DIY solar panels from improvised. How to make a solar battery at home from available materials? The main types of solar panels

One way to cut costs utilities is the use of solar panels. Such a battery can be made and installed with your own hands.

What is a solar panel and what is it used for?

A solar battery is a device whose principle of operation is based on the ability of photovoltaic cells to convert solar energy into electricity. These converters are interconnected in common system. received electricity accumulates in special devices- batteries.

The larger the panel area, the more electrical energy can be obtained

The power of the solar battery depends on the size of the field of photocells. But this does not mean that only large areas are able to reproduce the required amount of electricity. For example, well-known calculators can use portable solar panels that are built into their case.

Advantages and disadvantages

The benefits of a solar panel include:

• ease of installation and maintenance;
• no harm to the environment;
• small mass of panels;
• silent operation;
• independent of distribution network supply of electrical energy;
• immobility of structural elements;
• small cash costs for production;
• long service life.

The disadvantages of solar panels include:

• the complexity of the manufacturing process;
• uselessness in the dark;
• the need for a large area for installation;
• susceptibility to pollution.

Although the manufacture of a solar panel is a laborious process, it can be assembled by hand.

Tools and materials

If it is not possible to purchase ready-made solar battery for home, you can do it yourself.

To make a solar battery you will need:

• photocells (to create a solar panel);
• a set of special conductors (for connecting photocells);
• aluminum corners (for the body);
• Schottke diodes;
• fastening hardware;
• screws for fasteners;
• polycarbonate sheet (transparent);
• silicone sealant;
• soldering iron.

Choice of photocells

Today, manufacturers offer consumers a choice of two types of devices. Solar cells made of single-crystal silicon have an efficiency of up to 13%. They are less efficient in cloudy weather. Polycrystalline silicon photocells have an efficiency of up to 9%, but they are able to work not only on sunny, but also on cloudy days.

To provide a summer house or a small private house with electricity, it is enough to use polycrystals.

Important information A: It is advisable to purchase solar cells from the same manufacturer, since cells of different brands can have significant differences, which affects the efficiency of work and the assembly process, and also leads to higher energy costs during operation.

When choosing photocells, pay attention to the following:

• the larger the cell, the more energy it produces;
• elements of the same type create the same voltage (this indicator does not depend on the size).

To determine the power of a solar battery, it is enough to multiply the generated current by the voltage.

It is quite simple to distinguish polycrystalline solar cells from monocrystalline ones. The first type is distinguished by a bright blue color and a square shape. Monocrystalline solar cells are darker, they are cut off at the edges.

Poly- and monocrystalline panels are easy to distinguish even at first glance

You should not give preference to products with a reduced price, as they may be rejected by rejection - these are parts that have not passed the test at the factory. It is better to use the services of trusted suppliers who, although they offer goods at a high price, are responsible for their quality. If there is no experience in assembling solar cells, it is recommended to purchase several test samples to practice, and only then buy products for the manufacture of the battery itself.

Some manufacturers seal the photocells in wax to prevent damage during shipping. However, it is quite difficult to get rid of it due to the high risk of damage to the plates, so it is recommended to buy photovoltaic cells without wax.

Manufacturing instructions

The process of manufacturing a solar battery consists of several stages:

1. Preparation of photocells and soldering of conductors.
2. Corpus creation.
3. Assembly of elements and sealing.

Preparing photocells and soldering conductors

A set of photocells is assembled on the table. Let's say the manufacturer indicates a power of 4 W and a voltage of 0.5 volts. In this case, you need to use 36 photovoltaic cells to create an 18 watt solar panel.

With the help of a soldering iron, the power of which is 25 W, contours are applied, forming soldered tin wires.

The quality of soldering is the main requirement for effective work solar battery

Important information: It is advisable to carry out the soldering process on a flat, hard surface.

Then all cells are connected to each other in accordance with electric circuit. When connecting solar panel You can use one of two methods: parallel or serial connection. In the first case, the positive terminals are connected to the positive, negative to negative. Then the terminals with different charges are connected to the battery. Serial connection involves the connection of opposite charges by alternately fastening the cells together. After that, the remaining ends are led to the battery.

Important information: Regardless of which type of connection you choose, it is necessary to provide shunt diodes that are installed on the plus terminal. Schorke diodes are ideal. They prevent the device from discharging at night.

When the soldering is complete, you need to take the cells to the sun to check their performance. If the functionality is normal, you can start assembling the case.

The device is tested on the sunny side

How to assemble the body

• Prepare aluminum corners with low sides.
• Holes are pre-drilled for hardware.
• Then on inner part aluminum corner silicone sealant is applied (it is desirable to make two layers). The tightness, as well as the service life of the solar battery, depends on how well it is applied. It is important to pay attention to the absence of unfilled places.
• After that, a transparent sheet of polycarbonate is placed in the frame and tightly fixed.
• When the sealant dries, hardware with screws is attached, which will provide a more reliable fastening.

Given the fragility of the structure, it is recommended to first create a frame, and then only install photocells

Important information: In addition to polycarbonate, plexiglass or anti-reflective glass can be used.

Assembly of elements and sealing

• Clear transparent material from pollution.
• Place photocells on inside polycarbonate sheet at a distance of 5 mm between the cells. In order not to be mistaken, first make the markup.
• Apply mounting silicone to each photocell.

To extend the life of the solar battery, it is recommended to apply mounting silicone to its elements and close it with the back panel

• After that, the back panel is attached. After the silicone hardens, the entire structure must be sealed.

Sealing the structure will ensure a snug fit of the panels to each other

Video: Making a solar battery with your own hands at home

Installation rules

To be able to use the solar battery to the maximum, it is recommended to follow certain rules when installing the device:

1. You need to choose the right place. If you place the solar panel where there is always a shadow, the device will be ineffective. Based on this, it is not recommended to install the device near trees, it is advisable to choose an open place. Many people install solar panels on the roof of the house.
2. When installing, you must point the device towards the sun. It is necessary to achieve the maximum hit of its rays on the photocells. For example, being in the north, you should orient the front side of the solar battery to the south.
3. An important role is played by the determination of the slope of the device. It also depends on geographical location. It is believed that the slope angle should be the latitude in which the battery is installed. When placed in the equator zone, you will have to adjust the angle of inclination according to the time of year. The correction will be 12 degrees, taking into account the increase and decrease in summer and winter, respectively.
4. It is recommended to install a solar panel in an accessible place. As you use the device, front side accumulates dirt and winter time it is covered with snow, and as a result, energy production is reduced. Therefore, it is necessary to periodically clean the battery, removing plaque from its front panel.

Making a device from improvised means

To date, craftsmen have developed ways to create solar panels from improvised materials, but is such savings justified?

Using old transistors

For the manufacture of a solar battery, you can use old transistors. To do this, cut off their covers, fixing the devices in a vice by the rim. Then the voltage is measured under the influence of light. It is necessary to determine it on all instrument outputs in order to detect maximum values. The voltage depends on the power of the transistor, as well as on the dimensions of the crystal.

You need to carefully cut off the transistor cover, otherwise you can damage the thin wires that are connected to the semiconductor crystal

After that, you can begin to manufacture a solar battery. Using five transistors and connecting them in series, you can get a device sufficient to power the power calculator. The frame is assembled from sheet plastic. It is necessary to drill holes in it that are needed to output the transistor. A calculator based on such a solar battery works stably, but it needs to be no further than 30 cm from the light source. For better results, it is advisable to use a second chain of transistors.

Application of diodes

To collect a solar battery, you will need a lot of diodes. In addition, a substrate board is used. A soldering iron is used in the manufacturing process.

First you need to open the inner crystal so that the rays of the sun fall on it. To do this, the top of the diode is cut off and removed. The lower part, where the crystal is located, must be heated over a gas stove for about 20 seconds. When the solder of the crystal melts, it can be easily removed with tweezers. A similar manipulation is carried out with each diode. Then the crystals are soldered to the board.

Elements of a solar battery made of diodes are interconnected using thin copper wires.

To obtain 2–4 V, 5 blocks are sufficient, consisting of five crystals soldered in series. Blocks are placed parallel to each other.

Device made of copper sheets

To make a solar panel from copper sheets, you will need:

• the copper sheets themselves;
• two crocodile clips;
• high sensitivity microammeter;
• electric stove (at least 1000 W);
• plastic bottle with cut off top;
• two tablespoons of table salt;
• water;
• sandpaper;
• sheet metal shears.

Procedure:

1. First, cut off a piece of copper that is the same size as the heating element on the stove. Clean the surface of the sheet from grease and clean sandpaper, then place on the stove and heat at the highest temperature.
2. During the formation of the oxide, multi-colored patterns can be seen. It is necessary to wait for the black color, and then leave the copper sheet to heat up for about half an hour. After this period of time, the stove switches off. The sheet remains on it for slow cooling.
3. When the black oxide disappears, it is necessary to rinse the copper under running water.
4. Then cut a piece of the same size from the whole sheet. Place both parts in plastic bottle. It is important that they do not touch each other.
5. Attach the copper plates to the walls of the bottle with clamps. Connect the wire from a blank sheet to the positive terminal of the measuring device, and from copper with oxide to the negative terminal.
6. Dissolve the salt in a small amount of water. Pour the salt water into the bottle carefully, being careful not to wet the contacts. There should be enough solution so that it does not completely cover the plates. The solar battery is ready, you can conduct experiments.

When placing the copper plates in the container, you need to carefully bend them so that they fit, but do not break.

Is there a benefit?

The efficiency of a device made of transistors is very low. The reason for this is the large area of ​​the device itself and small size solar cell (semiconductor). Thus, the solar battery based on transistors has not gained popularity, similar devices suitable for entertainment only.

Diodes tend to consume current and glow spontaneously. Therefore, when they are used to make a solar battery, some of the diodes will generate electricity, while the rest of the devices, on the contrary, will consume it. From this we can conclude that the efficiency of such a device is low.

To light a light bulb from a solar panel based on copper sheets, you will need to use a large amount of material. For example, to operate a 1000 W stove, 1,600,000 m² of copper is needed. To equip such a device on the roof of the house, it will be required that its area is 282 m². And all efforts would go to ensuring the operation of one furnace. In practice, it makes no sense to use such a solar battery.

Despite the relative high cost, solar panels pay off pretty quickly. Try this eco-friendly way to generate energy by building your own solar panel.

A homemade solar battery is a complete replacement for the produced solar panels, because it is in no way inferior in terms of power.

The main stages of manufacture

1. Frame assembly.
2. Substrate manufacturing.
3. Preparation of photosensitive elements and their soldering.
4. Attaching the plates to the substrate.
5. Connecting diodes and all wires.
6. Sealing.

Choice of photosensitive plates

They are the main element of the future installed on. It is from their features that the power of the entire installation made at home will depend. Can be installed:

1. monocrystalline plates.
2. polycrystalline plates.
3. Amorphous crystal.

The former are able to create the largest number electric current. This performance is evident in excellent lighting conditions. If the light intensity becomes less, their efficiency drops. A panel with polycrystalline plates becomes more productive in such conditions. In poor lighting conditions, it retains its usual small efficiency of 7-9%. Monocrystalline please with an efficiency of 13%.

Amorphous silicon lags behind in performance, but due to the fact that it is flexible and invulnerable to shock, it is the most expensive.

The best photosensitive elements are expensive. This applies to those plates in which there is not a single defect. Defective products have slightly less power and are much cheaper.. It is these photocells that should be used for your home-made current source.

In the world's most popular online stores (it is there that there are the largest number of offers for) they sell photographic plates of different sizes. For your battery, you need to buy photosensitive elements with the same dimensions. When buying, and even better, when developing a project, it is worth considering the following nuances:

1. Photocells of different sizes generate current with different strengths. The larger the size, the greater the current. In this case, it will be limited by the current strength of the smallest element. It doesn't matter that the panel contains a plate with double large sizes. The panel will give out an electric current with the force that the current created by the smallest element has. Therefore, large elements will “rest” a little.
2. Stress does not depend on size.. It depends on the element type. It can be increased by connecting the plates in series.
3. The power of the entire installation for a private house or cottage is the product of voltage and current.

Calculation of panel characteristics

The solar panel must generate such an electric current that can easily charge 12-volt batteries. To recharge them, a current with a high voltage is required. It is very good when the current created by the solar panels has a voltage of 18 V.

None of the small photosensitive elements produces such a voltage. It is necessary to find out the characteristics of the current that one photocell can create. Often sellers indicate these numbers.

For example, one plate gives a current with a voltage of 0.5 V. To get 18 V at the output of the solar panel, you need to connect 36 photocells in series. In such a case, the total voltage is equal to the sum of the voltages of the currents obtained on all photosensitive plates. The current will not change when connected in series. Therefore, it will be equal to the indicator that gives the smallest photocell.

Read also: How to calculate solar panels

If needed increase current, you will have to install an additional number of plates and connect them in parallel. The total current will be the sum of the currents produced by each plate connected in parallel.

The calculation of solar panels that will stand on the roof of a summer house or a private house is done as follows:

1. Calculate the power of devices that will charge the solar battery.
2. Determine the capabilities of the smallest photocell. This can be found out both from sellers and on your own by putting it on the light and measuring the voltage and current strength.
3. Determine the voltage and current of the panel itself. For example, 18 V and 3 A. These values ​​​​will make it possible to find out the power of the panels. It will be 18x3 = 54 watts. For several hours of work LED lamps that's enough.
4. Compare the power of the light source with the power of electrical appliances. If necessary, make adjustments to the main parameters of the current. Change the power, and with it the voltage or current. Calculate the required number of panels.
5. The number of photocells required for one panel is calculated. It must be such as to give electricity with the necessary characteristics. At the same time, the number of plates in one row is determined and the method of their connection is taken into account.

Most of the projects that relate to how, involve the manufacture of a product with an area of ​​​​1 m². Often the power of such a battery is about 120 watts. 10 panels will give more than 1 kW. If you plan to fully provide your home with free electrical energy, then you should develop a project that provides for as many panels with a total area of ​​\u200b\u200bmore than 20 square meters. m. When placed on the sunny side and in places where the intensity of lighting is very high, they are able to cover the monthly electricity demand of 300 kW. Even for an average home, this figure is large.

Making a solar panel frame

It can be assembled from any materials at hand, which may include aluminum beer cans or foil rolls. You should not throw away such cans, because you can collect good air from them. solar collector. It will accumulate the heat of the sun and transfer it from the beer cans to the middle of the house.

Read also: Features of solar fountains

Materials for the manufacture of the frame can be:

1. Wood and plywood, as well as fiberboard.
2. Aluminum corners.
3. Glass.
4. Plexiglas.
5. Polycarbonate.
6. Plexiglass.
7. Mineral glass.

The frame is made from the materials presented in the first two paragraphs.

wooden frame

If the project involves the use of wood and chipboard, then the process of making a frame at home includes the following steps:

1. Cutting wooden slats 2 cm thick into cuts. Their length depends on what dimensions the frame will have. They are determined by looking at the length and width of the rows located at a distance of 5 mm of photographic plates.
2. Assembling rails in a frame and fastening them with screws. In the middle of the frame, you can make 1-2 crossbars. In this case, it is necessary to divide the photosensitive plates into 2-3 groups.
3. Cutting one large or several small sheets of plywood 10 mm thick.
4. Fixing cut pieces of plywood to the frame.
5. Drilling in the lower and middle side of the frame of small holes. Up to 5 holes are made on one side. They are necessary to equalize the pressure during the heating of the future solar panel, as well as to remove moisture.
6. Cutting from chipboard substrate for photographic plates. It should be placed in the middle of the frame. Therefore, its dimensions should be less than the width and length of the frame by an amount equal to the thickness of the sides, multiplied by 2. The substrate in the frame is not yet fixed.
7. Painting all elements with light paint. It must be applied in several layers. The paint must be special. It shouldn't fade in the sun. Its color should be light because it reflects rays, some of which can be captured by semiconductor wafers.

The transparent part in the form of glass or analogues is fixed at the very end.

In order to make a solar battery with your own hands, it is best to use mineral glass. It perfectly absorbs infrared rays, thus protecting the panel from heating, and is able to withstand shock. It's expensive. The worst option is polycarbonate and glass. The latter is heavy and does not withstand impact, like beer cans.

aluminum frame

If the project provides use of aluminum corners 35 mm, then the frame at home is done like this:

1. Cut corners into pieces desired length. In this case, the opposite edges of one side are cut at an angle of 45 °.
2. Holes are drilled near the ends of the uncut sides. Similar ones are made in the middle and near the ends of the sides with cut corners.
3. Fold the four corners so that they create a frame.
4. Apply corners 35 mm long and 50x50 mm in size to the corners of the frame, fix them with hardware.
5. On inner surface aluminum corners apply silicone sealant.
6. Place the glass on the sealant and lightly press. Wait for the sealant to dry completely.
7. Fix the glass with hardware, which can lie near the glass jars. They must be installed at the corners of the glass and in the middle of each side.
8. Clean glass from dust.

There is probably no such person who would not like to become more independent. The ability to fully manage your own time, to travel without knowing borders and distances, not to think about housing and financial problems - this is what gives a feeling of real freedom. Today we will talk about how, using solar radiation, relieve yourself of the burden of energy dependence. As you may have guessed, we are talking about solar panels. And to be more precise, about whether it is possible to build a real solar power plant with your own hands.

History of creation and prospects for use

The idea of ​​converting the energy of the Sun into electricity has been nurtured by mankind for a long time. Solar thermal plants were the first to appear, in which steam superheated by concentrated sunlight rotated generator turbines. Direct conversion became possible only in the middle of the 19th century, after the Frenchman Alexandre Edmond Baccarel discovered the photoelectric effect. Attempts to create an operating solar cell based on this phenomenon were crowned with success only half a century later, in the laboratory of the outstanding Russian scientist Alexander Stoletov. It was possible to fully describe the mechanism of the photoelectric effect even later - humanity owes this to Albert Einstein. By the way, it was for this work that he received the Nobel Prize.

Baccarel, Stoletov and Einstein - these are the scientists who laid the foundation for modern solar energy

The creation of the first solar cell based on crystalline silicon was announced to the world by employees of Bell Laboratories back in April 1954. This date, in fact, is the starting point of the technology, which will soon be able to become a full-fledged replacement for hydrocarbon fuel.

Since the current of one photovoltaic cell is milliamps, in order to obtain electricity of sufficient power, they have to be connected in modular designs. Arrays of solar photocells protected from external influences are a solar battery (because of the flat shape, the device is often called a solar panel).

The conversion of solar radiation into electricity has great prospects, because for each square meter The earth's surface receives an average of 4.2 kWh of energy per day, and this is a saving of almost one barrel of oil per year. Initially used only for the space industry, the technology already in the 80s of the last century became so commonplace that photocells began to be used for domestic purposes - as a power source for calculators, cameras, lamps, etc. At the same time, "serious" solar electric installations were also created. Fixed on the roofs of houses, they made it possible to completely abandon wired electricity. Today, one can observe the birth of power plants, which are many kilometers of fields of silicon panels. The power generated by them allows you to feed entire cities, so we can say with confidence that the future belongs to solar energy.

Modern solar power plants are many kilometers of fields of photovoltaic cells capable of supplying electricity to tens of thousands of homes.

Solar battery: how it works

After Einstein described the photoelectric effect, the whole simplicity of such a seemingly complex physical phenomenon was revealed to the world. It is based on a substance whose individual atoms are in an unstable state. When “bombarded” by photons of light, electrons are knocked out of their orbits - these are the current sources.

For almost half a century, the photoelectric effect had no practical application for one simple reason - there was no technology for obtaining materials with an unstable atomic structure. Prospects for further research appeared only with the discovery of semiconductors. The atoms of these materials either have an excess of electrons (n-conductivity) or experience a shortage in them (p-conductivity). When using a two-layer structure with an n-type layer (cathode) and a p-type layer (anode), the “bombardment” of light photons knocks electrons out of the atoms of the n-layer. Leaving their places, they rush to the free orbits of the atoms of the p-layer and then return to their original positions through the connected load. Probably, each of you knows that the movement of electrons in a closed circuit is an electric current. It’s just that it’s possible to make electrons move not thanks to a magnetic field, as in electrical generators, but due to the flow of particles of solar radiation.

The solar panel works thanks to the photoelectric effect, which was discovered at the beginning of the 19th century.

Since the power of one photovoltaic module is insufficient to power electronic devices, a series connection of many cells is used to obtain the required voltage. As for the current strength, it is increased by parallel connection of a certain number of such assemblies.

The generation of electricity in semiconductors directly depends on the amount of solar energy, so photocells are not only installed outdoors, but they also try to orient their surface perpendicular to the incident rays. And in order to protect the cells from mechanical damage and atmospheric influences, they are mounted on a rigid base and protected with glass from above.

Classification and features of modern solar cells

The first solar cell was made on the basis of selenium (Se), but the low efficiency (less than 1%), rapid aging and high chemical activity of selenium solar cells forced us to look for other, cheaper and more efficient materials. And they were found in the face of crystalline silicon (Si). Since this element of the periodic table is a dielectric, its conductivity was provided by inclusions from various rare earth metals. Depending on the manufacturing technology, there are several types of silicon photocells:

• monocrystalline;
• polycrystalline;
• from amorphous Si.

The first are made by cutting off the thinnest layers from silicon ingots of the highest degree of purification. Externally, single-crystal type photocells look like plain dark blue glass plates with a pronounced electrode grid. Their efficiency reaches 19%, and the service life is up to 50 years. And although the performance of panels made on the basis of monocrystals is gradually declining, there is evidence that batteries manufactured more than 40 years ago still remain operational, delivering up to 80% of their original power.

Monocrystalline solar cells have a uniform dark color and cut corners - these signs do not allow them to be confused with other photocells

In the production of polycrystalline solar cells, less pure, but cheaper silicon is used. The simplification of technology affects appearance plates - they do not have a uniform shade, but a lighter pattern that forms the boundaries of many crystals. The efficiency of such solar cells is slightly lower than that of monocrystalline ones - no more than 15%, and the service life is up to 25 years. It must be said that the decrease in the main performance indicators did not affect the popularity of polycrystalline solar cells at all. They benefit from a lower price and not as strong dependence on external pollution, low cloudiness and orientation to the Sun.

Polycrystalline solar cells have a lighter blue tint and a non-uniform pattern - a consequence of the fact that their structure consists of many crystals

For solar cells made of amorphous Si, not a crystalline structure is used, but a very thin layer of silicon, which is deposited on glass or a polymer. Although this method of production is the cheapest, such panels have the shortest life, the reason for which is the burnout and degradation of the amorphous layer in the sun. This type of photocells is not happy with its performance either - their efficiency is no more than 9% and significantly decreases during operation. The use of amorphous silicon solar panels is justified in deserts - high solar Activity levels the drop in productivity, and the vast expanses allow you to place solar power plants of any size.

The ability to spray a silicon structure on any surface allows you to create flexible solar panels

Further development of photovoltaic cells production technology is caused by the need to reduce the price and improve performance. Film photocells today have maximum performance and durability:

• based on cadmium telluride;
• from thin polymers;
• using indium and copper selenide.

It is still too early to talk about the possibility of using thin-film photocells in home-made devices. Today, only a few of the most technologically advanced companies are engaged in their release, so most often flexible photovoltaic cells can be seen as part of finished solar panels.

Which photovoltaic cells are best suited for a solar panel and where can I find them

Homemade solar panels will always be one step behind their factory counterparts, and for several reasons. Firstly, well-known manufacturers carefully select photocells, weeding out cells with unstable or reduced parameters. Secondly, in the manufacture of solar batteries, special glass is used with increased light transmission and reduced reflectivity - it is almost impossible to find this on sale. And thirdly, before proceeding to serial production, all the parameters of industrial designs are tested using mathematical models. As a result, the effect of cell heating on the battery efficiency is minimized, the heat removal system is improved, the optimal cross section of the connecting busbars is found, ways to reduce the degradation rate of photocells, etc. are studied. It is impossible to solve such problems without an equipped laboratory and appropriate qualifications.

The low cost of homemade solar panels allows you to build a plant that allows you to completely abandon the services of energy companies

Nevertheless, do-it-yourself solar panels show good performance results and are not so far behind industrial counterparts. As for the price, here we have a gain of more than two times, that is, at the same cost, homemade products will give twice as much electricity.

Considering all of the above, a picture emerges of which solar cells are suitable for our conditions. Film ones disappear due to lack of sale, and amorphous ones - due to a short service life and low efficiency. Cells of crystalline silicon remain. I must say that in the first home-made device it is better to use cheaper "polycrystals". And only after running the technology and having “filled your hand”, you should switch to single-crystal cells.

Cheap substandard photocells are suitable for running in technologies - as well as high-quality devices, they can be bought on foreign trading floors

As for the question of where to get inexpensive solar cells, they can be found on foreign trading platforms such as Taobao, Ebay, Aliexpress, Amazon, etc. There they are sold both in the form of individual photocells of various sizes and performance, and ready-made kits for assembling solar panels any power.

It is not uncommon for sellers to offer so-called class "B" solar cells, which are damaged mono- or polycrystalline solar cells. Small chips, cracks or lack of corners practically do not affect the performance of the cells, but it allows you to purchase them at a much lower cost. It is for this reason that they are best used in home-made solar energy devices.

Is it possible to replace photovoltaic plates with something else

Rarely what home master there is no treasured box with old radio components. But diodes and transistors from old receivers and TVs are still the same semiconductors with p-n junctions, which, when illuminated sunlight generate current. Using these properties and connecting several semiconductor devices, you can make a real solar battery.

For the manufacture of a low-power solar battery, you can use the old element base of semiconductor devices

The attentive reader will immediately ask what the catch is. Why pay for factory-made mono- or polycrystalline cells, if you can use what lies literally under your feet. As always, the devil is in the details. The fact is that the most powerful germanium transistors make it possible to obtain a voltage of no more than 0.2 V in the bright sun at a current strength measured in microamps. In order to achieve the parameters that a flat silicon photocell produces, you will need several tens or even hundreds of semiconductors. A battery made from old radio components is only good for charging an LED camping lantern or a small battery. mobile phone. For the implementation of larger projects, purchased solar cells are indispensable.

How much solar power can you expect

Thinking about building your own solar power plant, everyone dreams of completely abandoning wired electricity. In order to analyze the reality of this undertaking, we will make small calculations.

Finding out the daily electricity consumption is easy. To do this, just look at the invoice sent by the energy sales organization and divide the number of kilowatts indicated there by the number of days in the month. For example, if you are offered to pay 330 kWh, then this means that the daily consumption is 330/30=11 kWh.

Graph of the dependence of the power of the solar battery depending on the illumination

In the calculations, it is imperative to take into account the fact that the solar panel will generate electricity only during daylight hours, and up to 70% of the generation is carried out from 9 am to 4 pm. In addition, the efficiency of the device directly depends on the angle of incidence of sunlight and the state of the atmosphere.

Slight cloudiness or haze will reduce the efficiency of the current output of the solar installation by 2-3 times, while the sky covered with solid clouds will provoke a drop in productivity by 15-20 times. Under ideal conditions, a solar panel with a capacity of 11/7 = 1.6 kW would be enough to generate 11 kWh of energy. Taking into account the influence of natural factors, this parameter should be increased by approximately 40–50%.

In addition, there is another factor that makes it necessary to increase the area of ​​​​used photocells. First, we should not forget that the battery will not work at night, which means that powerful batteries will be needed. Secondly, to power household appliances, you need a current of 220 V, so you need a powerful voltage converter (inverter). Experts say that losses for the accumulation and transformation of electricity take up to 20-30% of its total amount. Therefore, the real power of the solar battery should be increased by 60–80% of the calculated value. Assuming an inefficiency value of 70%, we get the nominal power of our solar panel equal to 1.6 + (1.6×0.7) = 2.7 kW.

The use of high-current lithium battery assemblies is one of the most elegant, but by no means the cheapest way to store solar electricity.

To store electricity, you will need low-voltage batteries rated for 12, 24 or 48 V. Their capacity should be designed for daily energy consumption plus transformation and conversion losses. In our case, we need an array of batteries designed to store 11 + (11 × 0.3) = 14.3 kWh of energy. If you use regular 12V car batteries, you will need a 14300Wh / 12V = 1200Ah build, which is six batteries rated at 200Ah each.

As you can see, even in order to provide electricity for the household needs of an average family, a serious solar electric installation is needed. As for the use of homemade solar panels for heating, this stage such an undertaking will not even reach the limits of self-sufficiency, not to mention the fact that something could be saved.

Battery Size Calculation

The size of the battery depends on the required power and dimensions of the current sources. When choosing the latter, you will definitely pay attention to the proposed variety of photocells. For use in homemade devices, it is most convenient to choose medium-sized solar cells. For example, 3 x 6 inch polycrystalline panels rated for 0.5V output voltage and up to 3A current.

When manufacturing a solar battery, they will be connected in series in blocks of 30 pieces, which will make it possible to obtain the voltage of 13–14 V required for charging a car battery (taking into account losses). The maximum power of one such block is 15 V × 3 A = 45 W. Based on this value, it will not be difficult to calculate how many elements will be needed to build a solar panel of a given power and determine its dimensions. For example, to build a 180-watt solar electric collector, 120 photovoltaic cells with a total area of ​​​​2160 square meters will be needed. inches (1.4 sqm).

Building a homemade solar battery

Before proceeding with the manufacture of a solar panel, it is necessary to solve the problems of its placement, calculate the dimensions and prepare necessary materials and tool.

The right choice of installation location is important

Since the solar panel will be made by hand, its aspect ratio can be any. This is very convenient, since a home-made device can be more successfully fit into the exterior of the roof or design. suburban area. For the same reason, you should choose a place for mounting the battery even before the start of design activities, not forgetting to take into account several factors:

• openness of the place to sunlight during daylight hours;
• lack of shading buildings and tall trees;
• the minimum distance to the room where the storage capacities and converters are installed.

Of course, a roof-mounted battery looks more organic, but placing the device on the ground has more advantages. In this case, the possibility of damage to the roofing materials during the installation of the supporting frame is excluded, the laboriousness of installing the device is reduced, and it becomes possible to timely change the "angle of attack of the sun's rays." And most importantly, with the bottom placement, it will be much easier to keep the surface of the solar panel clean. And this is a guarantee that the installation will work at full capacity.

Mounting a solar panel on a roof is driven more by lack of space than by necessity or ease of use.

What will be needed in the process of work

Starting to make a homemade solar panel, you should stock up:

• photocells;
• stranded copper wire or special busbars for connecting solar cells;
• solder;
• Schottky diodes, designed for the current output of one photocell;
• high-quality anti-reflective glass or plexiglass;
• slats and plywood for the manufacture of the frame;
• silicone sealant;
• hardware;
• paint and protective composition for processing wooden surfaces.

In work, you will need the simplest tool that a homely owner always has at hand - a soldering iron, a glass cutter, a saw, a screwdriver, a paint brush, etc.

Manufacturing instructions

For the manufacture of the first solar battery, it is best to use photocells with already soldered leads - in this case, the risk of damage to the cells during assembly is reduced. However, if you are skilled with a soldering iron, you can save some money by purchasing solar cells with solderless contacts. To build the panel, which we considered in the examples above, you need 120 plates. Using an aspect ratio of approximately 1:1, 15 rows of photocells, 8 each, would be required. In this case, we can connect every two "columns" in series, and connect four such blocks in parallel. In this way, tangles in the wires can be avoided and a smooth, beautiful installation can be obtained.

Electrical connection diagram of a home solar power plant

Frame

The assembly of a solar panel should always begin with the manufacture of the case. To do this, we need aluminum corners or wooden slats no more than 25 mm high - in this case they will not cast a shadow on the outer rows of photocells. Based on our 3 x 6 inch (7.62 x 15.24 cm) silicon cells, the frame size should be at least 125 x 125 cm. the same section.

The reverse side of the case should be sewn up with a plywood or OSB panel, and drilled in the lower end of the frame ventilation holes. The connection of the internal cavity of the panel with the atmosphere will be needed to equalize the humidity - otherwise, fogging of the glass cannot be avoided.

For the manufacture of the solar panel housing, the most suitable simple materials- wooden slats and plywood

By external dimension frame cut out a panel of plexiglass or high-quality glass with a high degree of transparency. In extreme cases, you can use window glass up to 4 mm thick. For its fastening, corner brackets are prepared, in which drillings are performed for fastening to the frame. When using plexiglass, you can make holes directly in the transparent panel - this will simplify assembly.

To protect the wooden case of the solar battery from moisture and fungus, it is impregnated with an antibacterial compound and painted with oil paint.

For the convenience of assembling the electrical part, a substrate is cut out of fiberboard or other dielectric material along internal size frames. In the future, photocells will be installed on it.

Plate soldering

Before you start soldering, you should "estimate" the stacking of photocells. In our case, we need 4 cell arrays of 30 plates each, and they will be located in the case in fifteen rows. Such a long chain will be inconvenient to work with, and the risk of damage to fragile glass plates increases. It will be rational to connect 5 parts each, and final assembly be performed after the photocells are mounted on the substrate.

For convenience, photocells can be mounted on a non-conductive substrate made of textolite, plexiglass or fiberboard

After connecting each chain, you should check its performance. To do this, each assembly is placed under a table lamp. By recording the values ​​of current and voltage, you can not only control the performance of the modules, but also compare their parameters.

For soldering, we use a low-power soldering iron (maximum 40 W) and good, low-melting solder. We apply it in a small amount to the output parts of the plates, after which, observing the polarity of the connection, we connect the parts to each other.

When soldering photocells, maximum care should be taken, since these parts are characterized by increased fragility.

Having collected individual chains, we unfold them with the back to the substrate and glue them to the surface using silicone sealant. We supply each 15-volt block of photocells with a Schottky diode. This device only allows current to flow in one direction, so it will not allow the batteries to be discharged when the solar panel voltage is low.

The final connection of the individual photocell strings is carried out according to the wiring diagram above. For these purposes, you can use a special bus or stranded copper wire.

Mounted elements of the solar battery should be fixed with hot glue or self-tapping screws

Panel assembly

Substrates with photocells located on them are placed in the body and fixed with self-tapping screws. If the frame was reinforced with a cross member, then several drillings are performed in it for mounting wires. The cable that is brought out is securely fixed to the frame and soldered to the assembly terminals. In order not to be confused with polarity, it is best to use two-color wires, connecting the red lead to the "plus" of the battery, and the blue one to its "minus". A continuous layer of silicone sealant is applied along the upper contour of the frame, on top of which glass is laid. After the final fixation, the assembly of the solar battery is considered complete.

After the protective glass is installed on the sealant, the panel can be transported to the installation site

Installation and connection of the solar battery to consumers

For a number of reasons, a homemade solar panel is a rather fragile device, and therefore requires the arrangement of a reliable supporting frame. The ideal option would be a design that allows you to orient the source of free electricity in both planes, but the complexity of such a system is most often a strong argument in favor of a simple inclined system. It is a movable frame that can be set at any angle to the luminary. One of the options for a frame knocked down from a wooden bar is presented below. You can use metal corners, pipes, tires, etc. for its manufacture - everything that is at hand.

Solar panel frame drawing

To connect the solar panel to the batteries, you need a charge controller. This device will monitor the degree of charge and discharge of the batteries, control the current output and switch to mains power in case of a significant voltage drop. device required power and the required functionality can be bought at the same outlets where photocells are sold. As for the power supply of household consumers, for this it will be necessary to transform the low-voltage voltage into 220 V. Another device, the inverter, successfully copes with this. It must be said that the domestic industry produces reliable devices with good performance characteristics, so the converter can be bought on the spot - a bonus in this case will be a "real" guarantee.

One solar battery will not be enough for a full-fledged power supply at home - you will also need batteries, a charge controller and an inverter

On sale you can find inverters of the same power, differing in price at times. Such a spread is explained by the “purity” of the output voltage, which is a necessary condition for supplying individual electrical devices. Converters with the so-called pure sine wave have a complicated design, and as a result, a higher cost.

Video: making a solar panel with your own hands

Building a home solar power plant is a non-trivial task and requires both financial and time costs, as well as minimal knowledge of the basics of electrical engineering. Starting to assemble the solar panel, you should observe maximum attention and accuracy - only in this case you can count on good decision question. Finally, I would like to recall that glass contamination is one of the factors in the decline in productivity. Do not forget to clean the surface of the solar panel in time, otherwise it will not be able to work at full capacity.

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 we will see 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, which consists of a huge number of the most elementary photodiodes. These semiconductor elements were grown using special technologies in a factory on silicon wafers.

Unfortunately, these devices are by no means cheap. Most people can't get them, but there are plenty of ways to make your own solar panels just in case. And this battery will be able to compete with commercial samples. Moreover, its price will not be comparable to what the stores offer.

Building a silicon wafer battery

The kit includes 36 silicon wafers. They are offered with dimensions of 8*15 centimeters. The total power figures will be about 76 watts. You will also need wires to connect the elements together, and a diode that will perform the blocking function.

One silicon wafer delivers 2.1 W and 0.53 V at currents up to 4 A. The wafers must only be connected in series. Only in this way can our energy source deliver 76 watts. There are two tracks on the front side. This is the "minus", and the "plus" is located on the back. Each of the panels must be positioned with a gap. You should get nine plates in four rows. In this case, the second and fourth rows must be deployed opposite to the first. This is required so that everything is conveniently connected into one chain. Be sure to take into account the diode. It allows you to prevent the discharge of the storage battery 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 need a special controller. With the help of an inverter, you can get the usual household voltage of 220 V.

Assembling solar panels with your own hands

Plexiglas has the smallest refractive index. It will be used as a body. This is a fairly inexpensive material. And if you need even cheaper, then you can buy plexiglass. In the worst case, you can use polycarbonate. But it is not suitable for the case in terms of its characteristics. In stores, you can find a special coated polycarbonate that is protected from condensation. It also allows you to provide the battery high level heat protection. But these are not all the elements that the solar panel will consist of. With your own hands, glass with good transparency is easy to pick up, this is one of the main components of the design. By the way, even ordinary glass will do.

Frame making

When mounting, silicon crystals must be fixed 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 similarity with branded products. At the same time, a homemade battery is more sealed and durable.

For assembly, you need an aluminum corner. A blank for the future frame is made from it. Dimensions - 835*690 mm. In order to fasten the profiles to each other, it is necessary to make technological holes in advance.

The inside of the profile should be coated with a silicone-based sealant. It must be applied very carefully so that all places are missed. The efficiency and reliability that the solar panel will have depends entirely on how well it will be applied.

With your own hands, now you need to put a sheet of pre-selected transparent material into the frame from the profile. It could be either something 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, the transparent material must be squeezed well and fixed. To make the fastening as reliable as possible, you should use hardware. We fix the glass around the perimeter and from four corners. Now the solar panel, made by hand, is almost ready. It remains only to connect the silicon elements together.

Soldering crystals

Now you need to lay the conductor on the silicon plate as carefully as possible. Next, 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 it is the first time for you to make solar panels with your own hands, then it is better to use a special marking substrate. It will help you position necessary elements as exactly as possible at the required distance. In order to correctly cut the wires of the desired length connecting individual elements, it should be noted that the conductor must be soldered to the contact pad. It is slightly moved beyond the edge of the crystal. If done preliminary calculations, it turns out that the wires should be 155 mm each.

When you collect all this into a single structure, 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 with tile crosses.

After you connect all the elements to each other, for each crystal with reverse side Apply double sided construction tape. You just need to slightly press the back panel, and all the crystals will be easily transferred to the base.

This type of fastening is not sealed in any way additionally. Crystals can expand at high temperatures, but that's okay. Only a few parts need to be sealed.

Now with the help it is necessary to fix 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 you do not need to completely fill the crystals with it. This way you can eliminate the risk of damage. To fill this design, you need not silicone, but epoxy resin.

This is how you can easily and naturally get 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 factories of huge size, special care for them and a serious amount of money.

Let's try to make something on our own. Everything you need to experiment can easily be bought at a hardware store or found in your kitchen.

DIY solar panel from foil

For assembly, you will need copper foil. It can be easily found in the garage or on extreme case easy to get at any hardware store. To assemble the battery, you need 45 square centimeters of foil. You should also buy two "crocodiles" and a small multimeter.

To get a working solar cell, it is desirable to have an electric stove. You need at least 1100 watts of power. It should glow to a bright red color. Also prepare an ordinary plastic bottle without a neck and a couple of tablespoons of salt. Get a drill with an abrasive nozzle and a sheet of metal from the garage.

Getting Started

First of all, we will cut off a piece of copper foil of such a size that it completely lies on the electric stove. You will be required to wash your hands so that there is no residue left on the copper. greasy spots from fingers. Copper is also desirable to wash. To remove the coating from the copper sheet, use emery.

copper foil

Next, put the cleaned sheet on the tile and turn it on to the maximum possible. When the tile begins to heat up, you will be able to observe the appearance of beautiful orange spots on the copper sheet. The color will then change to black. It is necessary to hold copper for about half an hour on a red-hot tile. This is very important point. So, a thick layer of oxide peels off easily, and a thin one 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 it with water most black oxide. 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 oxide layer can be damaged; it is very necessary for the experiment. If it is not there, a do-it-yourself solar panel 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 enter the plastic bottle, but do not touch each other.

Then hook the "crocodiles" to the plates. The wire from the "non-fried" foil - to the "plus", the wire from the "fried" - to the "minus". Now we 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 by hand, can be further improved a little.

Other ways to use solar energy

Solar energy is no longer being used. In space, it powers the famous 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.

And this energy allows you to heat the house. The do-it-yourself air-solar panel is very simply made from beer cans. They store heat and release it into the living space. It's efficient, free and affordable.

One way to cut down on utility bills is to use solar panels. Such a battery can be made and installed with your own hands.

What is a solar panel and what is it used for?

A solar battery is a device whose principle of operation is based on the ability of photovoltaic cells to convert solar energy into electricity. These converters are interconnected in a common system. The resulting electric current is stored in special devices - batteries.

The larger the panel area, the more electrical energy can be obtained

The power of the solar battery depends on the size of the field of photocells. But this does not mean that only large areas are able to reproduce the required amount of electricity. For example, well-known calculators can use portable solar panels that are built into their case.

Advantages and disadvantages

The benefits of a solar panel include:

• ease of installation and maintenance;
• no harm to the environment;
• small mass of panels;
• silent operation;
• supplies of electric energy independent of the distribution network;
• immobility of structural elements;
• small cash costs for production;
• long service life.

The disadvantages of solar panels include:

• the complexity of the manufacturing process;
• uselessness in the dark;
• the need for a large area for installation;
• susceptibility to pollution.

Although the manufacture of a solar panel is a laborious process, it can be assembled by hand.

Tools and materials

If it is not possible to purchase a ready-made solar battery for the home, you can make it yourself.

To make a solar battery you will need:

• photocells (to create a solar panel);
• a set of special conductors (for connecting photocells);
• aluminum corners (for the body);
• Schottke diodes;
• fastening hardware;
• screws for fasteners;
• polycarbonate sheet (transparent);
• silicone sealant;
• soldering iron.

Choice of photocells

Today, manufacturers offer consumers a choice of two types of devices. Solar cells made of single-crystal silicon have an efficiency of up to 13%. They are less efficient in cloudy weather. Polycrystalline silicon photocells have an efficiency of up to 9%, but they are able to work not only on sunny, but also on cloudy days.

To provide a summer house or a small private house with electricity, it is enough to use polycrystals.

Important information: It is advisable to purchase solar cells from the same manufacturer, since cells of different brands can have significant differences, which affects the efficiency of work and the assembly process, and also leads to higher energy costs during operation.

When choosing photocells, pay attention to the following:

• the larger the cell, the more energy it produces;
• elements of the same type create the same voltage (this indicator does not depend on the size).

To determine the power of a solar battery, it is enough to multiply the generated current by the voltage.

It is quite simple to distinguish polycrystalline solar cells from monocrystalline ones. The first type is distinguished by a bright blue color and a square shape. Monocrystalline solar cells are darker, they are cut off at the edges.

Poly- and monocrystalline panels are easy to distinguish even at first glance

You should not give preference to products with a reduced price, as they may be rejected by rejection - these are parts that have not passed the test at the factory. It is better to use the services of trusted suppliers who, although they offer goods at a high price, are responsible for their quality. If there is no experience in assembling solar cells, it is recommended to purchase several test samples to practice, and only then buy products for the manufacture of the battery itself.

Some manufacturers seal the photocells in wax to prevent damage during shipping. However, it is quite difficult to get rid of it due to the high risk of damage to the plates, so it is recommended to buy photovoltaic cells without wax.

Manufacturing instructions

The process of manufacturing a solar battery consists of several stages:

1. Preparation of photocells and soldering of conductors.
2. Corpus creation.
3. Assembly of elements and sealing.

Preparing photocells and soldering conductors

A set of photocells is assembled on the table. Let's say the manufacturer indicates a power of 4 W and a voltage of 0.5 volts. In this case, you need to use 36 photovoltaic cells to create an 18 watt solar panel.

With the help of a soldering iron, the power of which is 25 W, contours are applied, forming soldered tin wires.

The quality of soldering is the main requirement for the efficient operation of a solar battery.

Important information: It is advisable to carry out the soldering process on a flat, hard surface.

Then all cells are interconnected in accordance with the electrical circuit. When connecting a solar panel, you can use one of two methods: parallel or serial connection. In the first case, the positive terminals are connected to the positive, negative to negative. Then the terminals with different charges are connected to the battery. Serial connection involves the connection of opposite charges by alternately fastening the cells together. After that, the remaining ends are led to the battery.

Important information: Regardless of which type of connection you choose, it is necessary to provide shunt diodes that are installed on the plus terminal. Schorke diodes are ideal. They prevent the device from discharging at night.

When the soldering is complete, you need to take the cells to the sun to check their performance. If the functionality is normal, you can start assembling the case.

The device is tested on the sunny side

How to assemble the body

• Prepare aluminum corners with low sides.
• Holes are pre-drilled for hardware.
• Then silicone sealant is applied to the inside of the aluminum corner (it is desirable to make two layers). The tightness, as well as the service life of the solar battery, depends on how well it is applied. It is important to pay attention to the absence of unfilled places.
• After that, a transparent sheet of polycarbonate is placed in the frame and tightly fixed.
• When the sealant dries, hardware with screws is attached, which will provide a more reliable fastening.

Given the fragility of the structure, it is recommended to first create a frame, and then only install photocells

Important information: In addition to polycarbonate, plexiglass or anti-reflective glass can be used.

Assembly of elements and sealing

• Clean the transparent material from contamination.
• Place the photocells on the inside of the polycarbonate sheet at a distance of 5 mm between the cells. In order not to be mistaken, first make the markup.
• Apply mounting silicone to each photocell.

To extend the life of the solar battery, it is recommended to apply mounting silicone to its elements and close it with the back panel

• After that, the back panel is attached. After the silicone hardens, the entire structure must be sealed.

Sealing the structure will ensure a snug fit of the panels to each other

Video: Making a solar battery with your own hands at home

Installation rules

To be able to use the solar battery to the maximum, it is recommended to follow certain rules when installing the device:

1. You need to choose the right place. If you place the solar panel where there is always a shadow, the device will be ineffective. Based on this, it is not recommended to install the device near trees, it is advisable to choose an open place. Many people install solar panels on the roof of the house.
2. When installing, you must point the device towards the sun. It is necessary to achieve the maximum hit of its rays on the photocells. For example, being in the north, you should orient the front side of the solar battery to the south.
3. An important role is played by the determination of the slope of the device. It also depends on the geographical location. It is believed that the slope angle should be the latitude in which the battery is installed. When placed in the equator zone, you will have to adjust the angle of inclination according to the time of year. The correction will be 12 degrees, taking into account the increase and decrease in summer and winter, respectively.
4. It is recommended to install a solar panel in an accessible place. As the device is used, the front side accumulates dirt, and in winter it is covered with snow, and as a result, energy production is reduced. Therefore, it is necessary to periodically clean the battery, removing plaque from its front panel.

Making a device from improvised means

To date, craftsmen have developed ways to create solar panels from improvised materials, but is such savings justified?

Using old transistors

For the manufacture of a solar battery, you can use old transistors. To do this, cut off their covers, fixing the devices in a vice by the rim. Then the voltage is measured under the influence of light. It is necessary to determine it on all instrument outputs in order to detect maximum values. The voltage depends on the power of the transistor, as well as on the dimensions of the crystal.

You need to carefully cut off the transistor cover, otherwise you can damage the thin wires that are connected to the semiconductor crystal

After that, you can begin to manufacture a solar battery. Using five transistors and connecting them in series, you can get a device sufficient to power the power calculator. The frame is assembled from sheet plastic. It is necessary to drill holes in it that are needed to output the transistor. A calculator based on such a solar battery works stably, but it needs to be no further than 30 cm from the light source. For better results, it is advisable to use a second chain of transistors.

Application of diodes

To collect a solar battery, you will need a lot of diodes. In addition, a substrate board is used. A soldering iron is used in the manufacturing process.

First you need to open the inner crystal so that the rays of the sun fall on it. To do this, the top of the diode is cut off and removed. The lower part, where the crystal is located, must be heated over a gas stove for about 20 seconds. When the solder of the crystal melts, it can be easily removed with tweezers. A similar manipulation is carried out with each diode. Then the crystals are soldered to the board.

Elements of a solar battery made of diodes are interconnected using thin copper wires.

To obtain 2–4 V, 5 blocks are sufficient, consisting of five crystals soldered in series. Blocks are placed parallel to each other.

Device made of copper sheets

To make a solar panel from copper sheets, you will need:

• the copper sheets themselves;
• two crocodile clips;
• high sensitivity microammeter;
• electric stove (at least 1000 W);
• plastic bottle with cut off top;
• two tablespoons of table salt;
• water;
• sandpaper;
• sheet metal shears.

Procedure:

1. First, cut off a piece of copper that is the same size as the heating element on the stove. Clean the surface of the sheet from grease and clean it with sandpaper, then place it on the stove and heat it at maximum temperature.
2. During the formation of the oxide, multi-colored patterns can be seen. It is necessary to wait for the black color, and then leave the copper sheet to heat up for about half an hour. After this period of time, the stove switches off. The sheet remains on it for slow cooling.
3. When the black oxide disappears, it is necessary to rinse the copper under running water.
4. Then cut a piece of the same size from the whole sheet. Place both parts in a plastic bottle. It is important that they do not touch each other.
5. Attach the copper plates to the walls of the bottle with clamps. Connect the wire from a blank sheet to the positive terminal of the measuring device, and from copper with oxide to the negative terminal.
6. Dissolve the salt in a small amount of water. Pour the salt water into the bottle carefully, being careful not to wet the contacts. There should be enough solution so that it does not completely cover the plates. The solar battery is ready, you can conduct experiments.

When placing the copper plates in the container, you need to carefully bend them so that they fit, but do not break.

Is there a benefit?

The efficiency of a device made of transistors is very low. The reason for this is the large area of ​​the device itself and the small size of the solar cell (semiconductor). Thus, the transistor-based solar battery has not gained popularity, such devices are suitable only for entertainment.

Diodes tend to consume current and glow spontaneously. Therefore, when they are used to make a solar battery, some of the diodes will generate electricity, while the rest of the devices, on the contrary, will consume it. From this we can conclude that the efficiency of such a device is low.

To light a light bulb from a solar panel based on copper sheets, you will need to use a large amount of material. For example, to operate a 1000 W stove, 1,600,000 m² of copper is needed. To equip such a device on the roof of the house, it will be required that its area is 282 m². And all efforts would go to ensuring the operation of one furnace. In practice, it makes no sense to use such a solar battery.

Despite the relative high cost, solar panels pay off pretty quickly. Try this eco-friendly way to generate energy by building your own solar panel.