Solar energy is just great, but here’s the problem: even one battery costs a lot of money, and for a good effect you need more than one, or even two. That's why the idea comes - to collect everything yourself. If you have a little soldering skill, this is easy to do. The entire assembly consists of sequentially connecting the elements into tracks, and securing the tracks to the body. Let's talk about the price right away. A set for one panel (36 pieces) costs around $70-80. And complete DIY solar panels with all the materials will cost you about $120-150. Much less than factory ones. But it must be said that they will also be less powerful. On average, each photoconverter produces 0.5 V, if you connect 36 pieces in series, it will be about 18 V.
A little theory: types of photocells for solar panels
The most a big problem- purchase photoelectric converters. These are the same silicon wafers that convert sunlight into electricity. Here you need to understand a little about the types of photocells. They are produced in two types: polycrystalline and monocrystalline. Monocrystalline ones are more expensive, but have a higher efficiency - 20-25%, polycrystalline ones - cheaper, but their productivity is lower - 17-20%. How to distinguish them externally? Polycrystalline have a bright blue color. Monocrystalline ones are a little darker and they have not a square, but a multifaceted shape - a square with cut edges.
About the release form. There are solar cells with already soldered conductors, and there are kits where the conductors are included and you need to solder everything yourself. Everyone decides what to buy, but it must be said that without skill you will damage at least one plate, and most likely more than one. And if you don’t know how to solder very well... then it’s better to pay a little more, but get parts that are almost ready for use.
Making photocells for solar panels with your own hands is unrealistic. To do this, you need to be able to grow silicon crystals and then process it. Therefore, you need to know where to buy. More on this later.
Where and how to buy photocells
Now about the quality. All Chinese sites like Ebay or Alibaba sell rejects. Those parts that did not pass tests at the factory. That's why you won't get a perfect battery. But their price is not the highest, so you can put up with it. At least at first. Assemble a couple of test solar panels with your own hands, get your hands on it, and then you can take it from the factory.
Some sell solar cells sealed in wax. This prevents them from being damaged during transportation, but it is quite difficult to get rid of the wax without damaging the plates. You need to dip them all together in hot, but not boiling water. Wait until the wax melts, then carefully separate. Then bathe each plate one by one in a hot soapy solution, then dip it in a clean hot water. You may need several such “ablutions”, water and soap solution will have to be changed, and more than once. After removing the wax, place the clean plates on a terry towel to dry. This is a very troublesome matter. So it's better to buy without wax. It's much easier this way.
Now about shopping on Chinese sites. Specifically about Ebay and Alibaba. They are verified, thousands of people buy something there every day. The system is no different. After registration, as usual, enter the name of the element in the search bar. Then you choose the offer you like for some reason. Be sure to choose from those options that offer free shipping. If there is no such mark, then delivery will have to be paid separately. And it is often more than the cost of the product and certainly more than the difference that you gain on the price.
You need to focus not only on the price, but also on the seller’s rating and reviews. Read carefully the composition of the product, its parameters and reviews. You can communicate with the seller, but you need to write messages in English.
Regarding payment. It is transferred to the seller on these sites only after you sign off on receiving the goods. In the meantime, while delivery is underway, your money is in the account of the trading platform. You can pay with a card. If you are afraid to reveal your card data, use intermediate services. They are different, but the essence is the same - your card will not light up. There are also returns on these sites, but this is a long story, so it’s better to buy from trusted sellers (with good rating and reviews).
Yes. The delivery depends on the region. And the point is not so much how long it will take from China, but how soon the mail will deliver it. At best, three weeks, but maybe a month and a half.
How to assemble
Assembling a solar battery with your own hands consists of three stages:
- Making the frame.
- Soldering solar cells.
- Framing and sealing.
The frame can be made from aluminum corners or wooden slats. But the shape of the frame, materials, and manufacturing sequence depend on the installation method.
Method one: installation on a window
The battery is hung on a window, on a frame from inside the room or outside, but also on the window. Then you need to make a frame from an aluminum corner, and glue glass or polycarbonate to it. In this case, at least small gaps remain between the photocells, through which some light penetrates into the room. Choose the frame dimensions based on the size of your solar cells and how you are going to arrange them. The dimensions of the window may also play a role. Please note that the plane must be flat - photoelectric converters are very fragile and will crack at the slightest distortion.
Having unfolded the finished frame with the glued glass face down, apply a layer of sealant to the surface of the glass. On the sealant, again front side down, lay out the rulers assembled from photocells.
Made from thick elastic foam rubber (thickness at least 4 cm) and a piece polyethylene film(200 microns) make a mat: cover the foam rubber with film and fasten it well. It is better to solder polyethylene, but you can also use tape, but all joints should be on the same side. The second one should be even and smooth. The size of the mat should fit well into the frame (without bending or effort).
We laid the mat on photocells embedded in sealant. There is a board on it, which is slightly smaller in size than the frame, and a solid load on the board. This simple device will help expel air bubbles that are trapped under the photocells. Air reduces productivity, and greatly. Because the fewer bubbles there are, the better. Leave the entire structure for 12 hours.
Now it's time to remove the weight and unstick the mat. Do it slowly and without haste. It is important not to damage the soldering and conductors. Therefore, pull smoothly, without jerking. After the mat has been removed, the panel must be left for a while to dry. When the sealant stops sticking, you can hang the panel and use it.
Instead of a lengthy procedure with sealant, you can use a special film for sealing. It's called EVA. Simply spread the film on top of the battery assembled and laid on the glass and heat it with a hair dryer until it is completely sealed. It takes much less time.
Method two: installation on a wall, roof, etc.
In this case everything is different. The back wall should be dense and non-conductive. Possibly - wooden, plywood, etc. Therefore, it makes sense to make the frame from wooden blocks. Only the height of the body should be small so that the shadow from the sides does not interfere.
In the photo, the body consists of two halves, but this is not at all necessary. It's just easier to assemble and lay short rulers, but in this case there will be more connections. Yes. A few nuances: you need to provide several holes in the housing. At the bottom you need several pieces for the condensation to escape, as well as two holes for the conductors from the battery.
Then paint the battery case with white paint - silicon wafers have a fairly wide range of operating temperatures, but it is not unlimited: from -40 o C to +50 o C. And in the summer, +50 o C easily rises in a closed box. That's why it's needed White color so that the photoconverters do not overheat. Overheating, like hypothermia, leads to reduced efficiency. This, by the way, could be an explanation strange phenomenon: midday, the sun is hot, and the battery began to produce less electricity. And she just overheated. For the southern regions, you probably need to lay down foil. It will be more effective. Moreover, productivity will most likely increase: radiation reflected by the foil will also be captured.
After the paint has dried, you can lay the assembled paths. But this time face up. How to attach them? Place a drop of heat-resistant sealant in the middle of each plate. Why not apply it over the entire surface? Due to thermal expansion, the plate will change dimensions. If you glue it only in the middle, nothing will happen to it. If there are at least two points, it will burst sooner or later. Therefore, carefully apply a drop in the middle and gently press the plate. Don't press - it's very easy to crush.
In some cases, the plates were first attached to the base - fiberboard sheet, painted the same white color. And then they were fixed to the body with screws on the base.
After all the rulers are laid, connect them in series. To prevent the conductors from dangling, they can be fixed with a few drops of sealant. You can remove the wires from the elements through the bottom or through the side - whichever is more convenient. Pull them through the hole, and then fill the hole with the same sealant. Now you need to let all the connections dry. If you cover it too early, a coating will form on the glass and photocells, which will greatly reduce the battery's efficiency. Therefore, we wait at least a day (or as long as indicated on the sealant packaging).
Now all that’s left to do is cover everything with glass or transparent plastic. How to attach it is up to you. But don't seal it at first. At least until the test. There may be a problem somewhere.
And one more nuance. If you plan to connect batteries to the system, you will need to install a diode that will prevent the battery from discharging through the battery at night or in bad weather. It is best to install a Schottky diode. I connect it to the battery in series. It is better to install it inside the structure - at high temperatures its voltage drop decreases, i.e. in working condition it will reduce the voltage less.
How to solder elements for a solar battery
A little about handling silicon wafers. They are very, very fragile and easily crack and break. Therefore, you need to handle them with extreme caution and store them in hard containers away from children.
You need to work on a flat, hard surface. If the table is covered with oilcloth, place a sheet of something hard. The plate should not sag, but its entire surface should rest firmly on the base. Moreover, the base must be smooth. As experience shows, perfect option- a piece of laminate. It is hard, even, smooth. They solder on the back side, not on the front.
For soldering, you can use flux or rosin, or any of the compounds in the soldering marker. Everyone here has their own preferences. But it is desirable that the composition does not leave traces on the matrix.
Place the silicon wafer face up (face is the blue side). It has two or three tracks. You coat them with flux or a marker, an alcohol (not aqueous-alcohol) solution of rosin. Photoconverters usually come with a thin contact tape. Sometimes it is cut into pieces, sometimes it comes in a reel. If the tape is wound on a reel, you need to cut a piece equal to twice the width of the solar cell plus 1 cm.
Solder the cut piece onto the flux-treated strip. The tape turns out to be much longer than the record; the rest remains on one side. Try to hold the soldering iron without lifting it off. As much as possible. For better soldering, you should have a drop of solder or tin at the tip of the tip. Then the soldering will be of high quality. There should be no unsoldered areas; warm everything up well. But don't push! Especially around the edges. These are very fragile products. Solder the tapes to all tracks one by one. Photoconverters turn out to be “tailed”.
Now, actually, about how to assemble a solar battery with your own hands. Let's start assembling the line. There are also tracks on the back of the record. Now we solder the “tail” from the top plate to the bottom one. The technology is the same: we coat the track with flux, then solder it. So we connect the required number of photoelectric converters in series.
In some versions, on the back side there are not tracks, but platforms. Then there is less soldering, but there may be more quality complaints. In this case, we coat only the areas with flux. And we also solder only on them. That's all, actually. The assembled tracks can be transferred to the base or body. But there are many more tricks.
For example, a certain distance (4-5 mm) must be maintained between photocells, which is not so easy without clamps. The slightest misalignment, and there is a possibility of breaking the conductor or breaking the plate. Because for the task a certain step construction crosses are glued onto a piece of laminate (used when laying tiles), or markings are made.
All the problems that arise when making solar panels with your own hands are related to soldering. Therefore, before sealing, and better yet, before transferring the ruler to the case, check the assembly with an ammeter. If everything is fine, you can continue working.
Results
Now you know how to make a solar battery at home. The matter is not the most difficult, but it requires painstaking work.
This section contains the experiences of different people in making solar panels at home. Various approaches, designs and manufacturing methods. Trials and errors, conclusions and opinions. Over time, other information on the topic will be added. For example, about controllers, circuits and methods of connecting and charging batteries, various ways organizing and optimizing energy consumption and other things that may be useful in matters of using solar energy.
>
DIY solar panel, sealing elements with epoxy resin
Fabrication of two solar panels using transparent optical resin. The basis is ordinary window glass, aluminum frame, glass glued on silicone sealant. The result is durable and cheap panels with completely sealed elements. 
>
Homemade panel on plexiglass
The elements in this solar panel are sandwiched between two sheets of plexiglass. The back is 4mm, and the front sheet is 2mm. The panel was assembled using mounting tape, the elements inside are held on by small pieces of this tape, and the plexiglass is also glued together around the perimeter with double-sided tape. 
>
Sealing elements with conventional silicone sealant
A small photo report on the manufacture of a solar panel and sealing the elements using ordinary cheap silicone sealant. The panel is made with a slightly higher voltage than usual; instead of 36 elements, the panel has four rows of 12 elements for a total of 48 elements. 
>
Homemade solar panel filled with epoxy resin
Homemade solar panel (more precisely 3 pieces) from photo of electrical modules 125*125*150, purchased at the OJSC "PHMZ" enterprise. The peculiarity of this solar panel is that the elements are filled with ordinary epoxy resin. The structure on which the panels are attached is portable and can be rotated all 360 degrees, though it turned out to be heavy, but quite reliable. 
>
Electrification of a house in a settlement using homemade solar panels
First part large photo a story about autonomous power supply to a house in a settlement based on homemade solar panels made from wooden frames. Making the very first panel from elements on an old one window frame and her first tests. 
>
Second part, making a new panel
The second panel was made on a large glass where two sets for solar cells were placed at once. The elements were also attached to the glass using tape. The finished glass with soldered elements was inserted into a wooden box, but first a film was spread over the box and the glass was inserted with it, this is to protect the back side from moisture. 
>
Part 3, House Wiring and System Upgrades
Now that it became clear that the system was working, by the way, it now consists of 7 panels, it came to the internal wiring around the house. For the batteries, a shelf was made under the ceiling to reduce the length of the wire from the panels, and the wire itself was thickened to reduce losses.The basic principle of operation of the device is that it converts solar energy into electricity using photocells. The technology involves combining such elements into one complex. After the energy has been processed, the electricity flows into special batteries.
In this article we will look at why people are increasingly installing solar panels with their own hands.
A homemade solar battery is a progressive method of saving, because you will not only receive electricity (this will be provided by Solar cells), but also don’t spend colossal sums on batteries.
The whole process is not complicated; the main thing here is a clear sequence of actions. We will help you with this, let's get started.
How much electricity you ultimately receive will depend on the size of your solar module.
How it works
First, let's get acquainted with the subtleties that it has technological process. Photodiodes are mounted on a silicon (or copper) wafer. When light hits them, a photo-emf is generated at their outputs. In order to make a solar battery with your own hands, you need to combine such plates (their combination is called a module).
The approximate value of the energy generated from one such plate is 0.5 - 0.55 V. You should not set too high goals, because to get 220 volts you will need a battery of impressive proportions. A more realistic goal is to get 12-24 volts. These will be processed by other solar cells.
Such power can fill 12 batteries with electricity. The main elements that the design has:
- solar panel that will generate energy
- energy storage batteries
- inverter for converting low voltage energy into standard
It is necessary to create homemade solar panels based on calculations of the energy required for a particular room. For each building the value will be individual. First of all, calculate how many batteries you will need for your purposes. The number of batteries depends on the size of the solar panel.
In order to create a high-quality solar battery at home, you will need to purchase an inverter. This important structural element is not manufactured independently. When purchasing, be guided by the needs of your premises (minimum recommended value 1-2 kW).
Selection of photocells
The solar battery device on the modern market is presented in the form of two options - the solar battery can be assembled from monocrystalline silicon and polycrystalline silicon:
- the first ones have an efficiency of 13% (they are characterized by low efficiency when it is cloudy outside);
- the latter have lower efficiency - 9%, but they perform well in bad weather conditions.
In accordance with the advice of experts, in order to assemble a solar battery with your own hands, the second option will be sufficient.
The solar cells that you will use to make your own solar panels must be purchased in the same size. Otherwise, the electricity they will generate will be limited to the performance of the smallest cell.
Other materials
To get homemade solar panels you will need:
- frame (it can be made of wood, aluminum)
- photocells
- substrate made according to fiberboard standards
- glass (plexiglass is used as an alternative)
- conductors
- diodes
Choosing an installation location
When choosing a location when assembling solar panels with your own hands, you need to be guided by the main principle - the sun's rays should hit the structure as perpendicularly as possible.
The most popular location for solar cells is the roof of the room. In general, it is recommended to install as high as possible. As alternative option serve as places where the rays hit most actively.
Installation process
Frame
In the question of how to assemble a solar battery with your own hands, the first thing you need to start with is assembling the frame. It will provide solar cells with the necessary level of protection. For this you will need:
- corners made of aluminum (30x30)
- wooden blocks are used as an alternative
The first option is more common and effective. The tool you will need is a file. On one of the shelves you need to use it to remove the chamfer. This should be done at an angle of 45 degrees. Using the same angle of inclination as a basis, cut off the second shelf.
When the frame elements are processed, they are twisted using squares. The material of the angles must match the material of the frame.
After this comes the final stage - the completely finished frame is supplemented with protective glass. It is mounted using silicone.
Soldering plates
Making a solar battery with your own hands requires special attention to this stage. The first thing that production technology requires is an understanding of the basic principle when soldering:
- series connection will increase the voltage;
- parallel connection increases the current.
The solar cell circuit requires a gap of 5 mm when installing silicon wafers on glass. It is strictly recommended to observe this value, because it is necessary in order to suppress the thermal expansion of parts of the structure when heated.
The converters are easy to understand, because their design involves only two tracks (plus and minus). Elements for solar panels must be connected in series into one chain.
It is recommended not to limit yourself only required quantity panels. The process of manufacturing solar panels can bring unexpected surprises - damage to the panels during installation (they are fragile and this is not so difficult to do even with all the care). For this reason, you should stock up on a few spare panels.
After completing this work, all that remains is to connect the conductors to the common bus.
Now you need to understand how to test the solar battery and the voltage it will produce at the output. A multimeter is used for these purposes. Optimal indicator which a homemade battery should have - 18-19 volts.
Assembling the panel
A homemade solar panel is a particularly important stage at this stage of production. After work with the case is completed, it is necessary to place the converters that were previously soldered into it. Next, to assemble the solar battery, perform the following steps:
- silicone is applied to the silicon elements (in the center)
- To ensure reliable fixation, cover the substrate (fibreboard) on top
- Next you need to close the structure with a lid
- sealing joints (use sealant or silicone as an alternative)
When all the steps have been completed and the panel has taken its final form, it must be mounted on a frame or holder.
transistor battery
A do-it-yourself solar battery is assembled from scrap materials using diodes and transistors from foil.
If you decide to make a design using a transistor, pay attention exclusively to these types - KT, P. This will be the most optimal choice due to semiconductors being ideal for production electrical energy.
After you have decided on the required number of radio components, the metal cover is removed from them. Holding the radio component in a vice, carefully cut off the top part. A hacksaw for metal is suitable for these purposes. The plate located in the inner part will serve as a photocell.
Further actions:
- assembly must take place on a surface that has dielectric properties
- we use a collector junction (it is characterized by the largest potential difference in contrast to the base and emitter)
- The transistor is soldered into a separate series circuit
- chains must be connected in parallel
Indicators of the output voltage from one transistor using the specified semiconductors:
- 0.35 volts
- current during short circuit is 0.25 µA
Thus, from available materials you can create effective panels with your own hands.
We use diodes
At correct assembly, a solar battery made of diodes for a private home or cottage can also be very effective. The voltage generation indicators of one diode are 350 mV.
To correctly use a diode with your own hands in such a design, decide in advance on the optimal number of radio components. This production of solar panels requires placing them in a container for treatment with acetone before starting work.
Other solvents can be used as an alternative to acetone. You need to leave the radio components in this position for at least a couple of hours.
Such solar panels for the home are made using the following steps:
- We make markings on the plate that will indicate the places for soldering the power supply elements
- soaking allows you to remove paint without much difficulty
- it is necessary to bend the positive contact (for these purposes we use a multimeter)
Manufacturing of solar cells of this type for maximum efficiency to obtain voltage requires vertical soldering of diodes. Practice confirms that this is the most optimal position for the crystal.
Solar battery made of foil
This technique is distinguished by much lower power indicators compared to the previous ones. Foil solar cells are produced in accordance with clear instructions - to start with, copper foil (45 sq.m.) is useful. You need to remove all the fat from it:
- use soap solution
- wash your hands thoroughly to prevent the formation of grease stains
The next stage of processing is the elimination of corrosion and the protective oxide film that is located on the cutting plane. This is easy to do using regular sandpaper.
The sheet of foil must be heated to the point where red-orange spots begin to appear. The final stage of this process can be considered the adoption of a black color by the surface.
This indicates the formation of copper oxide. It's best to do this on a burner. electric stove. The minimum power indicator should be 1.1 kW.
In order to obtain an oxide film with optimal thickness, from the moment the oxide forms, the sheet needs to be heated for another half hour. After this frying, you can proceed to further steps:
- oxide peels off; all of its residue is removed by washing with ordinary water
- any deformation of the sheet, bending, or attempts to remove oxide by mechanical means are excluded
- cut out another sheet, based on the parameters of the previous one
- cut the throat plastic bottle(from 2 to 5 l.)
- We place two pieces of foil in it, and then secure them
- any contact of these pieces is excluded
- terminal with a minus for the processed piece, with a plus for the other
- the jar is filled with a special solution
The top edge should be separated from the electrodes by 2.5 cm. To prepare the mixture you will need a few tablespoons of salt. Its quantity should be proportional to the volume of the container.
A solar battery made of transistors, a solar battery made of LEDs and other varieties of them have proven their effectiveness over years of practice. A solar-powered fan will also be productive.
The use of silicon and copper types is increasingly being used by our compatriots. Now you know what equipment is needed for the production of solar panels, how to independently produce the necessary solar cell, and carry out high-quality cross-section calculations.
With the help of the acquired knowledge, you can easily make solar panels yourself, use a solar panel for your home and garden extremely effectively - see for yourself!
Modern realities are such that pleasure is by no means cheap. alternative sources nutrition. Not everyone has the opportunity to order the installation of solar panels from a supplier, so do-it-yourself solar panels are becoming popular.
Making a solar battery is not difficult. To do this you will need: elements for a solar battery, flux (a pencil is suitable, which is easy to apply, but it is quite normal to use rosin), alcohol, a 40-watt soldering iron, cotton swabs, a wide tire (up to 2 meters) and a narrow tire (1.6 mm ). The narrow busbar is a tinned wire (flat copper that is coated with tin). When the sun shines, the temperature of the solar battery increases enormously, causing expansion; at night, the opposite process occurs - contraction. You can, of course, take a wider tire - 2 mm, but practice shows that the optimal width is still 1.6 mm.
The first step is to sort the solar cells. Each of them produces 0.26-0.35 volts. They need to be sorted to choose approximately the same face value. Their number should be 36. If there is at least one element in the battery with a low indicator, it will be resistance, which is undesirable.
We cut the tire (there should be 72 strips), determining its length by the width of two elements located at a distance of five to ten millimeters from each other.
Video: The complete process of making a solar panel with your own hands
Video: DIY solar battery made from two glasses
Video: DIY solar battery panel assembly
Video: Building a Solar Battery with your own hands
We thoroughly wipe the future soldering areas on the elements with alcohol to degrease them. To get started, just take three elements. Then we run a pencil over them (there is no need to degrease the tire, because it is tinned). We solder a busbar that fits easily, so you don’t need to apply much force to it. Having installed the soldering iron in one place, wait until the busbar begins to melt and after that, slowly move the soldering iron along the entire busbar.
Photo: Soldering a solar battery with your own hands
Then carefully remove the remaining flux with alcohol and a cotton swab. In this way, all other elements are prepared. Now you can solder from the reverse side, also wiping with alcohol and applying flux, already connecting the elements into a socket (9x4 cells).
Be sure to remove excess flux. back side will have positive potential at any point.
Now the structure needs to be transferred to the front surface - in our case, it is cast acrylic from the Altuglas company with a thickness of 5 mm. You can, of course, solder photocells directly on the front side (this will even be more convenient).
We lay the ribbons with solar cells in such a way that on the first ribbon the first tire goes from the bottom, the second from the top. On the second - in reverse order: first on top, second on bottom, etc. This will provide a serial connection.
We solder these outputs of the narrow bus to the wide bus, removing the remains using wire cutters. Before rolling the film, you need to take measurements to make sure everything is done correctly.
You also need to check for very hot panels (by hand). If there are any, we replace them. If not, we roll 751 Oracal film, which is intended for gluing appliqués to cars. The warranty period for its operation is seven years. But, from experience, this period is much longer. We do this very carefully so that there are no distortions, because... it is no longer possible to peel it off. IN as a last resort If this happens, the film must be carefully cut and re-glued. Do not press the film against the elements. From the center it is leveled to the edges, pressing only in places where there are no elements. You should not pay attention to small bubbles - they will go away during rolling. Separate the film from the base by a centimeter, no more. We check the parameters again (volts and short circuit current). A current of four amperes indicates that everything is correct.
All that remains is to place the structure in the frame.
Frame for solar battery
Plexiglas is suitable as a transparent layer, but over time it warps and turns yellow, which affects the performance of the battery. You can use ordinary glass, which reduces the heating of solar cells due to the fact that it does not transmit the infrared spectrum. Finally there is acrylic glass, which does not reduce transparency over time and does not warp.
Most often used as a body aluminum corners, chipboard, plywood and other materials.
The last step is sealing
Compounds are used for sealing (mainly abroad). But they cost a lot, so our craftsmen use either silicone sealant or protective film(as described above), or mixed with sealants, acrylic varnish.
Soldering photocells
You can find photocells with soldered conductors on sale, but more often you have to do this yourself. What do you need to know? First, you need to work with photocells very carefully - they are fragile and expensive.
Where to buy photocells?
The easiest way is to type a request in your browser - enough results will appear, including private entrepreneurs who offer the elements necessary to create a solar battery. True, they are quite expensive - you can find them much cheaper on Ebay. You can, of course, buy elements at various reasons rejected in production: they will cost much less, but there is a risk that they will turn out to be unsuitable for use by craftsmen. In addition, delivery can cost up to thirty dollars.
Which photocells to choose?
Typically, you can find monocrystalline and polycrystalline photovoltaic converters. The former have more long term operation - up to thirty years, but they are sensitive to weather changes. The latter, on the contrary, do not reduce power too much in cloudy conditions, but have a shorter service life. In addition, compared to monocrystalline ones with an efficiency of 13%, their efficiency ranges from seven to nine percent.
To use the solar battery more efficiently, it is necessary to provide for a change in the angle of inclination.
Conclusion
Making a solar panel with your own hands turned out to be not so difficult. And much cheaper than ordering it from a supplier!
For decades now, humanity has been searching for alternative energy sources that can at least partially replace existing ones. And the most promising of all today seem to be two: wind and solar energy.
True, neither one nor the other can provide continuous production. This is due to the variability of the wind rose and daily-weather-seasonal fluctuations in the intensity of the solar flux.
Today's energy industry offers three main methods of generating electrical energy, but all of them are harmful to the environment in one way or another:
- Fuel electric power industry- the most environmentally polluting, accompanied by significant emissions of carbon dioxide, soot and useless heat into the atmosphere, causing a reduction in the ozone layer. The extraction of fuel resources for it also causes significant harm to the environment.
- Hydropower is associated with very significant landscape changes, flooding of useful lands, and causes damage to fisheries resources.
- Nuclear power- the most environmentally friendly of the three, but requires very significant costs to maintain safety. Any accident may be associated with causing irreparable, long-term harm to nature. In addition, it requires special measures for the disposal of used fuel waste.
Strictly speaking, there are several ways to obtain electricity from solar radiation, but most of them use its intermediate conversion into mechanical power, rotating the generator shaft, and only then into electrical power.
Such power plants exist; they use engines. external combustion Stirling, have good efficiency, but they also have a significant drawback: in order to collect as much solar radiation energy as possible, it is necessary to manufacture huge parabolic mirrors with sun position tracking systems.
It must be said that there are solutions to improve the situation, but they are all quite expensive.
There are methods that make it possible to directly convert light energy into electricity. And although the phenomenon of the photoelectric effect in the semiconductor selenium was discovered already in 1876, it was only in 1953, with the invention of the silicon photocell, that the real possibility of creating solar cells for generating electricity arose.
At this time, a theory was already emerging that made it possible to explain the properties of semiconductors and create practical technology for them. industrial production. TO today this resulted in a real semiconductor revolution.
The operation of a solar battery is based on the photoelectric effect. semiconductor p-n junction, which is essentially an ordinary silicon diode. When illuminated, a photovoltage of 0.5~0.55 V appears at its terminals.
When using electric generators and batteries, it is necessary to take into account the differences that exist between. By connecting a three-phase electric motor to the appropriate network, you can triple its output power.
Following certain recommendations, with minimal costs Given the resources and time, it is possible to manufacture the power part of a high-frequency pulse converter for domestic needs. You can study the structural and circuit diagrams of such power supplies.
Structurally, each element of a solar battery is made in the form of a silicon wafer with an area of several cm2, on which many such photodiodes connected into a single circuit are formed. Each such plate is a separate module that produces a certain voltage and current when exposed to sunlight.
By connecting such modules into a battery and combining their parallel-serial connection, you can obtain a wide range of output power values.
The main disadvantages of solar panels:
- Great unevenness and irregularity of energy output depending on the weather and seasonal height of the sun.
- Limits the power of the entire battery if at least one part of it is shaded.
- Dependence on the direction of the sun at different times of the day. To use the battery as efficiently as possible, you need to ensure that it is always aimed at the sun.
- In connection with the above, the need for energy storage. The greatest energy consumption occurs at a time when its production is minimal.
- Large area required for a structure of sufficient power.
- The fragility of the battery design, the need to constantly clean its surface from dirt, snow, etc.
- Solar modules operate most efficiently at 25°C. During operation, they are heated by the sun to much more high temperature, greatly reducing their effectiveness. To maintain optimal efficiency, the battery must be kept cool.
It should be noted that developments of solar cells using latest materials and technology. This allows you to gradually eliminate the disadvantages inherent in solar panels or reduce their impact. Thus, the efficiency of the newest cells using organic and polymer modules has already reached 35% and there are expectations of reaching 90%, and this makes it possible to obtain much more power with the same battery dimensions, or, while maintaining energy efficiency, to significantly reduce the dimensions of the battery.
By the way, the average efficiency of a car engine does not exceed 35%, which suggests that solar panels are quite effective.There are developments of elements based on nanotechnology that work equally effectively at different angles of incident light, which eliminates the need for their positioning.
Thus, today we can talk about the advantages of solar panels compared to other energy sources:
- No mechanical energy conversions or moving parts.
- Minimal operating costs.
- Durability 30~50 years.
- Quiet operation, no harmful emissions. Environmental friendliness.
- Mobility. The battery for powering a laptop and charging the battery for an LED flashlight will fit in a small backpack.
- Independence from the presence of constant current sources. The ability to recharge the batteries of modern gadgets in the field.
- Undemanding to external factors. Solar cells can be placed anywhere, on any landscape, as long as they receive enough sunlight.
In the equatorial regions of the Earth, the average flow solar energy averages 1.9 kW/m2. IN middle lane In Russia it is within 0.7~1.0 kW/m2. The efficiency of a classic silicon photocell does not exceed 13%.
As experimental data show, if a rectangular plate is directed with its plane to the south, to the point of solar maximum, then over a 12-hour sunny day it will receive no more than 42% of the total luminous flux due to a change in its angle of incidence.
This means that with an average solar flux of 1 kW/m2, 13% battery efficiency and its total efficiency of 42% can be obtained in 12 hours no more than 1000 x 12 x 0.13 x 0.42 = 622.2 Wh, or 0 .6 kWh per day from 1 m 2. This is assuming a full sunny day, in cloudy weather it is much less, and in the winter months this value must be divided by another 3.
Taking into account voltage conversion losses, an automation circuit that provides optimal charging current for batteries and protects them from overcharging, and other elements, the figure of 0.5 kWh/m 2 can be taken as a basis. With this energy, you can maintain a battery charge current of 3 A at a voltage of 13.8 V for 12 hours.
That is, to charge a completely discharged car battery with a capacity of 60 Ah, a solar panel of 2 m2 will be required, and for 50 Ah - approximately 1.5 m2.In order to obtain such power, you can purchase ready-made panels produced in the electrical power range of 10~300 W. For example, one 100 W panel for a 12-hour daylight hours, taking into account the coefficient of 42%, will provide 0.5 kWh.
Such a Chinese-made panel made of monocrystalline silicon with very good characteristics now costs about 6,400 rubles on the market. Less effective in open sun, but having better performance in cloudy weather, polycrystalline - 5,000 rubles.
If you have certain skills in installing and soldering electronic equipment, you can try to assemble such a solar battery yourself. At the same time, you should not count on a very large gain in price; in addition, the finished panels are of factory quality, both the elements themselves and their assembly.
But the sale of such panels is not organized everywhere, and their transportation requires very strict conditions and will be quite expensive. In addition, with self-production, it becomes possible, starting small, to gradually add modules and increase the output power.
Selection of materials for creating a panel
In Chinese online stores, as well as on eBay, it is offered widest choice elements for self-made solar batteries with any parameters.
Even in the recent past, home-made workers purchased plates that were rejected during production, had chips or other defects, but were significantly cheaper. They are quite efficient, but have a slightly reduced power output. Given the constant decline in prices, this is now hardly advisable. After all, losing on average 10% of power, we also lose in the effective panel area. Yes and appearance The battery, consisting of plates with broken pieces, looks quite makeshift.
You can also purchase such modules in Russian online stores, for example, molotok.ru offers polycrystalline elements with operating parameters at a luminous flux of 1.0 kW/m2:
- Voltage: idle move- 0.55 V, working - 0.5 V.
- Current: short circuit - 1.5 A, working - 1.2 A.
- Operating power - 0.62 W.
- Dimensions - 52x77 mm.
- Price 29 rub.
Making a solar battery for your home with your own hands
To make a solar panel, we need a suitable frame, which you can make yourself or pick up a ready-made one. The best material to use for it is duralumin; it is not subject to corrosion, is not afraid of dampness, and is durable. With appropriate processing and painting, both steel and even wood are suitable for protection from precipitation.
Advice: Don't make the panel very large sizes: it will be inconvenient to assemble elements, install and maintain. In addition, small panels have low windage and can be more conveniently placed at the required angles.We calculate components
Let's decide on the dimensions of our frame. To charge a 12-volt acid battery, an operating voltage of at least 13.8 V is required. Let’s take 15 V as a basis. To do this, we will have to connect 15 V / 0.5 V = 30 elements in series.
Tip: The output of the solar panel should be connected to the battery through a protective diode to prevent it from self-discharging through solar cells at night. So the output of our panel will be: 15 V – 0.7 V = 14.3 V.To obtain a charging current of 3.6 A, we need to connect three such chains in parallel, or 30 x 3 = 90 elements. It will cost us 90 x 29 rubles. = 2610 rub.
Tip: Solar panel elements are connected in parallel and in series. It is necessary to maintain equality in the number of elements in each sequential chain.With this current we can provide a standard charge mode for a completely discharged battery with a capacity of 3.6 x 10 = 36 Ah.
In reality, this figure will be less due to uneven sunlight throughout the day. Thus, to charge a standard 60 Ah car battery, we will need to connect two such panels in parallel.
This panel can provide us electrical power 90 x 0.62 W ≈ 56 W.
Or during a 12-hour sunny day, taking into account the correction factor of 42% 56 x 12 x 0.42 ≈ 0.28 kWh.
Let's place our elements in 6 rows of 15 pieces. To install all the elements we need a surface:
- Length - 15 x 52 = 780 mm.
- Width - 77 x 6 = 462 mm.
To freely accommodate all the plates, we will take the dimensions of our frame: 900×500 mm.
Tip: If there are ready-made frames with other dimensions, you can recalculate the number of elements in accordance with the outlines given above, select elements of other standard sizes, and try to place them by combining the length and width of the rows.We will also need:
- Electric soldering iron 40 W.
- Solder, rosin.
- Installation wire.
- Silicone sealant.
- Double sided tape.
Manufacturing stages
To install the panel, it is necessary to prepare a level workplace sufficient area with convenient access from all sides. It is better to place the element plates themselves separately to the side, where they will be protected from accidental impacts and falls. They should be taken carefully, one at a time.
Residual current devices improve the safety of your home electrical system by reducing the likelihood of electrical shock and fires. Detailed introduction to characteristic features different types Residual current switches will tell you for apartments and houses.
When using an electric meter, situations arise when it needs to be replaced and reconnected - you can read about this.
Typically, to produce a panel, they use the method of gluing plates of elements pre-soldered into a single circuit onto a flat base-substrate. We offer another option:
- We insert it into the frame, fasten it well and seal the edges with glass or a piece of plexiglass.
- We lay out the element plates on it in the appropriate order, gluing them with double-sided tape: the working side to the glass, the soldering leads to the back side of the frame.
- By placing the frame on the table with the glass down, we can conveniently solder the terminals of the elements. We carry out electrical installation in accordance with the selected circuit diagram.
- We finally glue the plates on the back side with tape.
- We put some kind of damping pad: sheet rubber, cardboard, fiberboard, etc.
- We insert the back wall into the frame and seal it.
If desired, instead back wall you can fill the frame at the back with some kind of compound, for example, epoxy. True, this will eliminate the possibility of disassembling and repairing the panel.
Of course, one 50 W battery is not enough to provide energy even small house. But with its help it is already possible to implement lighting in it using modern LED lamps.
For a comfortable existence of a city dweller, at least 4 kWh of electricity is now required per day. For a family - according to the number of its members.
Therefore, the solar panel of a private house for a family of three should provide 12 kWh. If the home is supposed to be supplied with electricity only from solar energy, we will need a solar battery with an area of at least 12 kWh / 0.6 kWh/m2 = 20 m2.
This energy must be stored in batteries with a capacity of 12 kWh / 12 V = 1000 Ah, or approximately 16 batteries of 60 Ah each.
For normal operation battery with a solar panel and its protection, a charge controller will be required.
To convert 12V direct current at 220 V AC, you will need an inverter. Although now there is already a sufficient quantity of electrical equipment on the market for voltages of 12 or 24 V.
Tip: In low-voltage power supply networks, currents operate at significantly higher values, so when wiring to powerful equipment, you should select a wire of the appropriate cross-section. Wiring for networks with an inverter is carried out according to the usual 220 V circuit.Drawing conclusions
Subject to accumulation and rational use energy, today non-traditional types of electric power are beginning to create a significant increase in the total volume of its production. One could even argue that they are gradually becoming traditional.
Considering the significantly decreased Lately energy consumption level of modern household appliances, the use of energy-saving lighting fixtures and the significantly increased efficiency of solar panels of new technologies, we can say that now they are capable of providing electricity to a small a private house in southern countries with a large number of sunny days a year.
In Russia, they may well be used as backup or additional energy sources in combined power supply systems, and if their efficiency can be increased to at least 70%, then it will be quite possible to use them as the main suppliers of electricity.
Video on how to make a device for collecting solar energy yourself
