better in cloudy conditions and little sunny days.
- Now there are technologies that make it possible to make a photocell with an efficiency of more than 40%.
- Approximately one photocell will produce 2.7 watts.
- The price for polycrystalline and monocrystalline solar cells is basically the same, and it is also the same for solar panels.
You need to understand how much power you need and, based on this, calculate the required number of solar panels, but we’ll talk about this in future articles. It is important to know that solar panels can be used directly, so if you need to boil water in a 2kW kettle, you will need 20 100W panels. But if you use batteries, you can get by with 3-5 batteries, which will charge the battery after the kettle boils water.
I would like to note that batteries often cost as much as the panels themselves. If you use solar panels for lighting, you can get by with a 200 W panel and install energy-saving light bulbs in your house.
Assembling solar panels with your own hands
Before assembling solar panels with your own hands, you will need to make a frame for the battery. Plexiglas is used as a protective layer and a transparent surface in the frame; ordinary glass can also be used, but it is not so reliable. Aluminum corners are used for the body.
It is IMPORTANT to pay attention to soldering the solar cells into the circuit; this determines how well the solar panel will work. Photocells come with soldered wires, which will make the task easier, but you will have to solder in any case. Flux and solder are pre-applied.
To learn how to assemble a solar panel with your own hands, watch the video below.
A little economics about solar panels and the profitability of assembling them yourself
Having searched on the Internet for photocells for assembling solar panels in order to buy them in Russia, I found them for 3200 rubles for 38 pieces. I consider this not profitable, since now there are panels for 4500 rubles, a difference of 1300 will reduce your time and effort.
But if you look for Chinese solar cells, you can find 4,500 rubles for 100 pieces. From 100 pieces you can already assemble two 100 W panels. In this case, the benefit of purchasing photocells is obvious. I would like to draw your attention to the fact that the video below shows the assembly of photocells, the size of which is 125*63. On the Internet I found Chinese solar cells measuring 156*156, with their help you can assemble 4 solar panels of 100 W each.
As promised, a video on how to assemble a solar panel with your own hands. The principle of soldering and sealing is shown in great detail.SUBSCRIBE to OUR youtube channel Econet.ru, which allows you to watch online, download free videos from YouTube about human health and rejuvenation. Love for others and for yourself,how the feeling of high vibrations is an important factor in healing - website
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