DIY solar battery: step by step guide, detailed video. How to make solar panels with your own hands

Everything today more people thinks about alternative energy sources. The solar panel is one of those devices. This is a set of batteries for converting solar energy into electricity. Like other alternative sources, such a device is expensive. However, installing a battery can be cheaper if you make the device on your own. The article will tell and show with the help of a video how to design with my own hands panel for receiving solar energy in the home or other environments.

The principle of operation of the solar battery

The sun is a free source of energy. You just need to learn how to get it right. On a cloudless day, the heavenly body "charges" the earth with about 1000 watts per 1 sq. m. This would be enough to meet the everyday needs of the inhabitants of the planet. But while the device for obtaining such energy is not very accessible to the general population.

The solar panel is a set photovoltaic cells. In fact, they are semiconductors, most often made of silicon. Light hits the solar cell and is partially absorbed by it. Energy releases electrons. Present in the photocell electric field directs electrons - and this is a current. The solar cells of the module are interconnected and brought to a metal contact, with the help of which the received energy is removed for external use.

To create a solar battery at home, you need to take care of the implementation of the following theses:

1. Design a module that will receive and convert energy at minimal cost.
2. Ensure the maximum possible power (read - efficiency) of the power source.

Solar battery on the roof of the house

To build a solar panel you will need:

• photocells;
• glass or plexiglass;
• plywood, chipboard or aluminum corner;
• sealant;
• soldering iron of small power;
• tires for soldering, flux, tin;
• multimeter.

Where to get solar cells

A photocell is a key part of a future solar battery. Their search and purchase at an adequate cost is the main difficulty in designing a solar battery. There are several options available:

1. Extract semiconductor crystals from diodes and transistors, which can be found in old radios and televisions.
2. Buy on eBay or AliExpress.
3. Buy in domestic stores, which most often just resell goods from AliExpress and eBay.

Solar cells

The first method may not require financial costs at all, however, for a more or less powerful battery, you need to find more than a dozen diodes. In the second option, be sure to take into account the cost of delivery, which can cost several tens of dollars. In addition, to shop at foreign online stores, you need to go through the procedures for registering and linking a bank card. However, according to reviews, it will still be cheaper than ordering a battery locally (third option).

Advice. Online stores often sell complete working photovoltaic converters that were rejected during the production process (the so-called B-type). Their cost is an order of magnitude lower, but the effectiveness is the same. Broken elements will also work to assemble a home solar panel.

Before you start looking for solar cells, decide on the tasks that you set for the battery. Next, calculate the required power. To do this, add up the load of devices that you will power from the solar panel. Under this value and dial the elements.

Varieties of solar cells

Photovoltaic converters are small panels with a side of 38 to 156 mm. For more or less normal power, you will need at least 35-50 elements. They can be either with soldered conductors or without them. The second case will cause more trouble with the soldering iron.

The panels are very fragile. Sellers come up with different ways protect them from cracks and scratches during shipping. But even such measures do not always save the elements. In the process of work, the chance to damage the elements is even greater: if they are bent, they can burst, if stacked, they can scratch one another. Minor chips will not greatly affect the power.

The market has two of the most popular type photocells:

• polycrystalline;
• monocrystalline.

Polycrystalline have a service life of about 20 years. They are quite effective in difficult weather conditions. Efficiency - 7-9%. Monocrystalline converters are more durable (about 30 years) and have a higher efficiency (13%). However, they are too sensitive to bad weather: if the sun is covered by clouds or the rays do not fall at a right angle, the efficiency drops significantly.

Types of solar cells

Frame selection and soldering elements

The solar battery is a shallow box. Best of all at home - plywood or from, but an aluminum corner is also possible. It will simultaneously be a support and protection for the elements. For these purposes, suitable, for example, plywood 9.5 mm. The main thing is that the side does not obscure the elements. For reliability, you can divide the panel into two parts with it.

Photovoltaic converters are usually placed on plexiglass or other surface. It is important that it does not miss the IR spectrum. This is necessary so that the photocells themselves do not heat up. Glass, before placing the transducers on it, must be degreased. You can solder before laying the photocells or after.

The soldering process looks like this:

1. On the conductors to be soldered, pre-apply flux and solder.
2. Place the solar cells on the surface, leaving a gap between them of about 5 mm.
3. Solder the outer parts to the busbars - these are wider conductors (they are usually present in kits with photocells).
4. Print "-" and "+". For most elements, the front side is the negative pole, and the reverse side is the positive pole.
5. Bring out the "middle point" to then put shunt diodes (Schotke diodes) for each half of the panel - they will not allow the battery to be discharged at night or in cloudy weather.

Sealing panel elements

Element sealing and panel mounting

This process is the final stage in the creation of a solar energy source. Sealing is needed to reduce the negative impact of the environment on the elements. An excellent sealant (it is used abroad) is a compound, but it is not cheap. Therefore, for home panel silicone is also suitable, but quite thick. Start by fixing the system in the middle and on the sides, then pour the substance into the gaps between the elements. Apply on the reverse side acrylic lacquer mixed with the same silicone.

Advice. Before sealing, check again good quality soldering - test the panel. Otherwise, it will be difficult to make changes later.

The panel can be operated in the following ways:

1. An inverter is included in the electrical target, which will convert the direct voltage from the solar panel into alternating voltage.
2. The electric target is completed with a battery (battery) and a battery charge controller. They accumulate energy from the solar panel constantly (within the capacity of the battery), even while you are not using it.

Remember: you can always increase the number of elements by expanding the panel. The solar battery will be most effective only on sunny side Houses. Provide for the possibility of mechanical rotation and change of the angle of inclination, because the sun moves across the sky, sometimes it is covered by clouds. It is also important for efficiency that snow does not stick to the device.

Making a solar panel with your own hands: video

Solar battery in the country: photo

The deterioration of the environment, the rise in energy prices, the desire for autonomy and independence from the whims of statesmen - these are just a few factors that make the most hardened inhabitants turn their dreamy glances towards alternative energy sources. For most of our compatriots, thoughts about "green" energy remain a fixed idea - they affect high prices on equipment, and, as a result, the unprofitability of the venture. But after all, no one forbids making an installation for obtaining free energy on your own! Today we will talk about how to build a solar battery with our own hands and consider the prospects for its use in everyday life.

Solar battery: what is it

Mankind has been on fire with the idea of ​​transforming solar radiation into electrical energy since the 30s of the last century. It was then that scientists from the USSR Academy of Sciences announced the creation of semiconductor copper-thallium crystals, in which, under the action of light rays, an electric current began to flow. Today, this phenomenon is known as the photoelectric effect and is widely used both in solar power plants and in a variety of sensors.

First solar panels known since the 1950s

The current strength of one photocell is measured in microamps, therefore, in order to obtain any significant electrical power they are grouped into blocks. Many of these modules form the basis of a solar battery (SB), which can be used to connect various electronic devices. If we talk about a finished device that can be installed outdoors, then it is more correct to talk about a solar panel (SP) with a design that protects the assembly of photovoltaic modules from external factors.

It must be said that the efficiency of the first electric solar systems did not even reach 10% - both the shortcomings of semiconductor technology and the fatal losses associated with the reflection, scattering or absorption of the light flux affected. Decades of hard work of scientists have paid off, and today the efficiency of the most modern solar panels reaches 26%. As for promising developments, here it is even higher - up to 46%! Of course, an attentive reader may object that other power generators operate with an energy efficiency of 95-98%. Nevertheless, we should not forget that we are talking about completely free energy, the value of which on a sunny day exceeds 100 watts per square meter. m of the earth's surface per second.

Modern solar panels generate electricity in industrial scale

The electricity obtained with the help of solar panels can be used similarly to that obtained at conventional power plants - to power various electronic devices, lighting, heating, etc. The only difference, which is that at the output of the photoelectronic module there is a constant, and not alternating current, is actually an advantage. The thing is that any solar system works only for daylight hours, and its power very much depends on the height of the sun above the horizon. Since the SB cannot work at night, electricity has to be stored in batteries, and they are all just sources of direct current.

Device and principle of operation

The principle of operation of an electric battery is based on such physical phenomena like semiconductivity and photoelectric effect. Any solar cell is based on semiconductors, the atoms of which lack electrons (p-type conductivity), or have an excess of them (n-type). In other words, a two-layer structure is used with an n-layer as the cathode and a p-layer as the anode. Since the holding forces of the "extra" electrodes in the n-layer are weakened (the atoms do not have enough energy for them), they are easily knocked out of their places when bombarded by light photons. Further, the electrons move into the free "holes" of the p-layer and through the connected electrical load (or battery) return to the cathode - this is how the electric current flows, provoked by the flow of solar radiation.

The conversion of solar energy into electrical energy is possible due to the photoelectric effect, which Einstein described in his works.

As noted above, the energy from one photocell is extremely small, so they are combined into modules. By connecting several such blocks in series, the battery voltage is increased, and by parallel, the current is increased. Thus, knowing the electrical parameters of one cell, it is possible to assemble a battery of the required power.

The electricity received from the solar battery can be stored in batteries and, after being converted to a voltage of 220 V, can be used to power conventional household appliances.

To protect against atmospheric action, semiconductor modules are installed in a rigid frame and covered with glass with increased light transmission. Since solar energy can only be used during daylight hours, batteries are used for its accumulation - you can spend their charge as needed. Inverters are used to increase the voltage and adapt it to the needs of household appliances.

Video: how a solar panel works

Classification of photovoltaic modules

Today, the production of solar panels goes in two parallel ways. On the one hand, there are photovoltaic modules based on silicon on the market, and on the other hand, film modules created using rare earth elements, modern polymers and organic semiconductors.

Silicon solar cells popular today are divided into several types:

• monocrystalline;
• polycrystalline;
• amorphous.

For use in homemade solar panels, it is best to use polycrystalline silicon modules. Although the efficiency of the latter is lower than that of single-crystal elements, their performance is not so strongly affected by surface contamination, low cloudiness or the angle of incidence of sunlight.

It is not difficult to distinguish polycrystalline silicon modules from monocrystalline ones - the former have a lighter blue tint with pronounced "frosty" patterns on the surface. In addition, the type of photovoltaic plates can be determined by their shape - a single crystal has rounded edges, while its closest competitor (polycrystal) is a pronounced rectangle.

As for batteries made of amorphous silicon, they are even less dependent on weather conditions and, due to their flexibility, are practically not subject to the risk of damage during assembly. However, their use for their own purposes is limited as a fairly low power density per 1 square meter surface, and because of the high cost.

Silicon solar cells are the most common class of electrical photoplates, so they are most often used to make homemade devices.

The emergence of film photovoltaic modules is due both to the need to reduce the cost of solar panels, and the need to get more productive and durable systems. Today, the industry is mastering the production of thin solar modules based on:

• cadmium telluride with an efficiency of up to 12% and a cost of 1 W is 20–30% lower than that of single crystals;
• copper and indium selenide - efficiency 15–20%;
• polymer compounds - thickness up to 100 nm, with efficiency - up to 6%.

It is still too early to talk about the possibility of using film modules to build an electric solar station with your own hands. Despite the affordable cost, only a few companies are engaged in the manufacture of telluride-cadmium, polymer and copper-indium photocells.

Such advantages of film photocells as high efficiency and mechanical strength allow us to say with full confidence that they are the future of solar energy

Although you can find batteries created using film technology on sale, for the most part they are presented in the form of finished products. We are also interested in individual modules from which you can build an inexpensive home-made solar panel - they are still in short supply on the market.

Summary data on the efficiency of solar cells, which are produced by the industry, are presented in the table.

Table: Efficiency of modern solar panels

Where can I get photocells and can they be replaced with something else

Buying monocrystalline or polycrystalline wafers suitable for assembling a solar panel is not a problem today. The issue is that the very idea homemade generator free electricity assumes a result that will be much cheaper than the factory counterpart. If you buy photovoltaic modules on the spot, then you won’t be able to save much.

On foreign trading floors, solar cells are presented in a wide range - you can buy both a single product and a set of everything you need to assemble and connect a solar battery

Behind reasonable price solar cells can be found on foreign marketplaces, such as eBay or AliExpress.. There they are presented in a wide range and at very affordable prices. For our project, for example, common polycrystalline plates of 3x6 inches are suitable. At ideal conditions they can generate an electric current with a voltage of 0.5 V and a power of up to 3 A, that is, 1.5 W of electrical power.

If you are eager to save as much as possible or try own forces, then there is no need to immediately buy good, whole modules - you can get by with substandard ones. All on the same eBay or AliExpress, you can find sets of plates with small cracks, chipped corners and other defects - the so-called "B" class products. External damage does not affect the technical characteristics of photocells, which cannot be said about the price - defective parts can be bought 2-3 times cheaper than those that have a presentation. That is why it is rational to use them to test the technology on their first solar panel.

When choosing photoelectronic modules, you will see elements of various types and sizes. Don't think what more area their surface, the higher the voltage they produce. This is not true. Elements of the same type generate the same voltage regardless of size. What can not be said about the strength of the current - here the size is crucial.

Although it is possible to use an obsolete component base as photocells, the opened diodes and transistors have too low voltage and current strength - thousands of such devices will be needed

Immediately I want to warn you that it makes no sense to look for an analogue among various improvised electronic devices. Yes, you can get a working photoelectronic module from powerful diodes or transistors taken from an old radio or TV. And even make a battery by connecting several of these elements in a chain. However, it will not be possible to power anything more powerful than a calculator or an LED flashlight with such a “solar panel” due to the too weak technical characteristics of a single module.

The principle of calculating battery power

To calculate the required power of a home-made electric solar system, you need to know the monthly electricity consumption. It is easiest to determine this parameter - the amount of electricity consumed in kilowatt-hours can be viewed by the meter or found out by looking at the bills that the energy sales company regularly sends. So, if the costs are, for example, 200 kWh, then the solar battery should generate about 7 kWh of electricity per day.

In calculations, it should be taken into account that solar panels generate electricity only during daylight hours, and their performance depends both on the angle of the Sun above the horizon and weather conditions. On average, up to 70% of the total amount of energy is generated from 9 am to 4 pm, and in the presence of even a slight cloudiness or haze, the power of the panels drops by 2–3 times. If the sky is full of clouds, then best case you can get 5-7% of the maximum capacity of the solar system.

According to the energy efficiency graph of the solar battery, it can be seen that the main share of the generated energy falls on the time from 9 to 16 hours.

Given all of the above, it can be calculated that to produce 7 kWh of energy under ideal conditions, you need an array of panels with a power of at least 1 kW. If we take into account the decrease in productivity associated with a change in the angle of incidence of rays, weather factors, as well as losses in batteries and energy converters, then this figure must be increased by at least 50–70 percent. If we take into account the upper indicator, then for this example a solar panel with a power of 1.7 kW will be needed.

Further calculation depends on which photocells will be used. For example, take the previously mentioned 3˝×6˝ polycrystalline cells (area 0.0046 sq. m) with a voltage of 5 V and a current of up to 3 A. To collect an array of photovoltaic cells with an output voltage of 12 V and a current of 1,700 W / 12 V = 141 A, you will need to connect 24 elements in a row (a serial connection allows you to sum up the voltage) and use 141 A / 3 A = 47 such rows (1,128 plates). The battery area with the most dense laying will be 1128 x 0.0046 = 5.2 sq. m

In order to accumulate and transform solar energy into the usual 220 volts, you will need an array of batteries, a charge controller and a step-up inverter

To accumulate electricity, batteries with a voltage of 12 V, 24 V or 48 V are used, and their capacity should be enough to accommodate the same 7 kWh of energy. If you take common 12-volt lead batteries (far from the best option), then their capacity should be at least 7,000 Wh / 12 V = 583 Ah, that is, three large batteries of 200 ampere-hours each. It should be borne in mind that the efficiency of batteries is no more than 80%, and also that when the voltage is converted by an inverter to 220 V, from 15 to 20% of energy will be lost. Therefore, you will have to buy at least one more of the same battery to compensate for all losses.

To the question of the possibility of using electric solar panels for heating

As you may have already noticed, the phrase "solar battery" or "solar panel" is constantly mentioned in the context of an electrical device. This was not done by chance, since other solar panels or batteries - geocollectors - are often called in the same way.

Several solar collectors can provide a house hot water and will bear part of the heating costs

Possibility direct conversion energy from solar radiation directly into heat can significantly improve the performance of such installations. Thus, modern geocollectors with a selective coating of vacuum tubes have an efficiency of 70–80% and can be used both in hot water supply systems and for space heating.

Design solar collector with vacuum tubes minimizes heat transfer to the external environment

Returning to the question of whether an electric solar panel can be used to power heating appliances, let's consider how much heat is needed, for example, for a house of 70 square meters. meters. Based on standard recommendations of 100 W of heat per 1 sq. m of the area of ​​​​the room, we get the cost of 7 kW of energy per hour, or approximately 70 kWh per day (heating devices, after all, will not be turned on all the time).

That is 10 homemade batteries with total area 52 sq.m. Imagine a colossus, say, 4 m wide and more than 13 m long, as well as a block of 12-volt batteries with a total capacity of 7200 ampere-hours? Such a system will not even be able to reach self-sufficiency before the battery life is exhausted. As you can see, it is still too early to talk about the advisability of using solar panels for heating purposes.

Choosing a place for installing an electric solar panel

It is necessary to choose a place where the solar panel will be installed at the design stage. This can be either a south-facing roof slope, or an open area on suburban area. The latter, of course, is preferable for several reasons:

• the solar panel installed at the bottom is easier to maintain;
• on the ground it is easier to mount the rotary device;
• additional load on the roof and its damage during the installation of the solar system is excluded.

The installation site of the electrical panel must be open to sunlight throughout the daylight hours, so there should not be trees or buildings nearby, the shadow of which could fall on its surface.

When choosing a place to install a solar system, be sure to take into account the possibility of shading solar panels by surrounding objects.

The second circumstance, forcing us to look for such a site before assembling the solar battery, is related to determining the dimensions of the panel. By assembling the device with our own hands, we can be quite flexible in choosing its dimensions. As a result, you can get an installation that fits perfectly into the exterior.

Let's start making a solar battery with our own hands

Having done everything necessary calculations and having decided on a place for installing a solar battery, you can begin to manufacture it.

What will be needed at work

In addition to the purchased solar cells, when building an electric solar panel, you will need the following materials:

• copper stranded wire;
• solder;
• special tires for connecting the outputs of photocells;
• Schottky diodes, designed for the maximum current of one cell;
• solder;
• wooden slats or aluminum corners;
• plywood or OSB;
• Fiberboard or other rigid sheet dielectric material;
• plexiglass (you can use polycarbonate, anti-reflective ultra-clear glass or IR-absorbing window glass with a thickness of at least 4 mm);
• silicone sealant;
• self-tapping screws;
• antibacterial impregnation for wood;
• Oil paint.

When choosing glass for a solar panel, you should choose IR-absorbing grades with maximum light transmission and minimum light reflection.

To work, you need this simple tool:

• soldering iron;
• hacksaw or jigsaw;
• a set of screwdrivers or a screwdriver;
• paint brushes.

If an additional bracket or swivel support is built under the solar panel, then, accordingly, the list of materials and tools should be replenished wooden beam or metal corners, steel bar, welding machine etc. When installing the SB on the ground, the site can be concreted or tiled.

Instructions for the progress of work

As an example, consider the process of building an electric solar system from the 3x6-inch solar cells considered above with a voltage of 0.5 V and a current of up to 3A. To charge a 12-volt battery, it is necessary that our battery “give out” at least 18 V, that is, 36 plates are needed. The assembly should be carried out in stages, otherwise errors in the work cannot be avoided. It should be remembered that any alterations, as well as excessive manipulations with photocells, can damage them - these devices are characterized by increased fragility.

To make a full-fledged solar battery, you will need several dozen photocells.

Case manufacturing

The solar battery case is a flat box, closed with plywood on one side, and on the other - clear glass. For the manufacture of the frame, you can use both aluminum corners and wooden slats. The second option is easier to work with, so for the manufacture of your first panel, we recommend choosing it.

When starting to build a solar panel, make a small drawing - in the future this will help save time and avoid errors with dimensions

From rails with a section of 20x20 mm, a rectangular frame is assembled with external dimensions 118x58 cm, reinforced with one cross member.

The solar panel is wooden shield with sides no more than 2 cm high - in this case, they will not obscure the photocells

Ventilation devices are drilled in the lower ends of the housing, as well as in the spacer bar. They will communicate the internal cavity with the atmosphere, so that the glass will not fog up with inside. After that, a rectangle is cut out of the Plexiglas sheet, corresponding to the external dimensions of the frame.

Holes made in the rails serve to ventilate the interior space of the panel

The reverse side of the box is sewn up with plywood or OSB. The body is treated with an antiseptic and painted with oil paint.

To protect the wooden case from atmospheric influences, it is painted with oil paint.

According to the size of the internal cavities of the body, 2 substrates for photocells are cut out. Their use during the installation of plates will not only make work more convenient, but also reduce the risk of damage to fragile glass. For substrates, you can take any dense material - fiberboard, textolite, etc. The main thing is that it does not conduct electric current and resists heat well.

Any suitable dielectric can be used as substrates for photocells, for example, perforated fiberboard

Plate Assembly

The assembly of the plates begins with unpacking. Often, for the safety of photocells, they are collected in a stack and filled with paraffin. In this case, the products are immersed in a container with water and heated in a water bath. After the paraffin is melted, the plates should be separated from each other and dried well.

Removal of wax from the plate pack is best done in a water bath. The method shown in the figure has proven to be in the best way- when boiling, the plates begin to vibrate and hit each other

The photocells are laid out on the substrate in such a way that their leads are directed in the right direction. In our case, all 36 plates are connected in series - this will allow us to “gain” the 18 V we need. For ease of installation, 6 plates should be soldered, getting 6 separate chains.

Before soldering, the photocells are laid out in chains of the required length.

Knowing the principle of forming solar panels, you can easily select the required voltage and current strength. It's very simple: first, a group of series-connected plates is assembled, which will give the right voltage. After that, the individual blocks are connected in parallel - in this case, their current strength will be summed up. Thus, you can get a panel of any power.

Solder is applied to the conductive paths of the photocells and the parts are connected to each other using a low-power soldering iron.

When buying cheaper photovoltaic cells without leads, be prepared for the painstaking work of soldering conductors

After collecting all six groups, a drop of silicone sealant must be applied to the center of each plate. The photocell strings are then unfolded and carefully glued to the substrate.

To fix the photocells on the substrate, use silicone sealant or rubber glue.

A Schottky diode is soldered to the positive terminal of each chain - it will protect the battery from being discharged through the panel at night or during heavy cloud cover. Using a special bus or copper braid, individual blocks are connected into a single circuit.

On the diagram electrical connections solar panel elements circled with dotted line

At serial connection the positive terminal must be connected to the negative terminal, and in parallel, to the one of the same name.

Installing plates in the body

The photocells assembled on the substrate are placed in the case and fixed to the plywood using self-tapping screws. Separate parts of the solar battery are connected to each other by a copper conductor. It can be passed through one of ventilation holes in the cross member - so there will be no interference when installing the glass.

A multi-core cable is soldered to the “plus” and “minus”, which is brought out through a hole in the bottom of the case - it will be needed to connect the panel to the battery. To prevent damage to the plates, the cable is firmly fixed to the wooden frame.

After installing the plates, all hinged elements fixed with hot glue or sealant

From above, the solar battery is covered with a sheet of plexiglass, which is fixed with corners or self-tapping screws. To protect the photocells from moisture, a layer of silicone sealant is applied between the frame and glass. On this, the assembly can be considered complete - you can take the solar battery to the roof and connect it to consumers.

After laying and fixing glass cover solar panel ready to go

The efficiency of the solar battery depends on its orientation to the sun - the maximum power is achieved when the sun's rays fall at a right angle. To increase the productivity of the installation, it is placed on a swivel frame. This structure is made of wood or metal frame mounted on a rotary horizontal axis.

For maximum efficiency, the solar panel must be oriented directly to the Sun. This task is best handled by automatic installations called solar trackers.

To rotate and fix the frame, you can use either a mechanical drive (for example, a chain drive) or a step-adjustable retaining bar. The most advanced rotary devices are equipped with a rotation unit in the vertical plane and an automatic tracking system for the Sun. Such equipment can be assembled using stepper motors and a modern microcontroller, such as Arduino.

Building a solar tracker at home is extremely difficult task, therefore, most often craftsmen manage with a simple frame with an inclined or fixed frame

Connecting a solar battery to an autonomous power supply system should be done using a charge controller. This device will not only distribute the flows correctly electrical energy, but also prevent deep discharge of the battery, increasing its service life. All connections, including the connection of the 220V inverter, must be made copper wires with a cross section of at least 3-4 square meters. mm - this will avoid ohmic energy losses.

The solar battery charge controller will allow it to work with maximum current output and protect the batteries from excessive discharge.

Finally, I would like to recommend that you monitor the solar battery not only by indicators and instrument arrows. Be aware that dirty glass can reduce plant performance by 50% or more. Do not forget to carry out regular cleaning, and a do-it-yourself installation will repay you with kilowatts of completely free, and most importantly, environmentally friendly energy.

Video: do-it-yourself solar panel assembly

Today, there are no barriers to assembling a solar panel with your own hands. There are no problems either with the purchase of photocells, or with the purchase of a controller or energy converter. We hope that this article will be your starting point on the path to an autonomous home, and you will finally get down to business. We will be waiting for your questions, ideas and suggestions regarding the design and improvement of solar panels. See you soon!

Once, having heard on television about solar panels, which are capable of converting the energy of the sun into electrical energy, the author got excited about the idea of ​​using them. To begin with, he tried to find out as much information as possible about solar panels, inverters, cells and their other components. Unfortunately, good solar panels are quite expensive and the author could not just go and buy a factory panel for practical use at home. However, among the many articles on the Internet, the author found several dedicated self assembly solar panels at home.

Materials and tools that the author used to create his solar panel:
1) window glass measuring 86 by 66 cm
2) aluminum corners
3) soldering iron with consumables
4) solar cell kit
5) double-sided tape
6) inverter
7) batteries

Let us consider in more detail the stages of building a solar panel.

Before creating his first solar panel, the author is quite long time prepared by studying articles on assembling panels, information about various types of elements, sealing methods and materials needed to create panels for a beginner. One of the most important knowledge that the author has gathered in these articles is the experience of other people's mistakes. For example, he studied in some detail the main mistakes in sealing the panel, and also understood how best to work with solar cell plates so as not to damage them.

After theoretical preparation, the author proceeded to practical. Since the budget for the manufacture of the solar panel was not large, the author decided to assemble it mostly from improvised materials. Finding a pretty good store plastic windows, the author ordered there two glasses measuring 86 by 66 cm. Aluminum corners were also purchased in one of the stores, which will make up the frame of the solar panel. The author decided to order solar cells in an online store, since they were much cheaper there.

When all the basic materials were collected, and the elements received in the mail, the author proceeded to assemble his first solar panel.
To begin with, it was decided to connect all the elements using metal tape and a soldering iron. Since the author got acquainted with the main errors when soldering solar cells, this process went without breakdowns. In the work, the author used a small amount of rosin, and the soldering pressure was light, besides, before starting work, all the elements were laid out on a flat glass surface, so the whole process of soldering the elements was not difficult. It took the author about an hour and a half to solder 36 plates of solar cells, plus some time was spent on tinning the wires. The author called the main principles the need for a 40 W soldering iron, since the plates give off heat when the soldering iron approaches, and rosin for soldering needs quite a bit, otherwise the tin may not stick to the plate, for this reason the author had to tin all the wires completely.

To fix the plates on the glass in an even position of the rows, the author used double-sided tape. With the same adhesive tape, the author completely fixed the edging of the glass, on which a polymer film was then glued.

Below is a photo with all types of adhesive tape that the author used to create this solar panel:

The author also needed adhesive tape when sealing the solar panel. sealing the elements is very important, because if moisture gets on the contacts, they will oxidize and have to be resoldered. Therefore, the assembled panel was pasted polyethylene film, which the author fixed with the same double sided tape. The main thing in this process do not forget about the margins for the edges and accuracy when creating cutouts for wires. After the film was successfully glued, the author used a silicone sealant.

Further, the glass had to be placed in a frame to protect it from chips and simply increase the reliability of the solar battery design. The author preferred to make the frame for the glass from plastic, since he had some plastic left over from home repairs, although metal corners or wooden blocks can also be used. In general, it all depends on what tools and materials you have.

The frame was glued with a standard iron on a flat surface at 45 degrees.

Then the glass was installed inside such a homemade frame and the edges were once again glued with silicone sealant. Excess film was trimmed in the process for a better aesthetic appearance of the product.

As a result, we got such a solar panel made from improvised materials:

In the same way, another solar panel was assembled, since the elements were purchased with a margin.
Next, the author decided to start testing the assembled panels.

The first panel had a voltage of 21 V and a closing current of 3.4 A. The battery charge was 40 Ah. 2.1 A. During the tests it was rather cloudy and it was not possible to check the maximum power of the panels.

As a result, under the same weather conditions, the assembled system of two solar panels produced a short circuit current of 7 amperes, and a voltage of about 20 V. This is quite enough, and in more sunny weather, the performance will be much better.

The sun is an inexhaustible source of energy. People have long learned how to use it effectively. We will not go into the physics of the process, but we will see how this free energy resource can be used. A homemade solar panel will help us with this.

Operating principle

What is a solar cell? This is a special module, which consists of huge amount the most elementary photodiodes. These semiconductor elements were grown using special technologies in a factory on silicon wafers.

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

Building a silicon wafer battery

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

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

Assembling solar panels with your own hands

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

Frame making

When mounting, silicon crystals must be fixed at a short distance. After all, you need to take into account various atmospheric influences that can affect changes in the base. So, it is desirable that the distance is about 5 mm. As a result, the size finished construction will be somewhere 835 * 690 mm.

A solar panel is made by hand using an aluminum profile. It has the maximum similarity with branded products. At the same time, a homemade battery is more sealed and durable.

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

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

With your own hands, now you need to put a sheet of pre-selected transparent material into the frame from the profile. It could be either something else. An important point: the silicone layer must dry. This must be taken into account, otherwise a film will appear on the silicon elements.

At the next stage transparent material must be well pressed and fixed. To make the fastening as reliable as possible, you should use hardware. We fix the glass around the perimeter and from four corners. Now the solar panel, made by hand, is almost ready. It remains only to connect the silicon elements together.

Soldering crystals

Now you need to lay the conductor on the silicon plate as carefully as possible. Next, apply flux and solder. To make it more convenient to work, you can fix the conductor on one side with something.

In this position, carefully solder the conductor to the contact pad. Do not press on the crystal with a soldering iron. It is very fragile, you can break it.

Latest assembly operations

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

When you collect all this into a single structure, it is better to take a sheet of plywood or plexiglass. For convenience, it is better to pre-position the crystals horizontally and fix them. This is easily done with tile crosses.

After you connect all the elements together, stick double-sided construction tape on each crystal on the reverse side. You just need to slightly press the back panel, and all the crystals will be easily transferred to the base.

This type of fastening is not sealed in any way additionally. Crystals can expand when high temperatures but it's not scary. Only a few parts need to be sealed.

Now with the help it is necessary to fix all the tires and the glass itself. Before sealing and completely assembling the battery, it is advisable to test it.

Sealing

If you have a regular silicone sealant, then you do not need to completely fill the crystals with it. This way you can eliminate the risk of damage. To fill this design, you need not silicone, but epoxy resin.

This is how you can easily and naturally get electrical energy almost for nothing. Now let's look at how else you can make solar panels with your own hands.

Experimental Battery

Efficient systems for converting solar energy require huge factories, special care behind them and a serious amount of money.

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

DIY solar panel from foil

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

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

Getting Started

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

copper foil

Next, put the cleaned sheet on the tile and turn it on to the maximum possible. When the tile begins to heat up, you can observe the appearance of copper sheet beautiful orange spots. The color will then change to black. It is necessary to hold copper for about half an hour on a red-hot tile. This is very important point. So, thick layer The oxide peels off easily, while the thin one will stick. After half an hour has passed, remove the copper from the stove and let it cool. You will be able to watch how pieces fall off the foil.

When everything cools down, the oxide film will disappear. You can easily clean most of the black oxide with water. If something doesn't come off, it's not worth trying. The main thing is not to deform the foil. Deformation can damage thin layer oxide, it is very necessary for the experiment. If it is not there, a do-it-yourself solar panel will not work.

Assembly

Cut the second piece of foil to the same dimensions as the first. Next, very carefully, you need to bend the two parts so that they enter the plastic bottle, but do not touch each other.

Then hook the "crocodiles" to the plates. The wire from the "non-fried" foil - to the "plus", the wire from the "fried" - to the "minus". Now take the salt hot water. Stir the salt until completely dissolved. Let's pour the solution into our bottle. And now you can see the fruits of your labors. This homemade solar panel, made by hand, can be further improved a little.

Other ways to use solar energy

Solar energy is no longer being used. In space, it powers the famous rover on Mars from the Sun. And in the United States of America, Google data centers operate from the Sun. In those parts of our country where there is no electricity, people can watch the news on TV. All this thanks to the sun.

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

Hello dear blog readers! In our 21st century, things are constantly changing. They are especially sharply seen in the technological aspect. Cheaper sources of energy are being invented, various devices are spreading everywhere, which should make life easier for people. Today we will talk about such a thing as a solar battery - a device that is not a breakthrough, but, nevertheless, which every year more and more enters people's lives. We will talk about what this device is, what advantages and disadvantages it has. We will also pay attention to how the solar battery is assembled with our own hands.

Summary of this article:

Solar battery: what is it and how does it work?

A solar battery is a device that consists of a certain set of solar cells (photocells) that convert solar energy into electricity. The panels of most solar cells are made of silicon, as this material has a good efficiency in "processing" the incoming sunlight.

Solar panels work like this:

Photovoltaic silicon cells that are packed in a common frame (frame) take on sunlight. They heat up and partially absorb the incoming energy. This energy immediately releases electrons inside silicon, which through specialized channels enter a special capacitor, in which electricity is accumulated and processed from DC to AC goes to devices in an apartment / residential building.

Advantages and disadvantages of this type of energy

Among the advantages are the following:

• Our Sun is an environmentally friendly source of energy that does not contribute to environmental pollution. Solar panels are not thrown away environment various hazardous wastes.

• Solar energy is inexhaustible (naturally, while the Sun is alive, but this is still billions of years ahead). It follows from this that solar energy would definitely be enough for you for a lifetime.

• After you carry out a competent installation of solar panels in the future, you will not need to service them often. All you need to do is to carry out a preventive examination once or twice a year.

• Impressive lifetime of solar panels. This period starts at 25 years of age. It is also worth noting that even after this time they will not lose in performance.

• The installation of solar panels can be subsidized by the state. For example, this is actively happening in Australia, France, Israel. In France, 60% of the cost of solar panels is returned at all.

Among the shortcomings, the following can be distinguished:

• So far, solar panels cannot compete, for example, if you need to generate a large amount of electricity. This is more successful in the oil and nuclear industries.

• Electricity production is directly dependent on weather conditions. Naturally, when it's sunny outside, your solar panels will work at 100% power. When there is a cloudy day, this figure will drop significantly.

• To produce a large amount of energy, solar panels require a large area.

As you can see, this energy source still has more pluses than minuses, and the minuses are not as terrible as it would seem.

DIY solar battery from improvised means and materials at home

Despite the fact that we live in a modern and rapidly developing world, the purchase and installation of solar panels remains the lot of wealthy people. The cost of one panel, which will produce only 100 watts, varies from 6 to 8 thousand rubles. This is not counting the fact that it will be necessary to buy capacitors, batteries, a charge controller, a network inverter, a converter and other things separately. But if you do not have a lot of funds, but want to switch to an environmentally friendly source of energy, then we have good news for you - a solar battery can be assembled at home. And if you follow all the recommendations, its efficiency will be no worse than that of the commercially assembled version. In this part, we will look at step by step assembly. We will also pay attention to the materials from which solar panels can be assembled.

From diodes

This is one of the most budget materials. If you are going to make a solar battery for your home from diodes, then remember that with the help of these components only small solar panels are assembled that can power any minor gadgets. Diodes D223B are best suited. These are Soviet-style diodes, which are good because they have a glass case, because of their size they have high density installation and have a nice price.

After buying the diodes, clean them of paint - for this it is enough to place them in acetone for a couple of hours. After this time, it can be easily removed from them.

Then we prepare the surface for the future placement of the diodes. It can be a wooden plank or any other surface. It is required to make holes in it throughout its entire area. Between the holes it will be necessary to observe a distance of 2 to 4 mm.

After we take our diodes and insert them with aluminum tails into these holes. After that, the tails need to be bent in relation to each other and soldered so that when they receive solar energy, they distribute electricity into one “system”.

Our primitive glass diode solar cell is ready. At the output, it can provide energy of a couple of volts, which is a good indicator for a handicraft assembly.

From transistors

This option will already be more serious than the diode one, but it is still an example of a harsh manual assembly.

In order to make a solar battery from transistors, you will first need the transistors themselves. Fortunately, they can be bought in almost any market or in electronics stores.

After purchase, you will need to cut off the cover of the transistor. Under the lid hides the most important and necessary element for us - a semiconductor crystal.

Then we insert them into the frame and solder them between each other, observing the norms of “input-output”.

At the output, such a battery can provide enough power to carry out work, for example, a calculator or a small diode light bulb. Again, such a solar panel is assembled purely for fun and does not represent a serious “power supply” element.

From aluminum cans

This option is already more serious than the first two. It's also incredibly cheap and effective method get energy. The only thing is that at the output it will be much more than in the variants of diodes and transistors, and it will not be electrical, but thermal. All you need is a large number of aluminum cans and a case. Wood body works well. In the case, the front part must be covered with plexiglass. Without it, the battery will not work effectively.

Before starting the assembly, it is necessary to paint the aluminum cans with black paint. This will allow them to attract sunlight well.

Then, using tools, three holes are punched in the bottom of each jar. At the top, in turn, a star-shaped cut is made. The free ends are bent outward, which is necessary in order for improved turbulence of the heated air to occur.

After these manipulations, the banks are folded into longitudinal lines (pipes) into the body of our battery.

Then a layer of insulation (mineral wool) is laid between the pipes and the walls/rear wall. Then the collector is closed with transparent cellular polycarbonate.

This completes the build process. The last step is to install an air fan as a motor for the energy carrier. Such a battery, although it does not generate electricity, can effectively warm up a living space. Of course, it will not be a full-fledged radiator, but warming up small room such a battery is within the power - for example, for giving a great option. We talked about full-fledged bimetallic heating radiators in the article - in which we examined in detail the structure of such heating batteries, their technical characteristics and compared manufacturers. I advise you to take a look.

DIY solar battery - how to make, assemble and manufacture?

Moving away from homemade options we will pay attention to more serious things. Now we will talk about how to properly assemble and make a real solar battery with your own hands. Yes - this is also possible. And I want to assure you - it will be no worse than purchased analogues.

For starters, it's worth saying that you probably won't be able to find real silicon panels on the free market, which are used in full-fledged solar cells. And yes, they will be expensive. We will assemble our solar battery from monocrystalline panels - a cheaper option, but excellent in terms of generating electrical energy. Moreover, monocrystalline panels are easy to find and they are quite inexpensive. They are different sizes. The most popular and running option is 3x6 inches, which produces 0.5V equivalent. These will be enough for us. Depending on your finances, you can buy at least 100-200 of them, but today we will collect an option that is enough to power small batteries, light bulbs and other small electronic components.

Choice of photocells

As we stated above, we chose a single-crystal base. You can find it anywhere. The most popular place where it is sold in gigantic quantities is the Amazon or Ebay marketplaces.

The main thing to remember is that it is very easy to run into unscrupulous sellers there, so buy only from those people who have a fairly high rating. If the seller has a good rating, then you will be sure that your panels will reach you well packed, not broken, and in the quantity you ordered.

Site selection (orientation system), design and materials

After you have received your package with the main solar cells, you should choose a good place to install your solar array. After all, you will need it to work at 100% power, right? Professionals in this business advise to carry out the installation in the place where the solar battery will be directed just below the celestial zenith and look towards the West-East. This will allow you to “catch” sunlight almost all day.

Making a solar battery frame

• First you need to make the base of the solar battery. It can be wood, plastic or aluminum. Wood and plastic show themselves best. It should be large enough to fit all your photocells in a row, but at the same time they should not hang around inside the whole structure.

• After you have assembled the base of the solar battery, you will need to drill a lot of holes on its surface in order to bring the conductors into the future. single system.

• By the way, do not forget that the entire base must be covered with plexiglass on top to protect your elements from the weather.

Soldering elements and connection

After your base is ready, you can place your elements on its surface. You place the photocells along the entire structure with the conductors down (put them into our drilled holes).

Then they need to be soldered together. There are many schemes on the Internet according to which solar cells are soldered. The main thing is to connect them into a kind of single system so that they can all collect the received energy and send it to the capacitor.

The last step is to solder the “output” wire, which will be connected to the capacitor and output the received energy into it.

Mounting

This is the final step. After you make sure that all the elements are assembled correctly, they sit tightly and do not hang out, they are well covered with plexiglass - you can proceed with the installation. In terms of installation, it is better to mount the solar panel on solid foundation. A metal frame reinforced with construction screws is perfect. On it, the solar panels will sit firmly, not stagger and not succumb to any weather conditions.

That's all! What do we end up with? If you made a solar battery consisting of 30-50 photocells, then this will be quite enough to quickly charge your mobile phone or light a small household light bulb, i.e. at the end you got a full-fledged home-made Charger for charging the battery of a phone, a street lamp, or a small garden lantern. If you made a solar panel, for example, with 100-200 photocells, then we can already talk about “powering” some household appliances, for example, a boiler for heating water. In any case, such a panel will be cheaper than purchased counterparts and save you money.

Video - how to make a solar battery with your own hands?

This section presents photographs of some interesting, but at the same time simple options homemade solar panels that you can easily assemble with your own hands.

What is better - to buy or make a solar battery?

Let's summarize everything we learned in this article in this part. First, we figured out how to assemble a solar panel at home. As you can see, a do-it-yourself solar battery, following the instructions, is assembled very quickly. If you follow the various manuals step by step, you will be able to assemble great options to provide you with environmentally friendly electricity (well, or options designed to power small items).

But still, what is better - to buy or make a solar battery? Naturally, it is better to buy it. The fact is that those options that are manufactured on an industrial scale are designed to work the way they should work. At manual assembly solar panels can often be tolerated various errors which will result in them simply not working properly. Naturally, industrial options cost a lot of money, but you get quality and durability.

But if you are confident in your abilities, then with the right approach, you will assemble a solar panel that will be no worse than industrial counterparts. In any case, the future is near and soon solar panels will be able to afford all the layers. And there, perhaps, there will be a complete transition to the use of solar energy. Good luck!