Making a solar panel

Solar panels are relatively easy to make. They are basically a shallow box that holds an array of solar cells which do the actual work of turning sunlight into electricity. Making a solar panel involves a few easy steps and a couple of everyday tools. The first step is to build the shallow box that acts as a frame. The frame can be any size you wish but large enough to hold several solar cells. Acquiring the solar cells at a reasonable price is important and can be done online. New solar cells are expensive so you probably want to find blemished or damaged solar cells online at a very low cost. These used cells will work just fine for your solar panel.

After the frame is constructed then the solar cells need to be soldered together. Thirty-six three by six mono-crystalline solar cells are required to make a panel. Each cell produces about one half volt. A thirty-six series gives about eighteen volts. After you have soldered the solar cells together then a completed row of cells can be connected together and placed in the frame.

When you are making a solar panel keep in mind what the panel is going to be used for. You can make the power from the panel go into charging batteries which will be used for powering lights and small appliances.

Making a solar panel requires several rows of solar cells to be soldered together. Using larger or smaller cells is an option as long as you use the same number of cells of either size. Using larger cells will produce more power but keep in mind the panel will be large and heavy. When there are enough rows of solar cells to complete the panel then the solar panel can be assembled.

So as you can see making a solar panel can be fun and economical. You can decide what size panel will best fit your needs and then get started on its construction.