IN Lately Solar panels have become especially popular - devices that allow you to obtain energy from sunlight. Such elements allow ordinary people 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 with a minimum of costs.
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, cleaning agents can be used. Any traces of fat will inhibit oxidation and must be removed and removed Blank sheet just 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:
The demand for alternative energy sources is increasing every day. Craftsmen are actively mastering ways to make a solar battery with their own hands.
Preparatory stage: what you need to know about solar panels
For self-made For a solar battery, you can use either specially purchased blanks or make maximum use of the material available in your home workshop - diodes, transistors, foil.
In most cases, solar panels cannot replace a full-fledged power plant and provide an operating voltage of 220 V for the operation of powerful electrical appliances. Limitations arise due to their high cost and large area of free space for installation.
They are often used as an additional source of energy for non-electrified summer cottages.
The efficiency of solar panels depends on weather conditions, the intensity of the sun's rays, and the angle of incidence of the light flux.
A small number of clear days in a particular region, strong shading land plot, may be the cause of economic unprofitability new installation: the payback period will be longer than the service life (up to 30 years).
The place to install a solar battery for your home should be well lit, preferably located above ground level (on the roof), and the structure itself should be able to correct its position in space so that the sun's rays fall perpendicular to the surface of the solar cells.
How to build your own solar battery
To assemble a solar battery you need:
- Make a frame - a frame from aluminum corners or wooden slats. You can choose any shape of the housing, and accordingly, the shape of the solar battery. It is necessary to prepare a fiberboard backing and protective glass in size.
- Solder solar cells. The most critical stage: the final efficiency of the battery depends on high-quality soldering. 3. Place the plate in the frame and seal it - the final stage of the work.
The main part of the solar battery consists of photocells, which convert the energy of daylight into electricity.
The industry produces 3 types of wafers: monocrystalline, polycrystalline and thin-film (amorphous). Only the first 2 are affordable and are purchased as blanks for future home experiments.
The difference between them is efficiency - up to 14% and 9%, respectively, durability - 30 and 20 years of service, and sensitivity to sunlight intensity.
Only batteries with polycrystalline conductors do not reduce power generation in cloudy weather.
It makes sense to purchase discounted second-grade photocells - they are not suitable for industrial purposes, and existing defects do not impair the quality of homemade products.
The purchased photocells need to be soldered together. Single element gives 0.5 V voltage, usually home craftsmen rely on the nominal voltage finished product 18 V.
By correctly combining a circuit, it is easy to achieve the desired consumer properties: a parallel connection increases the current, a serial connection increases the voltage.
There should be a soldering iron, flux and solder on the workbench. Wire tin, acid-free flux, leaving a minimum of greasy residue.
Silicon wafers are placed on protective glass, leaving a gap of 5 mm: when heated, the photocells expand. When soldering, it is important to observe polarity - tracks with a negative and a positive sign are not difficult to distinguish.
Note!
It is better to purchase solar cells with flat conductors already soldered to the solar cells, and just combine them into a circuit yourself. The extreme elements of the circuit are output to a common bus.
Additionally, you should solder a Schottky diode 31DQ03 or similar to prevent self-discharge of the battery in an inactive state.
The core of the solar battery is ready, all that remains is to place it in the prepared housing. After this, one drop of heat-resistant sealant is applied to the center of each individual photocell (if there are several drops, the plate may burst when expanding from heating) and carefully covered with a substrate, then a lid.
The joints should be sealed using silicone, and the product is ready. What could be an alternative to industrial photocells
Photos of solar panels made from improvised radio components are surprising in their originality, although specifications are not very impressive.
Note!
For home production electricity, you can use a variety of materials:
- Transistors of the KT or P type, inside of which a semiconductor silicon element is located. The metal cover is cut off from them, and the opened plate is capable of performing the functions of a photocell, its voltage is 0.35 V.
- Diodes D223B. Their advantages over others are a voltage of 0.35 V with a compact size, a convenient housing, and easy cleaning of unnecessary paint using acetone for subsequent work.
- Copper foil.
In order for it to acquire the properties of converting solar energy into electrical energy, it is necessary to carry out special processing:
- Degrease.
- Handle sandpaper in order to remove the protective oxide film and possible corrosion. Ignite for gas burner until copper oxide forms, the plate changes color to black and then heats up for half an hour.
- After slow cooling, the workpiece is carefully washed under running water to remove black film.
The desired semiconductor is a wafer with a thin layer of copper oxide. Unlike the first two options, soldering work is not needed here for further work.
You need to place the salt solution in 2 pieces of foil of the same size, but different in properties - the processed and the original version.
They should not touch, they should be clamped with “crocodile clips” with the wires. The positive pole is for pure copper, the negative pole is for oxide. The salt solution in a transparent container does not reach the top of the plates by 2-3 cm.
Not everyone can buy solar panels, due to the relatively high price, painlessly for the family budget. Show yourself in technical creativity, please your household and surprise your guests with the results of your work.
Note!
Photo of a solar battery with your own hands
It all started with a walk through the eBay website - I saw solar panels and got sick.
Disputes with friends about payback were funny... When buying a car, no one thinks about the return on investment. A car is like a mistress, prepare the amount for pleasure in advance. And here it’s quite the opposite, you spent money and they are still trying to recoup... In addition, I connected an incubator to the solar panels so they still justify their purpose, protecting your future farm from destruction. In general, having an incubator, you depend on many factors, it’s either a master or a layman. When I have time, I’ll write about homemade incubator. Well, okay, why talk about it, everyone has the right to choose.....!
After much waiting, the treasured box with thin, fragile records finally warms my hands and heart.
First of all, of course, the Internet... well, it’s not the gods who burn the pots. Someone else's experience is always useful. And then disappointment set in... As it turned out, about five people made the panels with their own hands, the rest were simply copied onto their websites, some of them, in order to be more original, copied from different developments. Well, God bless them, let this remain on the conscience of the page owners.
I decided to read the forums; the long discussions of theorists on “how to milk a cow” led to complete despondency. Discussions about how plates break due to heat, the difficulties of sealing, etc. I read it and spat on the whole thing. We will go our own way, by trial and error, relying on the experience of “colleagues”; why reinvent the wheel?
Let's set the task:
1) The panel should be made from available materials so as not to stretch your wallet, since the result is unknown.
2) The manufacturing process should not be labor-intensive.
We begin production solar panel:
The first thing we purchased was 2 glasses 86x66 cm for the future two panels.
The glass is simple, purchased from plastic window manufacturers. Or maybe not simple...
A long search for aluminum corners, based on experience already tested by “colleagues,” ended in nothing.
Therefore, the manufacturing process began sluggishly, with a feeling of long-term construction.
I won’t describe the process of soldering panels, since there is a lot of information about this on the Internet and even a video. I'll just leave my notes and comments.
The devil is not as scary as he is painted.
Despite the difficulties that are described on the forums, the plates of the elements are soldered easily, like front side, and the back. Also, our Soviet POS-40 solder is quite suitable, in any case, I did not experience any difficulties. And of course, our dear rosin, where would we be without it... During soldering I didn’t break a single element, I think you’d have to be a complete idiot to break them on even glass.
The conductors that come with the panels are very convenient, firstly, they are flat, and secondly, they are tinned, which significantly reduces soldering time. Although it is quite possible to use ordinary wire, I conducted the experiment on spare plates and did not experience any difficulties in soldering. (in the photo there are remains of a flat wire)
It took me about 2 hours to solder 36 plates. Although I read on the forum that people solder for 2 days.
It is advisable to use a 40 W soldering iron. Since the plates easily dissipate heat, and this makes soldering difficult. The first attempts to solder with a 25 Watt soldering iron were tedious and sad.
Also, when soldering, it is advisable to optimally select the amount of flux (rosin). For a large excess of it prevents the tin from sticking to the plate. That’s why we had to practically tin the record, in general, it’s no big deal, everything can be fixed. (look closely at the photo you can see.)
Tin consumption is quite large.
Well, in the photo there are soldered elements, there is a jamb in the second row, one terminal is not soldered, but I noticed nothing important and corrected it.
The glass edging is made with double-sided tape, then a plastic film will be glued to this tape.
The tapes I used.
After soldering, start sealing (adhesive tape will help you).
Well, the plates are glued with tape and the corrected jamb.
Next, remove the protective layer of double-sided tape from the panel edging and glue it onto it plastic film with a margin at the edges. (I forgot to take a photo) Oh yes, we make slits in the tape for the outgoing wires. Well, don’t be stupid, you’ll understand what and when... We coat the edges of the glass, as well as the wire leads, corners, with silicone sealant.
And fold the film onto the outside.
A plastic frame was pre-made. When installed in the house plastic windows, a plastic profile for the window sill is attached to the window with screws. I thought this part was too thin. So I removed it and made the window sill my own way. Because only 12 windows remained plastic profiles. So to speak, there is an abundance of material.
I glued the frame with a regular, old, Soviet iron. It’s a pity I didn’t film the process, but I think there’s nothing too incomprehensible here. I cut 2 sides at 45 degrees, heated them on the sole of the iron and glued them after setting them at an even angle. The photo shows the frame for the second panel.
We install glass with elements and protective film framed
We cut off the excess film and seal the edges with silicone sealants.
We get this panel.
Yes, I forgot to write that in addition to the film, I glued guides to the frame that prevent the elements from falling if the tape comes off. The space between the elements and guides is filled polyurethane foam. This made it possible to press the elements more tightly to the glass.
Well, let's start testing.
Since I made one panel in advance, the result of one is known to me: Voltage 21 Volts. Short circuit current 3.4 Amperes. Charge current strength battery 40A. h 2.1 Ampere.
Unfortunately I didn't take any photos. It must be said that the current strength depends sharply on the illumination.
Now there are 2 batteries connected in parallel.
The weather at the time of production was cloudy, it was about 4 o'clock in the afternoon.
At first it upset me, and then it even made me happy. After all, these are the most average conditions for a battery, which means the result is more plausible than in bright sunshine. The sun did not shine through the clouds so brightly. I must say that the sun was shining a little from the side.
With this lighting, the short circuit current was 7.12 Amperes. Which I consider an excellent result.
No-load voltage 20.6 Volts. Well, it's stable at about 21 volts.
Battery charging current is 2.78 Ampere. With such lighting, this guarantees the battery charge.
Measurements showed that on a good sunny day the result will be better.
By that time, the weather was getting worse, the clouds had closed, the sun was completely shining, and I began to wonder what would show in this situation. It's almost evening twilight...
The sky looked like this, I specially removed the horizon line. However, on the battery glass itself you can see the sky as if in a mirror.
The voltage in this situation is 20.2 volts. As already mentioned 21st century. it's practically a constant.
Short circuit current 2.48A. In general, it’s great for such lighting! Almost equal to one battery in good sun.
Battery charging current is 1.85 Ampere. What can I say... Even at dusk the battery will be charged.
Conclusion: A solar battery has been built that is not inferior in characteristics to industrial designs. Well, as for durability.....we'll see, time will tell.
Oh yes, the battery is charged through 40 A Schottky diodes. Well, what was found.
I also want to say about controllers. It all looks nice, but it's not worth the money spent on the controller.
If you are comfortable with a soldering iron, the circuits are very simple. Do it and enjoy making it.
Well, the wind blew up and the remaining 5 spare elements fell into an uncontrollable flight..... the result was fragments. Well, what can you do, carelessness must be punished. On the other hand... Where should they go?
We decided to make another socket from the fragments, 5 volts. It took 2 hours to make. The remaining materials came at just the right time. This is what happened.
Measurements were taken in the evening.
It must be said that when good lighting short circuit current is more than 1 ampere.
The pieces are soldered in parallel and in series. The goal is to provide approximately the same area. After all, the current strength is equal to the smallest element. Therefore, when manufacturing, select elements according to the lighting area.
It's time to talk about practical application solar panels made by me.
In the spring I installed two manufactured panels on the roof, 8 meters high at an angle of 35 degrees, oriented to the southeast. This orientation was not chosen by chance, because it was noticed that in this latitude, in the summer, the sun rises at 4 am and by 6-7 o’clock it charges the batteries quite well with a current of 5-6 amperes, and this also applies to the evening. Each panel must have its own diode. In order to prevent elements from burning out when the power of the panels differs. And as a consequence, an unjustified reduction in the power of the panels.
The descent from a height was carried out with multi-core wire with a cross-section of 6 mm2 each core. In this way, it was possible to achieve minimal losses in the wires.
Old, barely alive batteries 150Ah, 75Ah, 55Ah, 60Ah were used as energy storage devices. All batteries are connected in parallel and, taking into account the loss of capacity, the total amount is about 100Ah.
There is no battery charge controller. Although I think installing a controller is necessary. I’m working on the controller circuit now. Since during the day the batteries begin to boil. Therefore, you have to dump excess energy every day by turning on unnecessary load. In my case, I turn on the bathhouse lighting. 100 W. Also, during the day, an LCD TV of approximately 105W, a 40W fan, and in the evening an energy-saving 20W light bulb are added.
For those who like to carry out calculations, I will say: THEORY AND PRACTICE are not the same thing. Since such a “sandwich” works quite well for over 12 hours. At the same time, sometimes we charge phones from it. I have never reached the full discharge of the batteries. Which accordingly cancels out the calculations.
As a converter, a 600VA computer uninterruptible power supply (inverter) was used, slightly modified for free starting from batteries, which approximately corresponds to a load of 300W.
I also want to note that the batteries are charged even under a bright moon. In this case, the current is 0.5-1 Ampere, I think for the night this is not bad at all.
Of course, I would like to increase the load, but this requires a powerful inverter. I plan to make an inverter myself according to the diagram below. Since buying an inverter for crazy money is UNREASONABLE!
For almost two centuries, humanity has been thinking about how to ensure electrical energy inventions and increasing needs. During this period, power plants, the power of the split atom, large-scale hydroelectric power stations were invented, and wild rivers came to the aid of humanity. Rapidly developing in different regions Earth. This should include wind farms and solar panels.
Considering the fact that the extinction of the Sun is predicted only after 5 billion years, this source of energy can be considered inexhaustible. The interaction between electrical energy and light was first discovered by a physicist. He found that ultraviolet light promotes the occurrence and passage of a discharge between conductors of electrical energy.
The first scheme for generating and transmitting energy using rays was produced by scientist Alexander Stoletov. He created the first photocell. But the discovery of the photoelectric effect, which was made by Einstein, led to the fact that the solar battery industry began to develop.
Battery device
If you decide to make a solar battery yourself, you should first become familiar with its structure. It is a system of interconnected elements, the structure of which allows the use of the photoelectric effect principle. sunlight falls on elements at a certain angle and is converted into electric current.
The structure of the solar battery and the principle of operation will be described in the article. First you need to study the first part of the question. The design includes the following components:
- semiconductor material;
- power supply;
- controller;
- battery charge;
- inverter-converter;
- Voltage regulator.
A semiconductor material consists of combined layers with different conductivities. It can be polycrystalline or monocrystalline silicon with the addition of some chemical compounds. The latter allow you to get required properties for the photoelectric effect to occur.
One of the layers must have an excess of electrons to ensure the transfer of electrons from one material to another. The additional layer must be deficient in electrons. A thin layer of the element in the system is necessary to resist the transfer of electrons. It is located between the above layers.
If you connect a power source to the opposing layer, the electrons will overcome the barrier zone. This allows you to achieve what is called electric current. A battery is used to save and accumulate energy. To convert electric current An inverter-converter is used in variable. But to create a voltage in the required range, a stabilizer is used.
Principle of operation
If you are thinking about the question of how to make a solar battery at home, you should also familiarize yourself with the principle of its operation. It lies in the fact that photons of light, which are solar radiation, fall on the surface of the semiconductor. When they collide with the surface, they transfer their energy to the electrons of the semiconductor. Electrons knocked out of the semiconductor penetrate the protective layer. They have extra energy.
Negative electrons leave the p-type conductor and then follow into the n conductor. With positive electrons, the opposite happens. This transition is facilitated electric fields, existing in conductors. This increases the force and charge difference. The strength of the electric current in the element will depend on several factors, including:
- amount of light;
- radiation intensity;
- receiving surface area;
- angle of incidence of light;
- operating time;
- System efficiency;
- outside air temperature.
Manufacturing instructions
Before you make a solar battery at home, you should familiarize yourself with several options for assembling such elements. The technology will depend on the number of solar cells and additional materials. The larger the panel area, the more powerful the equipment will be, but this will entail an increase in the weight of the structure. The same modules should be used in one battery, because the current equivalence will be equal to that of the smaller element.
Preparation of tools and materials
Some owners of private houses are wondering how to make a solar battery at home. If you are also one of them, you should know that the design of the modules and their dimensions can be chosen by you yourself.
To make the case, inside of which the elements will be located, you should prepare:
- plywood sheets;
- universal glue;
- drill;
- pieces of plexiglass;
- low slats;
- corners and screws;
- fiberboard boards;
- paint.
Frame assembly
At the first stage, you should take plywood, which will act as a base. Sides are glued along its perimeter. The slats should not block the solar cells, so their height should not be more than 3/4 inch. For reliability, the glued slats are screwed with self-tapping screws, and the corners are fixed with corners. For ventilation, holes are drilled in the lower part of the body and along the sides. They should not be in the lid, as this may cause moisture to enter.
If you are faced with the question of how to make a solar battery at home, you should familiarize yourself with the technology. It involves fastening elements to fiberboard sheets, which can be replaced with other material. The main condition is that the fabric should not conduct electric current.
Work methodology
The lid should be cut out of plexiglass and adjusted to the dimensions of the body. Impregnation should be used to protect wooden parts. Solar modules are laid out on a substrate reverse side up to solder the conductors. To work, you should prepare solder and a soldering iron.
If you want to know how to make a solar battery yourself at home, then you should take into account: the soldering points are processed with a pencil. To begin with, you can practice on two elements. All elements are connected in a sequential chain, the result should be a snake. The elements are connected, and then the system is turned face up. The modules are glued onto the panels. Can be used as glue silicone sealant.
A battery for your home can be a real helper in your household; it is quite simply made. After attaching the modules to the substrate, you can check the functionality of the system. The base is then placed into the frame and secured with screws.
Finally
In order to prevent the battery from discharging through the battery, a blocking diode is installed on the panel, which is then secured with sealant. Installed items The top is covered with a plexiglass screen. Before fixing, you should once again check the functionality of the structure. Now you know how to make a solar battery at home. Additionally, you should also know that you can test modules during installation and soldering; this can be done in groups of several pieces.
The sun is a huge and stable source of energy; it would be stupid not to use it. The power generated by the sun is 1000 W/m². You won't be able to use all the power, but you will be able to use some of it. Using photocells, you can collect up to 140 W per m².
Solar panels are several photocells that convert solar energy into electricity.
What is the structure of a solar battery? These are one or more solar cells that convert solar energy into electricity.
Electricity is becoming more expensive every day and will continue to rise in price. Now companies are looking for new energy sources and trying to make them. One of the most popular such sources is solar panels. More and more solar chargers are appearing every day. They are used at home, in the office, in industry. Solar energy is being used more and more often.
Advantages of a solar battery
Diagram of the structure and operation of a solar battery.
- Durability. Such an energy source will work for you for a very long time, therefore, when purchasing a solar battery, you sign a long-term contract with it.
- Simple structure. You can make the battery yourself at home, there is nothing difficult about it. Below are instructions on how to do this.
- Little weight. Solar batteries, due to their design and the material used, weigh little, which is a huge advantage in some industries.
- Repairable. This kind of battery breaks quite rarely, but if it does happen, they can be easily restored.
- Environmental friendliness. Solar panels are environmentally friendly and use an inexhaustible resource - sunlight. In addition to being environmentally friendly, they have another advantage - noiselessness.
You need to know that such an energy source is not ideal; it also has disadvantages. Firstly, solar panels are quite expensive. Secondly, they take up a lot of space. Thirdly, they need careful care - batteries react to dirt, they must always be kept clean. Fourthly, it depends on the weather and time of day. You can receive solar energy only if the weather is favorable and during the daytime. On cloudy and cloudy days, battery power can decrease by 10 times. Fifthly, low efficiency. It ranges from approximately 10 to 25%.
Currently, there are several factories in Russia that produce solar panels, but you can make them yourself at home. They won't be as powerful as the professional ones, but they might be fine for the home.
Structure of a solar battery
The main function on which the structure of a solar battery depends is energy generation.
The basis of the battery is photocells, which must be connected in series and in parallel. The most popular solar cells are made from silicon. Our planet has a huge amount of silicon in its reserves, but the process of purifying it is very expensive, which causes difficulties. Alternative to silicon - copper, selenium, indium, organic solar cells, etc. One solar cell has very little power, it is not suitable for industrial applications, therefore, the elements are connected together, thereby increasing their power and efficiency. The resulting “bundle” of elements is very fragile, so it is covered with a protective layer (glass, film, plastic). All together forms a solar battery.
Types of solar panels.
The main characteristic of a battery is its power. It is formed depending on the current and voltage in the battery. The parallelism of the connection of the plates is responsible for the current value, and their sequence is responsible for the voltage. It is also possible to connect not only the plates inside the battery, but also the batteries themselves.
If we describe each level of a photocell, starting from the base, it will look like this:
- metal backing;
- silicon;
- anti-glare coating;
- conductor plates.
The battery will look different:
- frame;
- photocell;
- anti-glare sheet;
- protective covering.
Make a solar battery with your own hands without effort
Have you ever tried to build your own energy source at home? It's time to try this.
So that the solar battery at home brings you greatest benefit, it should be exposed to sunlight as much as possible.
Solar battery diagram.
You also need to use batteries that will collect energy. Homemade batteries will come in handy when traveling, when you go outdoors, and at home.
There are several ways to make a solar power source at home.
The first method is quite simple. You will need to purchase solar panel modules. They can be ordered on the website on the Internet. Modules may not be the same good quality, any are suitable for building a battery. Look, maybe you can find a couple of modules at your home.
If you plan to consume solar energy only in good weather, then the battery is not needed, the energy source will be the sun. Be careful when building - the modules are very fragile! A strong finger press on the module is enough for it to crack and go into the trash.
The number of modules you will need directly depends on required power batteries and where it will be used in the future. Take the modules and solder them on a flat table into several identical chains. Solder the chains together so that you get a rectangular sheet of modules. For example: 3 rows of 5 modules each. Attach a protective layer on top; regular glass will do. Take care of the base of the battery too, use plywood, plastic sheet or something else. Fasten the resulting modular sheet together with the base and protective layer. Regular construction tape will do for this. Important rule: Do not press your battery, make sure there is a small gap between the module, base and protective glass. Next, install the block on the structure and pull the wires there.
You should not press the battery too hard; you need to make sure that there is a small gap between all the elements.
The next method is also quite simple and practical. It was described above how to make a battery at home from modules, and now another option will be offered - how to make a battery from diodes.
Choose D223B diodes, they have many advantages over others. Firstly, they are cheap, a box of 100 pieces costs 130 rubles. Secondly, the paint is easily removed from them. You just need to keep them in acetone for a little while, and then wipe them with a rag, and the paint will come off. Thirdly, they are compact. Your design will take up little space and will be convenient for transportation. Fourthly, these diodes have a good voltage - approximately 350 mV in direct sunlight. Look around your home; diodes may have been left over from ancient times.
Start by removing paint from the diodes, dip them in acetone and leave for a while. Under these conditions, the paint will become wet, and then you can easily remove it. While you are preparing the base for the battery. Take a plastic plate; the width should be such that you can later make holes in this plate.
Take a sheet of paper in a cage, draw a diagram and observe the scale. It's better to do 1:1. The cage can be 5x5 mm, 10x10 mm, no longer needed. The diagram should have the following form: the closing rows should be continuous, i.e. Simply connect the top and bottom rows in series. The rows between the trailing ones will be different. Rows 2 and 3, 4 and 5, 6 and 7 and so on will be connected to each other in the center, forming a square the size of one cell. Now we need to return to the diodes, which are soaked in acetone. Carefully remove them and peel off the paint. Using a voltmeter, determine where the positive side of the diode is. Bend the positive terminal to create a hook. Make holes in the plastic plate according to the diagram, and then insert diodes into these holes and solder them. The battery is ready, you can test it using a voltmeter.
Such homemade solar panels will definitely find application in everyday life, make your life more comfortable and reduce costs. Making a solar battery at home does not cost a lot of work. Assembly takes about an hour.
How to make a solar battery at home with your own hands (video)
How to make a solar battery at home without effort? Making a solar battery at home is not difficult. Assembly takes about an hour.
DIY solar battery for home
Currently, alternative energy sources are very fashionable and popular, especially among owners of country cottages or private houses. But often such a device costs a lot of money and not everyone can afford to purchase solar panels for their home. Therefore, making solar panels with your own hands has become very relevant. So how can you make solar panels yourself?
Characteristics of solar panel
A solar cell is a semiconductor structure that is capable of converting solar radiation into electricity. This allows you to provide your home with economical, reliable and, most importantly, uninterrupted power supply. Especially this is relevant for hard-to-reach areas, as well as where there are frequent power outages from the main source.
This alternative energy source is quite practical because, unlike a traditional source of energy supply, it costs much less. Making solar panels with your own hands allows you not only to optimize energy consumption, but also saves money.
Advantages
Solar batteries have the following advantages:
- simple installation due to the fact that there is no need to lay a cable to the supports;
- electricity generation does not harm the environment at all;
- there are no moving parts;
- electricity is supplied independently of the distribution network;
- minimal time spent on system maintenance;
- light weight of batteries;
- silent operation;
- long service life at minimal costs.
Flaws
Despite quite significant advantages, solar panels also have their disadvantages, such as:
- the complexity of the manufacturing process;
- sensitivity to pollution;
- on effective work solar panels are influenced by weather conditions (sunny or cloudy days);
- such a design requires a lot of space;
- The batteries don't work at night.
Requirements for a solar battery
Anyone can install solar panels in a private home. But in order for such a DIY design to bring maximum benefits, its features should be taken into account. The following requirements apply to the solar battery:
Materials needed to make a solar battery with your own hands
If it is not possible to purchase solar panels, you can make them yourself. At the beginning need to decide on the material, from which they will be made.
To create panels, high-quality photocells will be needed. Manufacturers today offer the following types of devices:
- elements made of monocrystalline silicon have an efficiency of up to 13%, but are not efficient enough in cloudy weather;
- Photocells made of polycrystalline silicon have an efficiency of up to 9% and can work on both sunny and cloudy days.
To power your home, it is best to use polycrystals, which are available in kits.
It is important to know that everything needed for assembly Cells are best purchased from one manufacturer, since products of different brands have significant differences in the effectiveness of the products. This may create additional difficulties during assembly, entail costs as a result of operation, and the solar battery will have low power.
To make a solar panel from improvised materials, you will need special conductors designed to connect photocells.
The body of the future design is best made from aluminum corners that are light in weight. You can also use a material such as wood. But due to the fact that the structure will always be exposed to atmospheric influences, its service life will decrease.
The dimensions of the panel body depend on the number of photocells.
The outer covering of photocells can be made of plexiglass or transparent polycarbonate. Also used strained glass, does not transmit infrared rays.
Thus, to make a solar battery with your own hands, you will need the following materials:
- photocells in the set;
- fastening hardware;
- high power copper electrical wires;
- silicone vacuum stands;
- soldering equipment;
- aluminum corners;
- Schottke diodes;
- transparent sheet of polycarbonate or plexiglass;
- set of screws for fastening.
How to make solar panels with your own hands?
In order to make panels with your own hands, you need to collect the required materials. A solar battery for a home is assembled in the following sequence.
To properly make solar panels with your own hands, you need to adhere to the following recommendations:
Every person dreams of getting free electricity in their home, and this dream is possible. By making solar panels with your own hands, you can enjoy an additional source of electricity. Wherein This design does not cause any harm to the environment Moreover, it is very reliable and inexpensive.
How to make a solar panel for your home with your own hands: battery characteristics, advantages and disadvantages, tips
Characteristics of the solar panel, its advantages and disadvantages. Requirements for a solar battery, materials required for its manufacture. How to make solar panels with your own hands
DIY solar panels
Many people are interested in how solar energy can be converted into electricity. Alternative energy sources have always occupied the minds of people, and today everyone can get solar energy. In the article we will tell you how to make converter panels yourself from improvised materials (at home), and give step-by-step instructions for assembling the structure.
How it works
Solar battery device
An alternative energy source is a generator operating on the basis of the photoelectric effect. It allows you to convert solar energy into electricity. Getting on silicon wafers, which are components solar battery, light quanta displace electrons from the last orbits of each silicon atom. Thus, you can get a large number of free electrons, which form an electric current.
Types of solar panels
Before you start manufacturing a solar panel, you need to select the converter modules that will be used: monocrystalline, polycrystalline or amorphous. The most accessible are the first and second options. In order to select suitable elements, you need to know their exact characteristics:
- Polycrystalline wafers with silicon provide a fairly low efficiency - no more than 8-9%. However, they have the advantage of being able to work even during cloudy or cloudy weather.
- Monocrystalline plates provide about 13-14% efficiency, however, any cloudiness, not to mention cloudy weather, significantly reduces the power of a battery assembled from such plates.
Battery structure
Both types of plates are different long term service – from 20 to 40 years.
Purchasing silicon wafers for self-assembly you can take elements with minor defects - the so-called B-type modules. Some components of the plates can be replaced, thus assembling a battery for significantly less money.
Solar Panel Design
Tilt angle
When planning the placement of the converters, you need to choose a place for its installation so that it is located at an angle, receiving the sun's rays more or less perpendicularly. The ideal way would be to place the batteries in such a way that you can adjust their angle of inclination. They need to be located on the most illuminated side of the site, and the higher the better - for example, on the roof of a house. However, not all roofs can support the weight of a full-fledged solar battery, so in some cases it is recommended to install special support stands for the converters.
The required angle at which the battery should be located can be calculated based on geographical location of a given area, as well as the solstice level in a given area.
Materials for production
Assembly kit
- B-type converter modules,
- aluminum corners or ready-made frames for a future battery,
- protective coating for modules.
You can make support frames yourself using aluminum frames, or you can purchase ready-made ones of various sizes.
There may be no protective coating for solar panels, but it may be:
Basically everything protective coatings can be used without large losses of converted energy, however, plexiglass transmits rays worse than all the listed materials.
The size of the solar panel frame depends on how many modules will be used. When planning the arrangement of elements, it is necessary to leave a distance of 3-5 mm between the modules to compensate for possible changes in size due to temperature changes.
Finished work
- Having calculated the data and obtained the required dimensions, you can begin installing the frame. If used ready frames, you just need to select modules that completely fill them. Aluminum corners allow you to create a battery of any size.
- The frame from aluminum corners is assembled using fasteners. On inner part Silicone sealant is applied to the frame. It must be applied carefully, without missing a single millimeter - the battery life directly depends on this.
- Next, a panel from the selected protective material. It is recommended to securely secure the material to the frame using hardware. To do this you will need screws and a screwdriver. Upon completion of work, glass or its equivalent must be cleaned of dust and debris.
- Purchased modules may or may not contain already soldered contacts. In any case, it is recommended to either perform soldering from scratch, that is, three times - for greater reliability - using solder and soldering acid, or go through the soldering with a soldering iron.
- The solar battery can be assembled either directly on a prepared frame, or first on marked cardboard. Having laid out the elements on the glass in the required way, you need to connect them by soldering: on one side, tracks carrying current, with a plus sign; on the other hand - with a minus sign. The contacts of the last elements must be routed to a wide silver conductor, the so-called bus.
- After soldering is completed, it is necessary to check the work and carefully eliminate all problems, make sure that the panel is working properly.
The final stage of work will be sealing the manufactured panels using a special elastic sealant. All connected modules are completely covered with this mixture. After it has completely dried, you need to install a second panel of protective material, and also place the resulting source of alternative energy under the right angle at the planned location.
Complete video instructions for making a solar battery for your home:
Solar cell
The basis
Installing the underlay
Frame
Painting the frame
Wax removal
Layout and soldering
Assembled battery
Attachment to base
Blocking diode
Do-it-yourself solar panels - how to make them at home (photo)
Instructions for making a solar battery. How to assemble a solar battery.
We make a solar battery with our own hands
Obtaining electricity from alternative power sources is a very expensive endeavor. For example, using solar energy When purchasing ready-made equipment, you will have to spend a significant amount of money. But nowadays it is possible to assemble solar panels with your own hands for a summer house or private home from ready-made solar cells or other available materials. And before you start purchasing the necessary components and designing the structure, you need to understand what a solar battery is and its operating principle.
Solar battery: what is it and how does it work?
People who are faced with this task for the first time immediately have questions: “How to assemble a solar battery?” or “How to make a solar panel?” But having studied the device and the principle of its operation, problems with the implementation of this project disappear by themselves. After all, the design and principle of operation are simple and should not cause difficulties when creating a power source at home.
Solar battery (SB) - these are photovoltaic converters of energy emitted by the sun into electrical energy, which are connected in the form of an array of elements and enclosed in a protective structure. Converters - semiconductor elements made of silicon for generating direct current. They are produced in three types:
- Monocrystalline;
- Polycrystalline;
- Amorphous (thin film).
The operating principle of the device is based on photoelectric effect. Sunlight falling on photocells knocks out free electrons from the last orbits of each atom on the silicon wafer. Moving large quantity free electrons between the electrodes of the battery are produced D.C.. Next, it is converted to alternating current for home electrification.
The principle of operation of a solar battery
Selection of photocells
Before starting design work to create a panel at home, you need to choose one of three types of solar energy converters. To select suitable elements you need to know their technical characteristics:
- Monocrystalline. The efficiency of these plates is 12–14%. However, they are sensitive to the amount of incoming light. Light clouds significantly reduce the amount of electricity generated. Service life up to 30 years.
- Polycrystalline. These elements are capable of delivering an efficiency of 7–9%. But they are not affected by the quality of illumination and are capable of delivering the same amount of current in cloudy and even cloudy weather. Operational period - 20 years.
- Amorphous. Manufactured from flexible silicon. They produce an efficiency of about 10%. The amount of electricity produced is not reduced by the quality of the weather. But expensive and complex production makes them difficult to obtain.
To manufacture the SB on your own, you can purchase type B converters (second grade). These include elements with minor defects; even if some components are replaced, the cost of the batteries will be 2-3 times less than the market price, thanks to this you will save your money.
To provide a private home with electricity from alternative source The first two types of plates are best suited for energy.
Site selection and design
It is better to place batteries according to the principle: the higher the better. Great place there will be a roof of the house; there will be no shadow from trees or other buildings on it. If the design of the floors does not allow it to support the weight of the installation, then the location should be chosen in the area of the dacha that receives the most radiation from the sun.
The assembled panels must be positioned at such an angle that Sun rays fell as perpendicularly as possible onto the silicon elements. Ideal option installation of solar panels, it will be possible to adjust the entire installation in the direction behind the sun.
Making your own battery
You will not be able to provide your house or cottage with 220 V electricity from a solar battery, because... The size of such a battery will be enormous. One plate generates an electric current with a voltage of 0.5 V. The best option considered to be a SB with a rated voltage of 18 V. Based on this, it is calculated required amount photocells for the device.
Frame assembly
First of all, a homemade solar battery needs protective frame (housing). It can be made from aluminum corners 30x30 mm or from wooden blocks at home. Using metal profile On one of the shelves, a chamfer is removed with a file at an angle of 45 degrees, and the second shelf is cut at the same angle. The frame parts, cut to the required size with machined ends, are twisted using squares made of the same material. Protective glass is glued to the finished frame using silicone.
Aluminum angle housing
Soldering plates
When soldering elements at home, you need to know that to increase voltage needs to be connected sequentially, and for increasing current strength - parallel. The flint plates are laid out on the glass, leaving a gap of 5 mm between them on each side. This gap is necessary to dampen possible thermal expansion of the elements when heated. The converters have two tracks: on one side " plus", with another - " minus" All parts are connected in series into a single circuit. Then the conductors from the last components of the chain are brought out to a common bus.
To avoid self-discharge of the device at night or in cloudy weather, experts recommend installing a 31DQ03 Schottky diode or an analogue on the contact from the “middle” point.
After completing the soldering work, use a multimeter to check the output voltage, which should be 18–19 V to fully supply a private home with electricity.
Battery cell assembly
Panel assembly
Soldered converters are placed into the finished housing, then Silicone is applied to the center of each flint element, and is covered with a fiberboard backing on top to fix them. After which the structure is closed with a lid, and all joints are sealed with sealant or silicone. The finished panel is mounted on a holder or frame.
Solar batteries from scrap materials
In addition to assembling SBs from purchased photocells, they can be assembled from scrap materials that any radio amateur has: transistors, diodes and foil.
Transistor battery
For these purposes, the most suitable parts are KT type transistors or P. Inside them is a rather large silicon semiconductor cell, necessary for the production of electricity. Having selected the required number of radio components, you need to cut off the metal cover from them. To do this, you need to clamp it in a cleaver and use a hacksaw to carefully cut off the upper part. Inside you can see a plate that will serve as a photocell.
Transistor for battery with sawn-off cap
All these parts have three contacts: base, emitter and collector. When assembling the SB, you need to choose a collector junction due to the greatest potential difference.
Assembly is carried out on a flat plane from any dielectric material. Transistors need to be soldered into separate serial circuits, and these chains, in turn connect in parallel.
The calculation of the finished current source can be made from the characteristics of radio components. One transistor produces a voltage of 0.35 V and a current with a short circuit of 0.25 μA.
Diode battery
Solar battery made of diodes D223B can actually become a source of electric current. These diodes have the highest voltage and are made in a glass case coated with paint. The output voltage of the finished product can be determined from the calculation that one diode in the sun generates 350 mV.
- Place the required number of radio components in a container and fill it with acetone or another solvent and leave for several hours.
- Then you need to take the plate the right size made of non-metallic material and mark for soldering the power supply components.
- Once soaked, the paint can be easily scraped off.
- Armed with a multimeter, in the sun or under a light bulb we determine the positive contact and bend it. Diodes are soldered vertically, because In this position, the crystal best generates electricity from the sun's energy. Therefore, at the output we get the maximum voltage that the solar battery will generate.
Foil battery
In addition to the two methods described above, the power source can be assembled from foil. Homemade solar battery made according to step by step instructions, described below, will be able to provide electricity, although of very low power:
- For homemade you will need copper foil area 45 sq. see. The cut piece is processed in soapy solution to remove fat from the surface. It is also advisable to wash your hands so as not to leave grease stains.
- Emery is necessary remove protective oxide film and any other type of corrosion from the cutting plane.
- A sheet of foil is placed on the burner of an electric stove with a power of at least 1.1 kW and heated until red-orange spots form. With further heating, the resulting oxides are converted to copper oxide. This is evidenced by the black color of the surface of the piece.
- After the formation of the oxide, heating must be continued within 30 minutes so that an oxide film of sufficient thickness is formed.
- The roasting stops and the sheet cools down along with the stove. With slow cooling, the copper and oxide cool with at different speeds, which makes the latter easy to peel off.
- Under running water oxide residues are removed. In this case, you should not bend the sheet and mechanically tear off small pieces so as not to damage the thin layer of oxide.
- A second sheet is cut to the size of the first.
- IN plastic bottle with a volume of 2–5 liters with the neck cut off, you need to place two pieces of foil. Secure them with alligator clips. They must be positioned so that they didn't connect.
- A negative terminal is connected to the processed piece, and a positive terminal is connected to the second piece.
- A saline solution is poured into the jar. His the level should be 2.5 cm below the top edge of the electrodes. To prepare the mixture 2–4 tablespoons salt(depending on the volume of the bottle) dissolve in a small amount of water.
Foil battery
All solar panels are not suitable for providing a cottage or private home with electricity due to their low power. But they can serve as a power source for radios or charging small electrical appliances.
DIY solar panels: many ways, video
How to make solar panels with your own hands is described in detail in the article. Options from photocells, transistors, diodes and even copper foil are considered.
