1. No category

Introduction
Unleash the power of free and cheap solar energy and get your family off the grid with these 14 solar-themed Instructables. Learn how to make your own solar panels for
less, build a solar over, solar powered phone charger and much much more!
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Laura Khalil
Editor, Instructables.com
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Table of Contents
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
1
Author and Copyright Notices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
6
Disclaimer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
7
Home Made Solar Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
8
Intro: Home Made Solar Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
8
Step 1: The Initial Intention . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
8
Step 2: Start Of The Challenge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
9
Step 3: Building Process . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
9
Step 4: Vaporing Out Of The Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Step 5: Junction Box At The Back . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Step 6: The Inverter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Step 7: Figure Facts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Step 8: In Production . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Step 9: Future Thoughts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Related Instructables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Free, green, solar dehydrator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Intro: Free, green, solar dehydrator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Step 1: Remove bottom . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Step 2: Frame pieces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Step 3: Assemble frame . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Step 4: Stand . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Step 5: Attach screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Step 6: Modify cover . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Step 7: Place frame in container . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Step 8: Dehydrate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Related Instructables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
SOLAR OVEN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Intro: SOLAR OVEN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Step 1: Parts and Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Step 2: Your first cuts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Step 3: Paint it and stick it... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Step 4: Keep a lid on things . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Step 5: Staying within the lines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Step 6: Window with a view . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Step 7: Lets get cooking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Related Instructables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Portable Solar Generator on a bike trailer for Burning Man . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Intro: Portable Solar Generator on a bike trailer for Burning Man . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Step 1: Stuff you need . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Step 2: The trailer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Step 3: Elecrtrical Componets and Wiring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
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Step 4: Well its pretty much done... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Related Instructables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Solar Food Dehydrator (Dryer) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Intro: Solar Food Dehydrator (Dryer) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Step 1: Learn the Design . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Step 2: Find Materials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Step 3: Size Pieces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Step 4: Assemble Frame . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Step 5: Additional Components . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Step 6: Dehydration Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Related Instructables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
S.P.R.E.E. (Solar Photovoltaic Renewable Electron Encapsulator), a Compact, Durable, and Portable Solar Energy Generator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Intro: S.P.R.E.E. (Solar Photovoltaic Renewable Electron Encapsulator), a Compact, Durable, and Portable Solar Energy Generator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
File Downloads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Step 1: Gather Components for S.P.R.E.E. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Step 2: Construct a Box For S.P.R.E.E. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Step 3: Wire S.P.R.E.E. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Step 4: Energize S.P.R.E.E. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Step 5: Utilize S.P.R.E.E. then Rejoice in Clean Renewable Energy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Related Instructables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
DIY Solar Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Intro: DIY Solar Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Step 1: Get the solar cells . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Step 2: Check power and ground . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Step 3: Use conductive pen if needed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Step 4: Cell with conductive pen line . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Step 5: Linking the cells . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Step 6: Example measurement for 2-cell link . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Step 7: Example measurements from a 6-cell link . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Step 8: Silicon coating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Step 9: Solar Jelly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Step 10: Hope this helped . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Related Instructables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
How I built a folding 15 Watt Solar Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Intro: How I built a folding 15 Watt Solar Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Step 1: Getting the Solar Cells . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Step 2: Building the Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Step 3: Gluing Down the Solar Cells . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Step 4: Wiring the Solar Cells Together . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Step 5: Adding the Blocking Diodes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Step 6: Wiring the Two Halves Together . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Get-Cheap-Solar-Power/
Step 7:
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Related Instructables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Almost Free Solar Hot Air Collector . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Intro: Almost Free Solar Hot Air Collector . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Step 1: Dumpster Diving Time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
Step 2: Prepare The Fixture Frame . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
Step 3: Painting the Frames . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
Step 4: Cutting the Vent Holes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
Step 5: Intalling the Glass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
Step 6: Solar Panel and Micro Fan (Optional) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
Step 7: The Next Step . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Related Instructables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
How to MAKE PV Solar Panels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Intro: How to MAKE PV Solar Panels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Step 1: Supplies and Sources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Step 2: How to use "broken" cells . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
Step 3: Preparing Broken Cells . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
Step 4: "Broken" or "crystalline" Cell Panels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
Step 5: Preparing Glass (Amorphous) Cells . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
Step 6: Preparing Copper Indium Selenide cells. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
Step 7: Applications for small solar panels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
Step 8: Getting more practical power from your panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
Related Instructables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
How I built a Solar iPhone Charger for under $50. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
Intro: How I built a Solar iPhone Charger for under $50. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
Step 1: Tools and Materials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
Step 2: The Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
Step 3: The Simple Circuit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
Step 4: Connect the Circuit to the Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
Step 5: Test the Charger! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
Step 6: Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
Related Instructables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
Make a high powered solar panel from broken solar cells . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
Intro: Make a high powered solar panel from broken solar cells . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
Step 1: Tools needed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
Step 2: Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
Step 3: Getting started . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
Step 4: Wiring the cells in series . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
Step 5: You're Done . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
Related Instructables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
Solar phone charging system featuring sun tracking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
Intro: Solar phone charging system featuring sun tracking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
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Step 1: Let the theory begin (too boring? Jump to next step then) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
Step 2: Tracking circuit design . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
Step 3: Harvest the solar energy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
Step 4: Putting all together . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
Related Instructables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
DIY Solar USB Charger - Altoids . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
Intro: DIY Solar USB Charger - Altoids . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
Step 1: What You Need . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
Step 2: DC to USB Converter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
Step 3: Choose Some Batteries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
Step 4: Choose Your Solar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
Step 5: Wire Up The Solar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
Step 6: Connect The Battery Pack . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
Step 7: Prepare the Charger . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
Step 8: Solder The Charger . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
Step 9: Cut Your Tin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
Step 10: Glue Everything In . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
Step 11: Enjoy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
Related Instructables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .100
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Author and Copyright Notices
Instructable: Home Made Solar Panel
Author: Home Build Solar System
License: Attribution-NonCommercial (by-nc)
Instructable: Free, green, solar dehydrator
Author: lwilky
License: Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike (by-nc-sa)
Instructable: SOLAR OVEN
Author: sdbigguy
License: Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike (by-nc-sa)
Instructable: Portable Solar Generator on a bike trailer for Burning Man
Author: veggiecycle
License: Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike (by-nc-sa)
Instructable: Solar Food Dehydrator (Dryer)
Author: Permaculture
License: Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike (by-nc-sa)
Instructable: S.P.R.E.E. (Solar Photovoltaic Renewable Electron Encapsulator), a Compact, Durable, and Portable Solar Energy Generator
Author: charlitron
License: Public Domain (pd)
Instructable: DIY Solar Panel
Author: giladlotan
License: Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike (by-nc-sa)
Instructable: How I built a folding 15 Watt Solar Panel
Author: mdavis19
License: Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike (by-nc-sa)
Instructable: Almost Free Solar Hot Air Collector
Author: ecosteve
License: Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike (by-nc-sa)
Instructable: How to MAKE PV Solar Panels
Author: VIRON
License: Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike (by-nc-sa)
Instructable: How I built a Solar iPhone Charger for under $50.
Author: akbrennan
License: Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike (by-nc-sa)
Instructable: Make a high powered solar panel from broken solar cells
Author: mattfelice
License: Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike (by-nc-sa)
Instructable: Solar phone charging system featuring sun tracking
Author: h2osteam
License: Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike (by-nc-sa)
Instructable: DIY Solar USB Charger - Altoids
Author: JoshuaZimmerman
License: Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike (by-nc-sa)
http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Get-Cheap-Solar-Power/
Disclaimer
All do-it-yourself activities involve risk, and your safety is your own responsibility, including proper use of equipment and safety gear, and determining whether you have
adequate skill and experience. Some of the resources used for these projects are dangerous unless used properly and with adequate precautions, including safety gear.
Some illustrative photos do not depict safety precautions or equipment, in order to show the project steps more clearly. The projects are not intended for use by children.
Many projects on Instructables are user-submitted, and appearance of a project in this format does not indicate it has been checked for safety or functionality. Use of the
instructions and suggestions is at your own risk. Instructables, Inc. disclaims all responsibility for any resulting damage, injury, or expense. It is your responsibility to make
sure that your activities comply with all applicable laws.
http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Get-Cheap-Solar-Power/
Home Made Solar Panel
by Home Build Solar System on November 1, 2009
Intro: Home Made Solar Panel
Why pay lots of money (or any money) for a program that shows you how you can make your own solar panel as you can get this for free?
Visit Home Build Solar System on http://home.kpn.nl/maas5455/ and experience how also you can make not only solar panels but also how to make the whole system
for half the price of panels you buy in the shop for free.
Those systems are mostly made from materials you can buy locally in your DIY shop and materials which are easy to get online.
Its time to harvest the sun and get your electricity for free.
See you at http://home.kpn.nl/maas5455/ .
Step 1: The Initial Intention
I could see that my electricity bill was increasing year after year, just because the modern day appliances cant be turned off any more and before I noticed I had many
appliances in the house which are on standby day in day out. This all not only harm the environment but also my bank account as I am using electricity for nothing. Not to
solve this problem (as this is how appliances are made and I cant change this) I started to look into renewable energy to compensate my unneeded losses and to take
some pain away from my bank account. Wind energy was no option due to the area Im living in, hydro electricity is no option as I live in a flat country with next to no rivers
so solar power was the best solution. Than the price of solar systems appear to be horrendous, far too much that the system ever would produce in its estimated 20 year
lifespan. So I tried to get governmental grants for this project but grants for those kinds of systems where limited and did I miss out. But I still wanted a solar system but I
didnt wanted to pay the high price, so I decided to build the panels myself. Yes you see this right, I wanted to build my own solar system and I can tell you now its
possible and well with materials bought local in DIY shops and easy to obtain parts from the Internet. No Im not a technical wonder and I dont have lots of experience
working with electricity, I just looked around and taught myself how solar panels are made, how other might have done it and made out of this a workable plan of how I
could do it.
http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Get-Cheap-Solar-Power/
Step 2: Start Of The Challenge
After I did my homework I found out that there was a solar cell manufacturer just a few hours away from my house who could supply me with the needed cells (otherwise I
could buy those online as theyre easy to obtain from other sites). With information I collected from various sources I made a wiring diagram and did I got ordinary glass
from a local supplier. Tools I needed came from my local DIY store and I was ready to start. See the needed materials list below witch not only states all the needed
materials but also the price I paid for it and the shop I bought them from. The material list is for one panel only and the list of the total system is for 2 panels, one inverter
and production meter. Installation material like wire, junction boxes, screws and holding brackets I didnt had to buy as those I still had in the shed or made my self.
Step 3: Building Process
I soldered the solar cells according to the wiring diagram in series as this added the voltage of each cell together to achieve the desired (and highest) output. I made a 28
cell panel (4 strings of 7 cells) as this is fitting the best in my garden and would give me 28x0.5V=14V (theoretically). The amperage I didnt know yet as I bought B quality
cells to play around with (this saved me some expenses to mess around with).
When I finished soldering the cells, the cells where up side down (as I soldered the backside of the cells last) so could place on the back of each cell a little bid silicone
and glued the cells on a 4mm glass sheet (this sheet will eventually become the back of the panel).
Now I left it all to dray and the silicone to vapor out (its really important to let the silicone vapor out real good as the vapors react with the solder on the cells).
Next I turned the glass sheet over and placed small tile crosses (they use to place tiles on a wall or on the ground to keep a standard distance between the tiles) in
between the cells so that at a later stage of the building process the 2 plates of glass will form a stiffer construction. When they are in place I did put silicone sealant all
around the edge of the glass plate at a distance of about 3 cm from the edge (which I left empty for filling at a later stage).
Then I placed the other plate of glass on top of it so the cells are now sandwiched between 2 glass sheets of 4mm thick (yes I just made double glassing with solar cell
imbedded, how easy can a plan be).
http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Get-Cheap-Solar-Power/
Step 4: Vaporing Out Of The Panel
And left it all to dry for a minimum of 24 hours, the longer the better due to the sealant vapors. Then there is still an open space between the 2 glass plates on the outer
edge and I filled this with more sealant. Now I have 2 sealant seals, so if one sealant line leaks than there is the 2nd line as a backup. I leave this to dry for another 3
days. When the sealant has dried fully, I took some aluminum profile (aluminum angle bar) to make a frame to protect the glass and to make the panel stronger.
http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Get-Cheap-Solar-Power/
Step 5: Junction Box At The Back
At the back of the panel I made a junction box with a terminal block. At one site of the block the + and from the panel is going in and at the out side will go the wire going
to the inverter. In the junction box is also an diode in between the + from the panel to the + going to the inverter, this will prevent electric current to flow to the panel when
the panel is not producing any electricity (like at night).
Step 6: The Inverter
I contacted the local solar panel shop for a suitable inverter as this one needs to be small (remember that I only make a small amount of electricity with this panel). In the
shop was a small inverter laying around which could not be sold, and I could have this for free as it would otherwise be in the shop for a few more year. The inverter is an
OK-4 one, starting at 24V to 50V and a max of 100W. So this learned me that just one panel would not be enough as this would give me only 14V, so I needed a 2nd one
and also hooked up in series so I would get 28V which is enough to get the inverter going. The 14V appeared to be enough but you could see that this was not a strong
current so guess what, I made a 3rd panel and now the production is nice and steady. I know that this inverter can go to a max of 100W and my 3 panels give more
(135Wp) but this maximum my panels give will be chocked back by the inverter. What ever the inverter gets more than he can handle is burned off as heat. Yes I know
what youre thinking; Im wasting electricity right at the course. Thats true, but only at the middle of the day for a few hours when the sun is at its strongest and optimum
angle to the panels and most of the day (actually most days) this is not the case. Now I start producing right a way when the sun comes up till its going down, just thanks
to the fact that this inverter is able to work at a low voltage. I gain more by producing in total at the lower range (every day) than a few hours (at some days) at the top
range.
Step 7: Figure Facts
As that the OK-4 inverter hasnt got a build-in display to see how much output it gives I needed a separate production meter.
A guess what, I was also not prepared to pay the full solar panel world price for this neither.
I went to a local DIY store and bought an ELRO M12 Power Calculator, which is actually mend for calculating the usage of electrical appliances but works also fine to
calculate any solar production (this calculator is working both ways it can give and take electricity from the net).
And this calculator plugs straight into the mains power supply with no difficult wiring (thats what we need).
Factory figures gave me that each cell gives 0.5V x 6A = 3Wp, but this in the perfect circumstances. For a whole panel this would mean 28 cells x 3Wp = 84Wp.
But from previous gained knowledge I know that this is always given as an to optimistic figure and that around 20% less production will be achieved in real live.
In this case this would mean a true expected production figure of 67Wp.
My panels are certainly not facing the optimum way, but this is for now also not the meaning (as silly as it sounds).
The panels are placed at a 10 degree angle (instead 35) and not exactly facing South.
But where they are placed is a temporary installation with the reason that I want to see how theyre behaving in real weather with cold temperatures, lots of rain and a
blasting sun.
A real setup will come in the near future.
Taking all of this in account the panels are producing 15V x 3A = 45Wp each.
Concluding that the voltage of the cells are used to the maximum.
The amperage can go higher, this can be done by changing the angle of the panels more into the sun, but is currently not possible due to their placing location.
http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Get-Cheap-Solar-Power/
Step 8: In Production
If I see that voltage wise the maximum output has been reached, I can say that the panels are working fine and do the give so far an average of 500Wh per week. Now
the critics among us will say that this is nothing, but given that the panels have the potential to produce more as if I only change the facing/angle, the panels are smaller
than a standard panel plus it are only 3 panels they do fine. Plus my aim was to overcome the standby appliances in the house so you can say that I succeeded. Apart
from the durability (this test is currently on going), I can say that a home made panel is working just as good as a panel bought in a shop.
Step 9: Future Thoughts
My future plan is first testing the panels for their durability as so far I mainly focused on making the panels and do I not really know what they will do after being exposed
to the weather for a long period of time.
After this its time to make a sun tracker and make more panels but than bigger ones.
Than the panels will give more output due to the size and will always be facing under the right angle to the sun for maximum output.
And it speaks for it self that all gained knowledge will be published on the site for everyone to access.
And for the critic, yes youre right this is not free electricity as I had to pay for the parts but when I reached the breakeven point the costs are paid back and then the
system will give me free energy by harvesting the sun.
To share my experiences Ive made a website where you can see for yourself how I did it, my production records to show how the system is behaving, and how you can
do this yourself by means of text, photos and films.
See this all at my site on http://home.kpn.nl/maas5455/
Why wait till tomorrow if you can start saving money today?
See you all at http://home.kpn.nl/maas5455/
http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Get-Cheap-Solar-Power/
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Free, green, solar dehydrator
by lwilky on March 12, 2011
Intro: Free, green, solar dehydrator
Why Dry: Preserve fresh fruit/vegetables/meat/fish/prepared food that is surplus to current needs, and increase calorie density (reduce weight for transporting,
backpacking, camping).
Why Solar/Green: Reduce carbon footprint
Why Free: Costco Kirkland Disney animal cracker container too nice to discard.
Other leftovers used:
- 30" of molding, mine was about 3/4" square
- 7.5" x 18.5" piece of window screen
- 4" diameter piece of window screen
- glue, staples
- (4) nuts and bolts, mine were 2"
- scrap lumber, my pieces were 40" of 1/2"x3" and 5" of 1 1/4" x 1 1/4" recycled plastic.
Tools used:
- hand saw, scissors, utility knife, tape measure, hand drill
STEPS:
http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Get-Cheap-Solar-Power/
http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Get-Cheap-Solar-Power/
Step 1: Remove bottom
1 - Cut out bottom of animal cracker container.
Step 2: Frame pieces
2 - Cut frame sides, my inside dimension was 6 5/8" square, I cut off corners so it would sit lower in the container.
http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Get-Cheap-Solar-Power/
Step 3: Assemble frame
3 - Assemble frame, gluing seemed easier than nails or screws.
Step 4: Stand
4 - Attach container to stand. Bottom of container should be elevated to allow free entry of dry air.
Step 5: Attach screen
5 - Staple screen to frame. I placed some staples across frame joints to add mechanical hold to glue joints. Screen wraps all away around so top screen supports
product and bottom screen keeps insects away.
http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Get-Cheap-Solar-Power/
Step 6: Modify cover
6 - Ventilate cover with holes and screen.
Step 7: Place frame in container
7 - Place screened frame in container.
Step 8: Dehydrate
8 - Place food in screen.
9 - Place dehydrator in sun.
http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Get-Cheap-Solar-Power/
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SOLAR OVEN
by sdbigguy on March 19, 2009
Author:sdbigguy Green in SD
I was born in the Chicago, Illinois and spent my formative years in a small community known as Wonder Lake. I moved to Greers Ferry. Arkansas while I was
in high school. I joined the Navy as a Photographer and retired after 20 years as a Petty Officer First Class Photographers Mate. I now live in the San Diego,
California.
What are you doing to be GREEN?
Intro: SOLAR OVEN
SOLAR OVEN that is quick, easy and FREE!!!
I am a packrat at heart and I am always looking at ways to make things from stuff and junk I have accumulated. I have been interested in trying to make a solar oven for
a while.
We got a shipment in today that had perishable items and the box was lined with 1 think Styrofoam sheets. When I opened one of the box I realized that I was already on
the way to making a solar oven. This is a very easy construct and with junk on hand the cost is ZERO. If you collect junk like I do you should be able to build this solar
oven in less than an hour and still come up with good results.
Step 1: Parts and Tools
PARTS:
1 insulated cardboard box (BOX A)
1 cardboard box (small enough to fit inside first box snuggly) (BOX B)
1 cardboard box/cap to fit over BOX A (BOX C)
1 piece of glass – this came from a free scanner that was obtained for free off of craigslist.
Tape (shipping or duct tape)
Black spray paint
Clear plastic bag (zipper bag or twist tie)
Black or dark pot (small enough to fit within BOX B.)
TOOLS:
Craft knife
Ruler (optional)
Cutting board (optional)
Pencil, pen or marker
http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Get-Cheap-Solar-Power/
Step 2: Your first cuts
I resealed the box with tape and then sliced one side off with my craft knife (BOX A). Once I had the side removed I was able to see how large the second box needed to
be. I found a box that would fit fine from side to side but it was a little to long. After a little cardboard surgery I was left with a modified box (BOX B).
Remember that anytime you use a knife or other sharp tool to practice responsible use... safety first!
Step 3: Paint it and stick it...
I spay painted the inside of BOX B to help capture the heat from the sun. Slide BOX B inside of BOX A and there should be a tight fit and you end up with a
cardboard/Styrofoam/cardboard wall construction.
http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Get-Cheap-Solar-Power/
Step 4: Keep a lid on things
I found a box that would fit over everything and form a lid (BOX C). After rummaging around in my PILE O STUFF & JUNK I came up with a piece of glass that fit inside of
BOX C. The glass is actually from an old scanner that was found on Craiglist for free.
http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Get-Cheap-Solar-Power/
Step 5: Staying within the lines
I traced the outline of the glass, marked a line inside of that outline and used the craft knife to make a frame/window opening to hold the glass. I would recommend
putting a cutting board under BOX C when cutting. If you share your house with someone and you have put cuts on countertops or slices in flooring you only have to
make that mistake once and you will never live it down.
http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Get-Cheap-Solar-Power/
Step 6: Window with a view
Once the hole is cut, position the glass and then tape it into place. Put the lid on top of the rest of the build and everything should be ready to cook.
Step 7: Lets get cooking
When it is time to prepare you meal try to find a dark container/pot/etc that will fit within the solar over. Put your ingredients in the pot and then put the pot into a clear
plastic bag and seal the bag with either the zipper closure or a twist tie.
This will cook similar to a crock-pot and the best hours for cooking are usually around 10am to 3pm. Aim the oven at the sun and forget it. If you are able to monitor the
oven you can reposition it through out the day and get a little extra temp out of it.
Get everything ready and load it in the morning and you should be ready to eat later that day.
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Portable Solar Generator on a bike trailer for Burning Man
by veggiecycle on September 19, 2008
Intro: Portable Solar Generator on a bike trailer for Burning Man
AKA Solar panel On Wheels, aka Post Apocalyptic Power Wagon, aka Bike Dance Party USA, aka I should hook up a electric motor to this bike cuz the trailer is so damn
heavy from the battery...
First let me start by saying this is not a plan on how to exactly build an Off Grid Solar System. Depending on what type of solar module or modules you use or what type
of charge controller and battery you use. The plan can come out completely different.
This is more of an overview of a simple system I built with what I had available. But.. It does stand as a very good model for a simple Off Grid system that's got a little bit
of umph behind it.
I have ran off this trailer such things as a small refrigerator, a skill saw, several drop lights, a Sawzall with a drop light, ghetto blaster and 3 strings of xmas lights all night,
electric tea pot, and the list goes on.
So the story goes something like this. I was going to Burning Man with my work http://www.eesolar.com/ to build 9 solar arrays. First a 14k array for our camp to serve as
a public charging station for electric art cars, camp batterys and, anything else under the sun (laptops, ipods, flash lights, vibrators, what ever). Then we built arrays to
power 3 more camps and finally we fitted 5 major art installations with smaller solar arrays (1 to 2 k).
I needed a way to run power tools to build the other arrays so I came up with the idea to retrofit this cheapy kid bike trailer that I got at a thrift store for 8 bucks with a 80
watt solar module, 150 amp hour battery, charge controller and, 400 watt inverter.
The idea is that I can attach my trailer to my bike with the solar junk and ride to other camps that don't have power and work on stuff. Now that I'm home I can ride my
bike to anywhere there's a party happen'n and make the scene.
Step 1: Stuff you need
First lets me say that this isn't really about how to build a solar bike trailer. That's why I am not getting into every little hole to be drilled and screw to be screwed. It more
an illustration on how to set up a very simple Off Grid solar system and the components necessary. You should be able to take this simple plan and build it into almost
anything (camping trailer, RV, apartment balcony, little cabin in the woods, ect.).
My goal was to not buy anything new for this project. I found it all left over in my garage from other projects or at my work in the warehouse in some boxes of old parts. I
know that most people don't have solar modules and and charge controllers laying around.. but I will try and give you some idea on how to spend as little $$ as possible. I
figure if you bought this all new it could cost from $500 to $1000.
TRAILER Build one!!! (search "bike trailer" on this silly site), garage sales, Craigs List, thrift stores, ect.. The One I used is a cheap one. I took off the plastic body and cut
it in half. Then I bolted it back on the frame and bolted scrap plywood over the wheels to serve as a strong platform.
SOLAR MODULE (aka Solar Panel) This one is a 17 volt 80 watt. I scrapped it from a downed freeway sign that had solar lighting. We are going to be using a Module
around 17v because we are running a 12v battery. You can look for them used on Ebay or hunt for a new one online. I just searched and found new ones from $225 to
$450 (google "solar panel 80 watt")
INVERTER This is a regular car inverter that you could plug into you cig. lighter outlet. It changes the 12 volt DC(like a car battery) into 120 volt AC (like your house) This
one came from Home Chepot and is rated at 400 watts that's plenty for a system this size.
CHARGE CONTROLLER Now this is a can of worms. The charge controller protects the battery while it is charging. It keeps the right amount of juice coming in and
sometimes even going out. The one I am using is a Trace C40 (read here for more about this CC) it is total over kill for this project. Trace also makes a really good
smaller one that would have worked just fine the C12 (more about the C12) The C40 cost around $150 new and the C12 about half that. They are high quality pieces of
electrical equipment and will last for years. You can buy a simple 12volt charge controller online for $20 to $30 that will work.
BATTERY You will need a 12 Volt deep cycle battery also call a marine battery. In theory you could use a 24 volt battery but you would need a 24v inverter and module.
Or two 6 volts ..or.. or.. I'll save you the class on batterys.. that's what the interweb is for. I am using a sealed gel type battery for UPS systems it is 150 amp hours (that
pretty big 80 ish lbs.) I get them free from a buddy that builds UPS systems every once in a while.. that's why I'm using this battery. It retails around $350. I could use a
lighter battery like Li-Ion and it would weigh only 30 lbs but it would cost $2000.
MOUNTING HARDWARE The hardware I used was left over from residential solar installations. It is light weight and very strong. You can use a scrap of steel strut, u
brackets, nuts, bolts, and fender washers.
WIRE I used leftover scrapes of multi strand 10ga wire
http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Get-Cheap-Solar-Power/
Image Notes
1. Solar module... size that will fit on your trailer
2. Bike trailer
3. Inverter
4. Charge controller
5. Battery 12 volt deep cycle
6. Mounting hardware
7. 10GA wire
Step 2: The trailer
Like I said earlier any trailer will do, just make sure its strong. I bolted the plywood on good by drilling holes in the steel frame. Then I used some old book shelf brackets
to hold the vertical plywood up. That's where I'm going to mount the electrical components. The solar module is mounted with really nice solar industry specific parts from
ProSolar but you can use stuff in your garage or hardware store. I did a quick search and found some random PDF with pictures of steel strut and hardware see chapter
15
The Battery is held on with an old nylon strap buckle. I think a bungy cord will do.
Image Notes
1. Some books shelf brackets I found in the garage
2. Scraps of plywood
3. I cut off half of the dumb plastic trailer body and mounted plywood to the frame
4. Solar module roof mount hardware.. you can fake that
http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Get-Cheap-Solar-Power/
Image Notes
1. Nylon strap with buckle
2. Strap
Image Notes
1. The front support bracket pretty much any piece of steel will do.
Step 3: Elecrtrical Componets and Wiring
I made up a really simple wiring diagram to show you how I wired this thing.
Image Notes
1. 400 Watt DC inverter.
2. These 2 wires bring the DC power from the solar module to the charge
controller
3. Trace C40 Charge Controller
http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Get-Cheap-Solar-Power/
Image Notes
1. These 2 wires are coming from the solar module to the charge controller.
2. There is two wires on each battery terminal. One that is bring power to the
battery from the solar module by the way of the charge controller. The wires that
are held on by the clips are taking power from the battery to the inverter.
4. The 2 wires coming out of the bottom take the DC power to the battery
terminals. This charges the battery.
5. The wires come from the battery terminals. They bring the 12 volt DC to be
changed by the inverter to 120 AC
Step 4: Well its pretty much done...
Remember this was more of an illustration on how a simple off grid PV system works... not so much of a how to build the darn thing. I hope this got your "wheels turning"
Image Notes
1. In this picture you can see why I left part of the trailer. It makes a great place to
stow things like the tools you will run and the extension cord.
http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Get-Cheap-Solar-Power/
Image Notes
1. Don't worry about it being a big sail. The battery weighs so much I never
was going fast.
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Solar Food Dehydrator (Dryer)
by Permaculture on October 4, 2009
Intro: Solar Food Dehydrator (Dryer)
Dry your fruit, vegetables, and other goods with your own sun powered dehydrator. Electric Food Dehydrators can be expensive and consume unnecessary energy.
This solar dehydrator was made entirely of recovered materials. It was constructed with scrap ply wood, 2x4s from an old ladder, a house window, and other items which
could be considered trash. It was created as a project at Maharishi University of Management in Fairfield, Iowa.
Why We Dry: Removal of moisture prevents bacteria from ruining your values fruits and vegetables. Drying is a form of preservation.
Step 1: Learn the Design
Become familiar with the design to minimize mistakes...
There are vents underneath in the front which are hidden in this picture. The darker section is a piece of heat absorbent material, we used painted metal for this particular
dehydrator, but other materials will do as long as they are dark. The food itself is placed on the shelf, which will be made out of a cloth screen. Other screen-like materials
can be used, but take chemical leeching into consideration to prevent contamination. The back piece of ply wood can be opened to remove the shelf and provide
additional ventilation.
http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Get-Cheap-Solar-Power/
Step 2: Find Materials
Thin Ply Wood (Body)
4 2.5' Long 2" x 4"s
10 feet of 2" x 2" wood (Braces and drying shelf support)
A Window (20" x 23 1/8") or a suitable slab of clear plastic.
Screen (For covering vents)
Stretchable Cloth/Material. We used stalkings. (For drying rack)
2 Hinges
Screws
Staples
Thermometer
A Hook & String (To fasten the rear door)
Caulk (For perfectionists)
Step 3: Size Pieces
Here is a checklist for the plywood pieces.
-1' x 23 1/4"' (Top)
- TWO 20" x 12" x 26 1/8" x 14 1/8" (Sides) This has a diagonal cut.
-26 1/8" x 23 1/16" (Bottom) This will be trimmed to fit legs and vents.
-14 1/8" x 23 1/16" (Back) This will be on hinges.
*Careful Cutting
http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Get-Cheap-Solar-Power/
Step 4: Assemble Frame
A. Cut 2" x 4" notches out on the bottom ply wood piece for legs. Cut out 2" x 4" slits for ventilation.
B. Construct base first as pictured.
C. Fasten side pieces of ply wood to legs.
D. Attach rear ply wood piece.
E. Screw 2" x 2" on top of side pieces to anchor the top piece. (This is more clear after viewing the second picture on this step)
*Drill then screw to prevent splitting
http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Get-Cheap-Solar-Power/
Step 5: Additional Components
A. Size and Insert heat absorbent shelf (Approximately 23" x 20") . This rests on the top of the legs.
B. Construct drying screen by stretching and stapling material over a 14" x 22 1/2" frame constructed of 2" x 2" pieces.
C. Cut and attach support piece for drying screen.
D. Attach the window. Caulking the borders is recommended, but if the window is flush against the frame, then caulking is optional.
E. Cover vents with screen material to protect from insects.
F. Place thermometer inside, ideally close to the drying screen rack.
*Clean parts before adding them
Step 6: Dehydration Tips
A. Dehydration will occur between 100 and 140 degrees Fahrenheit. Any lower and bacteria can grow, any higher and it will be cooking. In order to achieve this balance
the rear door may need to be left ajar.
B. Different fruits and vegetables have different optimum drying temperature ranges. Research what you are drying to find this out.
C. Remember to store your result in a dry place.
Thank you for reading our directions!
http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Get-Cheap-Solar-Power/
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http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Get-Cheap-Solar-Power/
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S.P.R.E.E. (Solar Photovoltaic Renewable Electron Encapsulator), a Compact,
Durable, and Portable Solar Energy Generator
by charlitron on July 30, 2008
Intro: S.P.R.E.E. (Solar Photovoltaic Renewable Electron Encapsulator), a Compact, Durable, and Portable Solar
Energy Generator
For under $160 you can construct a S.P.R.E.E. to harness clean carbon-free solar electricity to power your portable electronic devices.
Project: S.P.R.E.E. (Solar Photovoltaic Renewable Electron Encapsulator), is an experiment in alternative energy and solar generated electricty.The impetus for
construction was the desire to have my cellular phone and other small electronics run entirely from free* renewable solar energy.
The goal was to spend the least amount of money possible to design, construct, and maintain a portable, weather-proof, small-scale solar powered battery charger to recharge any small electronics. Since I live in Southern California, with plenty of sun, the plan is to leave it charging on my balcony during the day, then charge my cellular
phone at night. Note: Do not place on a balcony rail like I did, that was just for the picture.
My design was inspired from a do-it-yourself section I saw in Popular Science . The DIY section in Popular Science was a good start, but it lacked complete directions. I
did like how article listed how much and where to purchase components.
After reading that article, I searched other corners of the internet and developed my own design. I then researched the project, and gathered the parts for about $160,
including taxes and shipping costs. I have friends that own an auto shop, RPM Brakes who let me use their multimeter, soldering iron, and they had plenty of extra
connectors around.
I have added several optional modifications in Step 5.
Image Notes
1. LED Photovoltaic Activity Indicator (LEDPAI)
Image Notes
1. Strong hinge created with speaker wire and screws. Holds the PV panel
securely in place and allows placement at any angle.
2. Multi-Angle Height Selector (M.A.H.S.)
3. Never place on a unstable surface, like I did here.
http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Get-Cheap-Solar-Power/
http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Get-Cheap-Solar-Power/
http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Get-Cheap-Solar-Power/
File Downloads
Spree.m4v (11 MB)
[NOTE: When saving, if you see .tmp as the file ext, rename it to 'Spree.m4v']
Step 1: Gather Components for S.P.R.E.E.
The components are very basic, involving a photovoltaic panel, a rechargeable battery, a charge controller, and the sun. You should not spend more that $160, unless
money is no object to you. Not the case for me.
5-watt, 12-volt photovoltaic panel, $36, eBay, Solar Cynergy: PV-SC005J17
1/4" mono plug (2), $1, allelectronics.com, SPH
DC solar charge controller, $28, allelectronics.com, SCN-2
12-volt 12-AH rechargeable battery, $40, allelectronics.com, GC-1214
10-feet of 18-gauge wire, $3, allelectronics.com, WRB-18
cigarette lighter "Y" adapter, $4, allelectronics.com, CLP-Y
200-watt power inverter, $17, walmart.com, 001088173
plastic box with split folding lids, $5, target medium bin
wood/hardware for mounting, $4, lowe's, 1x3x4, screws
This leaves about $22 for random parts, upgrades, accessories, shipping fees and taxes.
Necessary tools: Power drill and creativity.
http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Get-Cheap-Solar-Power/
Step 2: Construct a Box For S.P.R.E.E.
I selected a plastic bin with a split opening lid worth $5 at Target. I picked it because it was cheap, durable, easy to modify, and relatively weather-proof. Drill plenty of
holes in it to provide airflow. I also drilled holes to add bungee cords to hold the battery secure. And, I drilled a hole for the mono jack to go into the box, leaving the
cigarette socket outside of the box.
Be creative. Hollow out an old TV or CRT monitor and use that as your box. Or you can make it out of bamboo flooring scraps like they did in Popular Science .
Step 3: Wire S.P.R.E.E.
The wiring is very simple and intuitive. Basically, the photovoltaic panel and the battery are connected to the charge controller.
The charge controller has a 12 volt output. This output is in the form of a 1/4 inch mono jack. The first step involves cutting off the cigarette lighter plug from the Y-adapter
and soldering the mono plug to the cigarette lighter socket. (Since it was a Y adapter, and there was 2 sockets, I made 2 mono-plug-to cigarette-socket "connectors", one
as a backup) Make sure to test your connections.
Connect the photovoltaic panel to the charge controller. Insert the 1/4 inch mono jack into the 12 volt output of the charge controller. Check your connections again.
I drilled a hole in the plastic box top, and then attached 2 wooden boards to the top of the box. I then attached the photovoltaic panel to 1/2 inch square wooden dowels. I
then created a hinge using speaker wire and screws, which holds the photovolatic panel secure yet allows tilt from 90 to 180 degrees. Then I drilled another hole and
inserted the mono jack and left the 12 volt cigarette lighter outside of the housing, but made a holster for it by using a zip-tie.
More about modifications in step 5.
http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Get-Cheap-Solar-Power/
http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Get-Cheap-Solar-Power/
Step 4: Energize S.P.R.E.E.
After all connections have been made ,double check them and test them with a multimeter before connecting to the battery.
Connect the red wire to the positive (+) terminal of the battery, then connect the black wire to the negative (-) terminal of the battery.
Note: The photovoltaic panel will charge the battery even when the charge controller is OFF. The charge controller has to be in the ON position to power 12-volt cigarette
lighter socket.
Step 5: Utilize S.P.R.E.E. then Rejoice in Clean Renewable Energy
Place S.P.R.E.E. in the sunshine to charge the battery.
Adjust the photovoltaic panel at an angle roughly equal to your latitude for optimum electron encapsulation. Check out U.S. Gazetteer to find your latitude and check your
angle with a protractor.
At night, bring it inside, and plug your 12 volt electronics into the cigarette lighter socket to charge. OR, get an DC to AC inverter. It will use some of the electricity to
convert the energy, but you will be able to charge AC electronics. Although, it would be more efficient to use DC electronics with this small scale system.
Smile and know that you are using only clean carbon free energy when you talk on your cell phone, take photos with your digital camera, or play PSP.
I have added several inexpensive modifications my S.P.R.E.E.
1. M.A.H.S. (Multi-Angle Height Selector): I sawed up the remaining wood that used mount the photovoltaic panel into 4 different lengths. Then I drilled a hole through
each one and attached them all with twine. I also sawed a groove into them which makes the support more secure. Now, I can fan them out and select the right one,
depending on where the sun is.
2. L.E.D.P.A.I. (LED Photovoltaic Activity Indicator): I purchased a green LED (with housing) from Radio Shack for $2. I drilled a hole in the top lid and wired the LED in
parallet circut with the photovoltaic panel. Now, depending on how much or how little light the photovoltaic panel is receiving, the LED will respond by either glowing bright
or becoming dim.
Be creative and be safe, don't zap yourself.
http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Get-Cheap-Solar-Power/
Image Notes
1. LED Photovoltaic Activity Indicator (LEDPAI)
Image Notes
1. Strong hinge created with speaker wire and screws. Holds the PV panel
securely in place and allows placement at any angle.
2. Multi-Angle Height Selector (M.A.H.S.)
3. Never place on a unstable surface, like I did here.
http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Get-Cheap-Solar-Power/
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DIY Solar Panel
by giladlotan on December 14, 2006
Author:giladlotan
giladlotan.com
Work at the FUSE (future of Social Experience) Microsoft Lab in Cambridge, MA. Alumni of the Interactive Telecommunications Program, New York
University.
Most recent web visualization: http://giladlotan.org/viz/iranelection
school portfolio: http://giladlotan.com
thoughts: http://giladlotan.com/blog
Intro: DIY Solar Panel
Creating a solar panel out of broken re-used solar cell pieces. I ordered a pack of these from http://siliconsolar.com (3$ for a bagful of them - you can order here ). In
addition, you will need some conductive copper mesh (available at most art stores), glue gun + sticks, a multimeter and a conductive pen (or any sort of conductive
brush-on - I got my conductive silver pen here ). In this tutorial I will try to explain the best technique I found to connect these broken cells, in order to create your own
CHEAP solar panel.
Image Notes
1. broken solar cells, available from http://siliconsolar.com
2. conductive mesh - available at many hardware and art stores.
Step 1: Get the solar cells
this is how the cells can look like when they arrive
http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Get-Cheap-Solar-Power/
Step 2: Check power and ground
When you look at the solar cell, make sure you check voltage between the positive side (the back side which is usually grey) and the negative side (which is the black
side, with all the lines on it) of each cell. You can simply use a multimeter by placing its leads on the cell itself. This step is crucial, otherwise you'll connect bad cells in
the middle of your link, causing the whole panel not to work.
Image Notes
1. positive
2. negative
Step 3: Use conductive pen if needed
You need to make sure that all the tiny little lines in the negative side of the cells are interconnected (a way to gather all the electrons from the surface). This step is not
necessary for all cells, only for the ones like in this picture, which don't have any connection between the lines on the surface. you can use the conductive pen to draw a
thin line which connects all of them. Once you do that, you will immediately see the voltage rising for that specific cell.
Image Notes
1. These cells have no central conductive lead connecting between all the little leads on the negative surface of the cell. They need to be connected using the
conductive pen preferrably.
2. this cell has a connection already between the little conductive paths, so there's no need for the conductive pen here
Step 4: Cell with conductive pen line
here's an example of a cell with the conductive pen line on it, linking between the tiny conductive leads on the negative side of the solar cell.
http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Get-Cheap-Solar-Power/
Step 5: Linking the cells
This can get a bit tricky, but once you get the hang of it, can be done fast enough. First, some technical notes: In order to get higher voltage, you need to connect two
cells in series. This means that the negative part of the first connects to the positive part of the second. As you continue to add more cells in series, you will get a higher
voltage from side to side on your solar strip. This is all good, but if your cells are small-ish, they won't generate much amperage. So even if you have a high voltage, you
probably won't be able to give it any load (probably will hardly light an LED). In order to get higher amperage through the circuit, you need to connect cells in parallel
(positive side to positive side, negative side to negative side). When you do this, make sure the positive and negative leads (copper mesh in this case) don't short
themselves out.
I found that the best way to connect between two cells was to use hot glue and some conductive mesh. The mesh is good since it allows light to come through it, and we
all love glue guns. So all you need to do is glue the mesh onto the solar cell surface. Its always better to have a longer strip of mesh on the surface, with a big enough
shared surface space between the two. Always check with a multimeter that there is connectivity, and that there is voltage coming through. Its a bummer later to try and
figure out where the problem is.
Image Notes
1. positive side of this cell (not seen - its the bottom) connected to the negative side of the cell to its' left. The negative side of this cell (top) is connected to the
positive side of the cell on its' right side.. and so on and so forth
2. negative side of this solar cell, connected using a conductive mesh to the positive side of the cell to its' right
3. linking cells in series
Step 6: Example measurement for 2-cell link
Step 7: Example measurements from a 6-cell link
This solar array can light an LED when close to the window. (I know... doesn't help much)
But it can definitely charge a battery... (instructable still in the making...)
http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Get-Cheap-Solar-Power/
Step 8: Silicon coating
I highly recommend applying a silicon coating to your solar array. The cells are so fragile, and the links can easily detach or move out of place. A thin coat of silicon keeps
it all in place... and also gives it a very cool effect!
Step 9: Solar Jelly
Here's what i made.
A little Solar Jellyfish. I put a battery and servo motor inside. When there was enough light on it, the object moved its legs up and down just like a jellyfish (video coming
very soon...). And when it was dark, it lit up from inside and became a light display.
A bit messy, but still a prototype.
Next iteration coming up real soon.
project page
http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Get-Cheap-Solar-Power/
Step 10: Hope this helped
Please leave a comment if you have any questions, suggestions or ideas.
http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Get-Cheap-Solar-Power/
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http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Get-Cheap-Solar-Power/
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How I built a folding 15 Watt Solar Panel
by mdavis19 on July 30, 2010
Intro: How I built a folding 15 Watt Solar Panel
Several years ago I built a 60 Watt solar panel. It's a great panel. I still use it a lot. However, it is big, and heavy, and I don't always need 60 Watts of power. Sometimes I
just need a little power for a portable device or two. I'd like to be able to charge up my cell phone, or MP3 player without having to lug around the big solar panel. I'd also
like the panel to be more compact and easier to pack when I am traveling light. So I decided to build a 15 Watt Solar panel that folds up to be more compact. Some
people may complain that it is too much effort, and doesn't save enough money to make it worth the trouble of building their own 15 Watt panel. For me though, it is all
about the joy of building. Anybody can buy a solar panel. How many people build their own? Plus it folds up, which most commercially made panels don't do.
I experimented with putting plexiglass covers over both halves of the panel, but in the end decided not to use them, so those steps are omitted from this Instructable. You
can see the mistakes I made, and the omitted steps, and lots more about constructing this solar panel on my web site. See also my home-built wind turbine and homebuilt biomass gasifier alternative energy projects while you are at my web site.
Here is a video walk-around of the finished solar panel. This Instructable will explain how I built it.
Image Notes
1. My home-built, folding, 15 Watt solar panel.
Step 1: Getting the Solar Cells
The main stumbling block to building solar panels is acquiring solar cells at a reasonable price. New solar cells are very expensive, and can even sometimes be hard to
find in quantity at any price. Blemished and damaged solar cells are available on Ebay and other places at a fraction of the cost of new perfect cells. These second rate
solar cells can be used to make a solar panel that will work just fine.
My first solar panel used 3 X 6 inch monocrystalline silicon solar cells. They are highly efficient and produce a lot of current. But they are also big and delicate and difficult
to work with. For this project I decided to use a different kind of solar cells. I used 40 thin-film Copper Indium di Selenide (CIS) solar cells. Each cell is actually a miniature
solar panel 60mm x 60mm x 2mm thick, that will produce a little over 4.5 Volts and 80 mA in bright sunlight, that only comes out to about 0.375 Watts per cell, but 40 of
them together produce the 15 Watts I was targeting. I would wire them together in groups of 4 cells in series to get about 18 Volts, and then wire the groups of 4 cells in
parallel. I would divide the 40 cells into two groups of 20 and build a folding box to mount them in. I bought 40 of the (CIS) solar cells off of Ebay and got to work.
http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Get-Cheap-Solar-Power/
Image Notes
1. The solar cells just as they arrived from Ebay. They were well packed and
all of them arrived alive.
Image Notes
1. The back of one of the solar cells.
2. The tabs are already attached to these solar cells which is a great time-saver
when it comes to assembly of the panel.
3. The negative tab is pre-marked on all these solar cells. I used a magic marker
to enlarge the mark and ran it onto the clear edge of the cell so I could see from
the front which tab was negative.
Image Notes
1. The front of one of the solar cells.
2. The small mark I made that denotes the negative side of the solar cell.
Image Notes
1. Testing one of the solar cells under my desk lamp.
2. The solar cells will make even higher voltage in direct sunlight.
Step 2: Building the Box
I drew up a layout for 20 of the solar cells and rough dimensions of half of the folding solar panel. The other half would just be a mirror image of this. I did things a little
differently when I actually wired the cells together, but I followed this initial plan fairly closely.
Now it was time to start building the panel. I used similar construction technique to what I used on my first solar panel, just scaled down to a smaller size and hinged in
the middle. I built two shallow wooden boxes 15 7/8 by 13 inches, using 1/4 inch thick plywood and 3/4 x 3/4 wood side rails.
I hinged the the two halves together. I didn't bother mortising out for the hinges. I just mounted them flat against the sides of the boxes.
The last photo shows the finished hinged box opened up. I painted the box my usual white color that seems to be becoming the signature color for all my alternative
energy projects.
http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Get-Cheap-Solar-Power/
Image Notes
1. A rough sketch of the layout and interconnections of the solar cells and the
dimensions of one half of the folding solar panel.
Image Notes
1. One half of the folding solar panel box.
Image Notes
1. Brass hinges mounted flush to the surface of the boxes (I was too lazy to
mortise them).
Image Notes
1. The completed folding solar panel box
Step 3: Gluing Down the Solar Cells
I marked out the position for each of the 20 solar cells in each half of the panel in pencil.
I then cut the tape holding down the tabs on the back of each of the cells, and folded the tabs up and over to the top side of the cell. I also marked the negative side of the
cell better so I could see it from the front of the cell. Then I began gluing them down on the spots I had marked out earlier. I used a small blob of silicone caulk in the
center of each cell and pressed it in place.
After all the cells on one half were glued down, I waited a few hours for the silicone to set up before starting to wire the cells together. I wanted to complete and debug
one half, just in case I ran into problems, before doing the other half.
http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Get-Cheap-Solar-Power/
Image Notes
1. I marked out the position of each cell in pencil.
Image Notes
1. A blob of silicone glue holds down each solar cell.
2. The solar cell tabs were bent up before gluing down the cells.
Image Notes
1. All the cells on one half of the solar panel are glued down. Time to start wiring
them together.
Step 4: Wiring the Solar Cells Together
Once the silicone had set up and the cells were firmly stuck down, I started soldering the tabs together. The tabs on adjoining cells were sticking up like is seen in the first
photo.
I used my fine needle-nose pliers to grab the tabs that needed to be joined, and rolled them together on the tips of the pliers. Then I flattened the resulting little roll of foil
down to prevent it from unrolling. The tabs are made of thin metal foil. So be careful since it isn't hard to damage them or rip them off the cells.
Finally I used my soldering iron and a little solder to finish each joint. Be quick. Don't let your soldering iron linger on the tabs, or they may unsolder from the cells.
Once I was done soldering all the cells together, I had 5 strings of 4 cells wired in series. Now I had to connect the 5 strings together in parallel. I used some copper braid
I had on hand to wire together all the positive sides of the cell strings. I used small blobs of silicone to hold the braid in place.
http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Get-Cheap-Solar-Power/
Step 5: Adding the Blocking Diodes
I then soldered the anode of a 31DQ03 Schottky diode to the positive rail. This diode acts as a blocking diode, preventing the solar panel from discharging my battery
bank at night or when shaded. Each half of the panel gets a blocking diode since the two halves will be wired in parallel. I bought a bunch of these diodes cheap on Ebay,
and have been using them for a while now in my solar panels.
Next I installed the wires that leave the panel. I ran them out through a hole drilled in the hinge side of the panel. I soldered the red wire to the cathode of the diode and
the black wire to the negative rail. I tied a knot in the wires for strain relief, and used blobs of silicone caulk to secure everything in place.
The other half of the panel is a mirror image of the first. I joined the wires for the two halves together outside the panel.
Once you have all the solar cells glued down and wired together, the solar panel is essentially finished. I experimented with adding plexiglass covers to both halves of the
panel to protect the solar cells. However, I found that heat built up inside the panel, and the heat reduced the performance of the solar cells. Since these solar cells are
much more robust than the ones I used to make my 60 Watt solar panel, I decided to omit the plexiglass. You can see the mistakes I made, and the omitted steps, and
lots more about constructing this solar panel on my web site.
http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Get-Cheap-Solar-Power/
Image Notes
1. The anode of the blocking diode is soldered to the positive bus wire.
Image Notes
1. A red wire is soldered to the cathode of the diode. A black wire is soldered to
the negative bus wire. A knot was tied in the wires to provide strain relief. The
wires exit through a hole in the hinge side of the box. Blobs of silicone hold
everything in place.
Image Notes
1. The two sides are mirror images of each other.
Step 6: Wiring the Two Halves Together
The wires from both halves of the panel were joined together using butt splices and connected to a quick-disconnect plug. The connector I used on the panel. It is a
polarized quick-disconnect plug available at Radio Shack and other places.
I actually bought several of these plugs. The other end of the plugs connect to various different things. I can switch what the panel is connected to just by changing plugs.
One of the more useful things I connect to this solar panel is a car cigarette lighter type plug (not shown) that I can plug small chargers like for my cell phone or MP3
player into.
I also have a long cable made from an extension cord that allows me to have the solar panel in a sunny spot, but use the power somewhere far away in the shade.
http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Get-Cheap-Solar-Power/
Image Notes
1. Polarized quick-disconnect plug.
2. The wires from the two halves of the solar panel are joined with butt splices.
Image Notes
1. The polarized connector I used on the folding solar panel.
Step 7:
I completed the solar panel just in time to take it with me on vacation to my remote off-grid property in Arizona. My property has previously served as a testing ground for
my home-built wind turbine, and my 60 Watt home-built solar panel. A photo below shows the solar panel unfolded and laid out on the hood of my truck to catch the sun.
I wanted to test the solar panel extensively. I wired it into my charge controller to supplement the power being produced by the wind turbine and larger solar panel. I also
wired the panel to a 12V cigarette lighter type plug and tested it powering various small appliances like my car cell phone charger and the charger for my MP3 player. The
panel worked very well.
So how much did all this cost to build? Well, I saved all the receipts for everything I bought related to this project. Also, my workshop is well stocked with all sorts of
building supplies and hardware. I also have a lot of useful scrap pieces of wood, wire and all sorts of miscellaneous stuff (some would say junk) laying around the shop.
So I had a lot of stuff on hand already. Your mileage may vary.
Part
Solar Cells
Misc. Lumber
Hinges
Silicone Caulk
Wire
Diodes
Quick disconnect plug
Paint
Total
Origin
Ebay
Already on hand
Homecenter Store
Homecenter Store
Already on hand
Ebay
Radio Shack
Already on hand
Cost
$30.00*
$0.00
$3.49
$3.95
$0.00
$0.40±
$5.50
$0.00
$43.34
* The price of solar cells on Ebay has gone up quite a bit since I bought these cells.
± This price represents 2 out of a lot of 25 diodes I bought on Ebay for $5.00.
Not too bad. That's a bit cheaper than what a commercially made 15 Watt solar panel from someplace like Harbor Freight would cost, ($70 as of this writing). However,
my panel folds up to save space. The Harbor Freight panels don't, and they are nearly as big as my 60 Watt solar panel. I have plans to further experiment with these CIS
cells, and build more panels to add to the capacity of my system. I'll post more here as the project evolves. Stay tuned.
You can see the mistakes I made, and the omitted steps, and lots more about constructing this solar panel on my web site. See also my home-built wind turbine and
home-built biomass gasifier alternative energy projects while you are at my web site.
Here is a video walk-around of the finished solar panel.
http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Get-Cheap-Solar-Power/
Image Notes
1. This old flat panel monitor box is just the perfect size for storing and transporting
the folding solar panel.
2. Catching some rays.
Image Notes
1. Only mad dogs and Englishmen and solar panels go out in the midday sun.
Related Instructables
Build a 60 Watt
Solar Panel by
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EARTHFORSOLARSolar Jon
http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Get-Cheap-Solar-Power/
Making a Solar
Battery Panel
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Almost Free Solar Hot Air Collector
by ecosteve on April 28, 2010
Intro: Almost Free Solar Hot Air Collector
I hate throwing anything out untill I have exhausted my mind, searched the web or visited Instructables for other potential uses. I have not found and hot air collectors
made from light fixtures so here you go.
Electric Car Conversion;
http://goeving.blogspot.com/
YouTube Solar Hot Air Collectors;
http://www.youtube.com/user/EcoGreenGroup
Making a solar hot air collector out of free used 2 x 4 metal light fixtures, free old glass and free black paint to reduce our carbon body tape outline, reduce our untility
bills and save money.
We are building and installing 14 of these hot air collectors on our south wall of our 140 year old house in Ontario, Canada. During sunny days in the winter these will
completely heat our house for about 6 hours. After we make these, we will join them together venting the cold air from the bottom of the rooms and exhaust the top vents
to the top of rooms. The fans will help increase the air flow to these rooms. The next collectors that we make will also be insulated and have a metal baffle inside to help
concentrate the heat. The collectors then will be connected to the house and flexable dryer
duct inside the house will vent heat to various rooms . Check out our You tube home page for more info.
•
•
•
•
•
•
Free Heat.
No Fuel Needed.
Renewable.
Cost effective.
Green.
Recycled.
Image Notes
1. Free 12 volt computer fan and hot air exhaust
2. Free 12 volt solar panel
3. Cold air return vent hole
4. Free black paint to attract the sun
5. Free glass
6. Not free caulking, but free black tape to help seal glass joints
http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Get-Cheap-Solar-Power/
7. Free black tape to help protect the glass around the edges.
Step 1: Dumpster Diving Time
Materials needed
•
Old light fixture (Restore).
•
Aluminum Tape.
•
Flat black paint (Restore).
•
Glass cut to fixture size.
•
Silicone caulking and gun.
•
Latex or nitrile gloves.
•
Protective gloves for handling glass and cutting metal.
•
Hammer and Screwdriver.
•
Metal scissors.
•
Thermometer.
•
Drywall screws and drill with a Phillips bit.
•
Glass cutter and marker (If cutting own glass).
Step 2: Prepare The Fixture Frame
Prepare the Fixture Frame
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Remove old light tubes.
Remove fixture sockets.
Remove ballast.
Screw overlapping corners of frame together with drywall screws.
Seal the corners and any small cracks of the fixture with silicone caulking.
Cover up all large holes with aluminum tape.
Let silicone dry overnight before painting it flat black.
http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Get-Cheap-Solar-Power/
Step 3: Painting the Frames
Painting the Frames
•
Wear clothes that you can get paint on.
•
Wear protective gloves.
•
Put some newspaper down so you don’t get the paint on anything else.
•
Clean the fixtures with soap and water and let dry.
•
Paint fixtures front, back, sides and let dry overnight.
Step 4: Cutting the Vent Holes
Cutting the Vent Holes
•
Use a hammer and a screwdriver to strike the “punch outs” at the center of each end.
•
Cut holes square, a little larger with the metal scissors and if installing a small fan to help exit the hot air at the top mark before making hole bigger. you will want to
make it a little smaller to allow mounting with the drywall screws (dry wall screws will cut their own threads into the light fixture) Wear gloves to protect you hands.
•
Tape the cut openings after so there is no sharp edges.
http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Get-Cheap-Solar-Power/
Step 5: Intalling the Glass
Intalling the Glass
•
Put silicone on the frame edges so the glass will stick.
•
Then install the glass.
•
If installing multiple panes of glass caulk the seam running across the collector.
•
Let the silicone dry overnight.
Step 6: Solar Panel and Micro Fan (Optional)
Solar Panel and Micro Fan
(Optional)
•
•
•
•
•
Screw the micro fan carefully to the top back hole of the hot air collector with drywall screws.
Remember to make sure the fan’s direction is correct and exhausting the hot air.
Lay the hot air collector down.
Put a good amount of silicone on the back of the solar panel and put it on one of the top corners.
Attach the solar panel to micro fan and let the silicone dry overnight.
How it works
•
The fan pushes hot air out and replaces it with cool air.
•
In effect the fan heats up a room faster.
•
The upper and lower holes will be ducted to the house.
•
If there is enough sun to make heat, then there is enough to make electricity for the fan.
http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Get-Cheap-Solar-Power/
Step 7: The Next Step
The Next Step
•
Make more hot air collectors and mount them on the house to offset the heating bills. Possibly insulate the collector to reduce loss of heat through the side and
back.
•
Reduce the fossil fuels we use.
Testing
•
I placed the completed collector in a place where the sun shines for most of the day.
•
I placed a thermometer near the top hole of the collector.
•
I recorded readings every hour.
•
The reading of 53°C on the meter is the collector inside temperature as you can see the thermometer gauge inside.
•
•
On test day the maximum outside temperature for April 19, 2010 was 15°C.
The difference gave us a range of 20°C to 50.9°C free heat.
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
10:00 am
11:00 am
12:00 pm
1:00 pm
2:00 pm
3:00 pm
4:00 pm
46°C / 114.8°F
58.5°C / 137.3°F
63.1°C /145.58 °F
65.9°C / 150.62°F
62.4°C / 144.32°F
54.3°C / 129.74°F
35.0°C / 95°F
http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Get-Cheap-Solar-Power/
Related Instructables
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http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Get-Cheap-Solar-Power/
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How to MAKE PV Solar Panels
by VIRON on August 12, 2007
Author:VIRON
I'm a figment of my own imagination.
---To Win the war on Terra
Means to END the WORLD.
How about a nice game of Chess?
---I'm chilling,
but forgive me
for sometimes believing
I invented everything.
Intro: How to MAKE PV Solar Panels
This is not "How to make PV Solar Cells".
It is possible to home-make Copper Oxide and other kinds of materials
but that is a whole nother story which I may do in the future.
I may be a little bit ambitious to try to show you how I made PV
Solarpanels out of various types of cells I collected and how and
where I obtained them rather inexpensively, and some of the differences
in the various kinds, but most of all, how to work with them to get
free electricity under the light of the sun and other sources of light.
In essence, this involves ways to connect cells, which may produce
more or less than one volt, and not only try to increase power output
but also decrease the load, that is, efficiently conserve the energy
whether it is meager or significant.
For example, even the weakest solar panels can run watches,
calculators, radios, charge batteries, and if a computer were
specifically designed to, it would be as solar-powerable as a calculator.
Here are some pictures of Solar Panels which I have constructed.
Step 1: Supplies and Sources
What you may be able to use to build a useful solar panel:
"Broken" solar cells. They are very cheap and they work, they are
just randomly shaped. They are usually crystalline silicon ones,
which ALWAYS (ha!) look broken even when they are not.
Surplus solar cells. Amorphous silicon printed on glass (check) are
excellent, usually producing more than a volt, and much sturdier
than the thin ones that break in bulk quantities. If these break, we
can fix them, usually.
Indium Copper Selenide Cells. These are "new" and are conveniently
sold as glass tiles with easy to solder tabs.
http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Get-Cheap-Solar-Power/
Any of the above, sold as cells prepared for assembly into panels;
in other words, complete and solder - ready or with wires and tabs.
(I will explain how to prepare inferior quality cells in this instructable.)
Miscellaneous items:
Wire Glue - There is already another instructable for using wire glue
on Broken solar cells. (link)
Brass extrusions, bracket |_| shaped - Convenient for connecting to glass cells.
Solder
Soldering Iron - low wattage
Small flat-head screwdriver
Thin (around 20 AWG or less) stranded copper wire
Lamp cord or Speaker Wire
Alligator clips
Deep Picture Frames or Shadow Boxes (Enclosure)
-look for imported frames at the El Cheapo store and pray a machine made them
Acrylic/Lexan/Plexiglas/Etc clear polymer sheets
Router or Dremel to cut out the middle of one out of three sheets
RTV (Silicone Glue) - or :
High Temperature Hot Melt Glue (Caution-you don't want the sun to melt it!)
Rectifier Diode such as 1N4001 or 1N4004
Voltage doubler or multiplier circuits (you can make) to increase voltage output.
-examples: ICL7660, MAX1044, MAX232, etc.
Wide Sticky Tape
Double Sticky Foam Tape
Rechargeable Nickel Batteries
Gel Cells or Car Battery (you got one, might as well use it until it's useless)
-Li Ion not recommended because they are harder to charge
Analog volt meter (only because it doesn't need batteries like a digital one)
AC Inverter - if you are charging a powerful battery and would occasionally
run some mains-powered appliance. Some UPS's can be easily modified to
be inverters, if they can be turned on after a power failure.
Sources:
Broken Solar Cells:
Herbach and Rademan
Silicon Solar
Electronic Goldmine
Glass (Amorphous) Solar Cells:
Electronic Goldmine
Note:Other links here may also supply Glass Solar Cells
Indium Copper Selenide Cells:
All Electronics
Edmund Scientific
Electronic Goldmine
Other sources:
Cheap weather damaged solar powered outdoor night lights
-(common failures are circuit corrosion and defective batteries, not the solar cells)
Defective solar calculators, solar charged flashlights, etc.
Perhaps a little off topic:
For a reasonably good deal on Complete and Useful Solar Panels I recommend
"Solar Car Battery Chargers" that are about 1 or 2 watts and between $20 and $30,
whenever an opportunity to get some arises. But those are what I am trying to show
how to Make an approximate equivalent of.
http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Get-Cheap-Solar-Power/
Step 2: How to use "broken" cells
They are the crystalline ones that Always look broken, but if they really are,
then they have not been fully prepared for use. It is an extra challenge to
solder wires onto them but this is how I do it:
Look for the wide line on the pieces, and sort out ones that only have
thin lines. The thin line ones might be useful with Wire Glue but are
too hard to solder.
Then sort the pieces with wide lines by how big they are. They will all be
about 0.55 volts but the larger pieces make more current than the smaller
pieces and it's nice to have a panel with consistent current, especially
the one you make with the biggest pieces.
Let's save the big pieces until we learn to do the small pieces.
Strip apart a short length of stranded wire and put the now loose strands
in a small box just so you can find them and so they don't wander into another
project and cause a short circuit.
ACTUALLY another option may be to use wire-wrap wire instead of bare strands,
if you don't mind stripping the end of each piece.
The broken cells have a very thin conductive layer on the blue side and
a very rough thicker one on the other. It will be more challenging to solder
onto them than on perfect cells but this is how.
First the blue side...
http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Get-Cheap-Solar-Power/
Step 3: Preparing Broken Cells
If you can solder onto the cells then they are higher quality than the ones I have
so you can skip these preparing steps:
On the blue side, scratch the thick line with a very small flat screwdriver with just a little force
so that the cell doesn't break, and the line should turn from white to shiny unless it's already
shiny and ready to solder. Try to make a little shiny circle. We will solder there.
Make the flat edge of the screwdriver completely touch the scratched area so it rubs wide.
Mostly push back and forth so that the rubbing removes the thin oxidation.
After scratching the line, turn the cell and scratch the circle back and forth again.
Maybe turn it once more and scratch it once more.
Now flip the cell over and notice the rough stuff on the back. If there appears to be
two different roughnesses or shades of grey, we are going to scratch in two places.
Again, turn the cell and scratch it in one or two little circles by pushing the edge of the
screwdriver up and down to remove the coating that solder won't stick to.
Now back to the blue side. Try to get a solderball to stick.
If it does not stick, and rosin gunks up the area, scrape it off and try again,
and if it seems hopeless, scrape another part of the wide line on the cell.
I did not have the problem because of practice.
Now try to put a bump of solder in the two places scratched on the bottom of
the cell. I was only able to get one bump to stick. There are areas on the
bottom where solder just won't stick. But if neither spot sticks, try scraping the
rosin off the spots and soldering again, or carefully scratching another spot.
If you have a bump on the blue side, it's good but you can't lay the cell flat now.
The spot that worked was rougher and thicker than the one that didn't, and
that means there's a lot more silver there, and more likely it will solder.
Now that you have two solder bumps, you can attach two thin wires,
either strands from stranded wire, or thin wire-wrap wire.
What about thicker wire? It can pull the lines off the cell and then you can
forget about soldering it. Put it in the "wire glue" bin.
Now that there are two wires on the cell, test it with a meter. The Blue side
of the cell will make up to 0.55 Negative volts, so connect the meter PLUS
to the wire on the silver-gray bottom of the cell. My cell isn't getting much
light but the meter needle is indicating that it is making electricity.
http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Get-Cheap-Solar-Power/
Step 4: "Broken" or "crystalline" Cell Panels
In the last step I mentioned that the Blue side is Negative and
the silver side is Positive.
Now all you have to do is solder your cells in Series to get
more voltage. To do that you only need one more wire for
each additional cell you add.
Remember each cell makes up to half a volt, so consider
a 12 volt panel to have 24 or more cells. A few extra is good.
One reason for that is a diode lowers the voltage just a little bit,
and another is that it's nice to have 12 volts for charging batteries
when it's not the sunniest time of day. A diode is used when the
panel charges batteries, so the batteries don't give any power
back to the panel in the dark. That would be a waste of free power.
Because the cells are so fragile, it would be good to install them
in a deep picture frame (shadow box) with double stick foam tape
or RTV glue. Be careful, this is permanent. You could make it
less permanent with hot-melt glue also.
At this point you don't need to think that the cells are "already broken",
and you will have a well working panel. You could hide the shard-shapes
with fluorescent lighting diffraction plastic over the framed panel if you like.
Perhaps you've seen a shard-cell panel just like that being sold before.
http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Get-Cheap-Solar-Power/
Step 5: Preparing Glass (Amorphous) Cells
I received a surplus glass cell with instructions on how to use copper mesh
to make a connection to the glass cell. The glass cell was pre-scratched in
the area where the mesh and wires were supposed to go. But... even with
the copper mesh, it didn't stick. It was doable, but hard to do, and not very
strong. All the wires pulled off. Some of you may have had success with
using copper mesh soldered to scratched areas of glass cells, but there is an
easier way.
Perhaps you have a broken / damaged glass cell. You may still be able to use it,
unless the damage has made the glass transparent, in which case there is severe
damage to the photovoltaic part of the cell.
One interesting thing about the glass cells. Looking at them, you see lines, just
as you may on "broken" or "crystalline" cells, but those lines are not currentcollecting conductors. They are gaps between areas of the glass cell that each
make about half a volt. So, glass cells can be expected to have 2 lines for every
volt of output. And they can make 6 or 9 or 12 or 20 volts.
So, we want to connect the wires to places with the most amount of lines between them
to get the highest voltage. And out the wires on the silver side, of course.
Scratch the silver (probably aluminum) near the edges and test the voltage and polarity,
for your information. I usually use a red wire for Plus and a black or green for Negative.
Easy connection method:
You need two brass extrusions, carefully cut with a dremel (safety goggles!),
and wires soldered on this side of the extrusions ---> C
The extrusion must have enough space inside it for the glass cell to fit.
The extrusion is then crushed a little (before putting it on the glass)
so that it will bite the glass with some pressure and make contact with the scratched edge.
Slide the crushed extrusion onto the glass. If it's too crushed it won't go on, so pry
it open. If it's not crushed enough it falls off, so crush it more. When it bites, and
there is voltage in the light across the two extrusions, put stickytape or
just a little plastic cement over the extrusion to help it stay there.
The Glass cell is now ready to use.
The long one shown is actually two 9-volt ones on one glass, and is the one
that I put extruded contacts on because the copper mesh wouldn't stick..
http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Get-Cheap-Solar-Power/
Step 6: Preparing Copper Indium Selenide cells.
These are rather well prepared already.
They have easy to solder tabs, and are marked which end is Negative with a
dash of a black marker.
The ones I got, I mounted in frames and in an acrylic polymer sheet sandwich.
Three in series ... in parallel with three more in series ... makes nice 12 volts.
I have been advised that these cells undergo some kind of reaction if first exposed to
full sun with no load for about 15 minutes, and that the result is good. I'm told that the
result generates more output than if they are not treated this way. Just FYI. I didn't
notice the difference between the panel that had pre-sunned cells and another that
didn't.
The cells are glass tiles that appear to be made similar to the Amorphous glass,
but they are more efficient, and produce around 4.5 volts and 100ma each in full sun,
approximately. As they say, your mileage may vary. I have no advice for broken
CIS cells.
It is very easy to connect CIS cells together. Peel back the tabs a little, which point to
each other under the cell, and start to peel back the stickytape that holds it on,
just enough so that you can solder them in series.
And watch the polarity! I goofed it up a couple of times.
No damage done, but I had to do it over.
When soldering, wet the ends of the tabs with solder, then press down quickly
with a popsickle stick or something to flatten them against the bottom of the cells.
The cells go together nicely like tiles.
With moderate carefulness, you don't need to worry much about ruining them yourself,
just don't leave them alone with curious people until your panel is done and safe inside
a solid frame. I've fastened them with both RTV Silicone and double-sticky-foam-tape.
I prefer the Silicone glued result, with the cell tiles grouted against the glass from behind.
(No silicone between the cells and the frame glass)
DSFT (foam tape) is more likely to (it has, in fact) let go of a couple of the cells.
As mentioned before, although I don't know if it's necessary for CIS cells, use a diode
when charging batteries with the panels.
http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Get-Cheap-Solar-Power/
Step 7: Applications for small solar panels
The solar panels I made and pictured generate around 1 or 2 watts generally.
These are the applications I use them for:
Charging batteries.
In the blackout of 2003, those batteries ran our blackout party,
which included black lights, fans (it was a hot day), radio, small TV, and low voltage lights.
And an AC inverter.
(I go to the rechargeable battery recycle bins with a meter and if they are not really dead
then I borrow them until they are. I didn't buy any of these batteries.)
Solar night lights - nowadays a very common thing where I live.
Solar powered fans - although my solar panels run computer fans directly when it's hot,
(The sun makes it hot, and the sun runs the fans!)
I notice that solar charged battery powered fans are MUCH MORE POWERFUL.
Solar Flashlights
Solar powered radios - including my ham radio shack.
ABOUT SOLAR POWERED COMPUTERS
I guess people don't leave their laptops in the sun...
My approach to designing a solar powered computer,
(and my definition of computer is a processor with memory
and a keyboard and a screen that runs not-necessarily-an-operating-system)
is to use very high resistance CMOS chips which use very little electricity,
just like watches and calculators... a computer is also a calculator with lots
of memory, and CMOS memory is a common thing!
At night time, the computer has not used up all it's solar power so it uses
what is stored in the rechargeable battery.
There is simply no demand for the solar powered computers,
nor any obstacle to solar powering a PDA or a laptop with similarly sized panels.
DUTY CYCLES:
In simple theory, if you get eight hours of sun and need one hour of power,
you can get by with one eighth the solar power by saving it up in batteries.
Also, if LED lights should run all night, it's easy to collect more than enough
solar power during the day in batteries with the right sized panel.
http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Get-Cheap-Solar-Power/
Step 8: Getting more practical power from your panel
It is very easy to get a few solar cells and put them together into a panel,
but sometimes it gets expensive to get enough cells to make a useful voltage.
If you obtained one or two large cells, you may have a whole watt or two,
but only a volt or less, and that's sad. Not too many things run on less than
a volt.
Perhaps you got enough big broken cells to make 6 volts , but wouldn't it be
nice to have 12 volts? Then maybe you could keep a battery charged and
occasionally run an inverter on it.
In the last step I mentioned how time could be used to save up power for
another time when it will be used. And a small panel can make enough
power over a long time to run a big load for a short time.
In this step I am talking about matching the voltage of the panel, whatever
it may be, to the voltage that you find useful. Or generally, matching
supply and demand in a satisfying practical way.
It may be possible to design a 2 volt circuit for a 2 volt panel, but unnecessary.
It is possible, although as far as I know, using obsolete Germanium transistors,
to get any voltage out of a big half-volt cell, and I don't know a modern way,
so I'll leave that idea alone.
But there are many voltage doubler or multiplier circuits that work at slightly
higher voltages, and I see that I've made a few panels around 6 volts which
I'd like to get 12 out of. There is a voltage doubler chip still available called
ICL7660 or MAX1044 that is very convenient to use. So I will use it as an example,
since I'd rather have around a watt at 12 volts than at 6 volts.
There is something else I did that was very obvious in the picture for step 1,
where I had 3 "broken cell" panels around 6 volts and put them in series to get
around 18 volts... and since the cells were large that array has a lot of current.
But if I use just one 6 volt panel and want 12 volts, I use the voltage doubler
and get twice the voltage in exchange for half the current. AC transformers
do the same thing... almost the same power goes out as goes in, but at a
more useful voltage. Some circuits that do this are called "DC to DC converters".
http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Get-Cheap-Solar-Power/
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How I built a Solar iPhone Charger for under $50.
by akbrennan on September 21, 2009
Author:akbrennan
Personal Blog
My name is Brennan and I'm a Computer Engineering undergraduate at Colorado State University.
I'm very tech oriented, but I am a serious outdoors kid. The combination of the two has developed a passion for Renewable Energy in uses for charging
modern technology. I live in Alaska.
Intro: How I built a Solar iPhone Charger for under $50.
To see my personal site with these tutorials and news, please visit http://www.BrennanZelener.com
**DISCLAIMER**
I am not responsible for any damage that you may cause to your iPhone or any device that you use with this charger. I can not stress the importance of checking your
circuits with a multimeter enough, and I can assure you that I've done so at every step in this build process. Your phone is a very expensive device. Treat it like one!
Intro and Design:
Over the past month or so, I've been working on designs for a stationary solar iPhone charger. By stationary I mean a charger that will be kept in a fairly permanent
place. I bring mine with me if I'm going to be camping or staying somewhere for a while, but it's really not meant to be portable.
This isn't only a solar iPhone charger. You can use it with any device that will charge via USB. I just happen to use it to charge my iPhone. Also, this design doesn't
include a battery in the circuit - which means that you'll have to charge your iPhone when the sun is out and shining. I know it's a serious inconvenience, but adding a
battery makes the circuit much more complex - and is a bit more costly. I'll be following up this design with an update on how to add a battery conveniently into this
circuit.
The idea behind this panel is that it's simple (and cheap!). You don't have to have any prior circuit knowledge,or familiarity with electronics. I'm really just stepping out of
the novice stage as far as soldering is concerned, so this is a great beginner project for just about anyone!
http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Get-Cheap-Solar-Power/
Step 1: Tools and Materials
As I say in the title, I built this charger for just a bit less than $50. That doesn't include the cost for tools and a few of the materials that were salvaged, but if you spend
enough time on eBay you should be able to build yours for the same amount, if not less.
Let's take a look at what was used to build the panel.
Tools:
Soldering Iron w/ Solder and Flux
Needle Nose Pliers
Wire Cutters/Stripper
MultiMeter (IMPORTANT)
Materials and Prices:
Part/Material ------------------------------------- Source ----------------- Cost
10 Watt Solar Panel ----------------------------- eBay -------------------$41.45 w/ shipping
7805 5Volt Regulator ---------------------- RadioShack ------------- $1.59
iPhone/iPod Cable ------------------------------ eBay ------------------ $1.20
USB Extension Cable -------------------------- eBay ------------------ $3.00 w/ shipping
Red/Black small-guage wire --------------- On Hand --------------- Free
Electrical Tape --------------------------------- On Hand --------------- Free
Small Zip Tie ----------------------------------- On Hand --------------- Free
Step 2: The Panel
This Solar Panel is a 10W panel made by LaVie Solar. You can check out their website, but your cheapest bet is to use eBay. Their eBay user ID is lavie-inc. I snagged a
pretty great deal at $41.45. The panel has a really sturdy build quality. It has an aluminum frame, and seems to be entirely weatherized. I wouldn't have too much of a
problem leaving it in the rain. Also, All of the wiring has been done for us which saves a LOT of time. They even put a blocking diode into the connection on the back, so
we don't have to worry about that in our circuit.
The panel has an output rating of 21.6 Volts (Open Circuit) and .62Amps (Short Circuit). These are optimal ratings, but when I tested my panel in direct sunlight, that's
almost exactly what I got.
As far as efficiency goes, this is not the ideal panel to be using as a direct USB charger. We'll be loosing a lot of energy as heat when we regulate the 20V output down to
5V to match USB standard. However, using a larger panel means that there will be more current flowing even when there's not a lot of sun. I've even seen my iPhone
charging when the solar panel is in the shade!
http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Get-Cheap-Solar-Power/
http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Get-Cheap-Solar-Power/
Step 3: The Simple Circuit
After gathering all of the materials, I sat down and got to work.
I cut 2 pieces of Black wire and 2 pieces of Red Wire. The lengths were around 5-6 inches. Then, I cut a little bit less than an inch off both ends of each wire.
With my black and red wires ready, I cut my USB extension cable in half and stripped the cut half of the female end to expose all of the individual wires. There are 4 wires
in all USB cables- Green, White, Red, and Black. The Green and White wires are for data, so those are not needed. I snipped the Green and White wires, along with all of
shielding and fiber - leaving only the Red and Black wires coming out about an inch and a half from the USB cable. I stripped a little bit less than an inch off the Red and
Black wires on my USB extension.
Since the 5V regulator only has one Ground pin, I used the two black wires that I cut initially- to make the soldering a little bit easier. I took both of my black wires, along
with the black wire coming from my USB extension, and twisted them all together carefully and securely. I put some solder on that connection to make sure that all of the
wires stayed together. Then, to keep things safe, I covered the 3-way connection with electrical tape.
Once all of the wiring was prepped, it was time to put the 5V regulator into the equation. Soldering wires onto the tiny pins from the 5V regulator can be a task. I used a
small Zip Tie to hold my wires to the 5V regulator to make things much easier. It really helped - I was able to do pretty clean solder jobs on each of the pins. Since neither
of the red wires were connected to anything, it didn't matter which ones I soldered to which pins. Just make sure you know that if your 5V regulator is laying flat, the input
pin is on the bottom, and the output pin is on the top!. I also bent the pins in opposite directions to keep everything separate.
The fantastic part about this charger is that we're already done with our circuit. Once I was done soldering to my 5V regulator, I connected the Red wire from the Output
pin on the regulator - to the Red wire coming from my USB extension cable. Now, I only had 2 wire ends left. A Red wire connecting to the input pin on my 5V regulator,
and a Black wire connecting to the regulator's Ground Pin and my USB extension cable.
http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Get-Cheap-Solar-Power/
Step 4: Connect the Circuit to the Panel
Since the LaVie Solar Panel has a pretty simple connection panel, pinching the Black and Red wires to the right screws on the panel was easy!
Step 5: Test the Charger!
I used my MultiMeter to measure my Input voltage that was going into my 5.00V regulator. about 20V @ 0.50A Good!. Then, I measured the output voltage coming from
my Regulator. The reading was 5.00V @ 0.50A Perfect!. Those readings meant that everything was working correctly. Watch out, that 5V regulator gets hot when
electrons are flowing through it!
Fully convinced that everything was working as it should be, I covered all of my open wires with electrical tape, took a deep breath, and plugged my iPhone in.
IT'S CHARGING!
http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Get-Cheap-Solar-Power/
Step 6: Conclusion
In future designs, I'll definitely be adding a battery so that you can charge your devices at a more convenient time. I'd also like to make a more portable version of this
charger. With all of the new solar technology, flexible panels are bound to cheapen up sometime!
If you have any questions, please leave them in a comment.
Thanks!
Brennan
http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Get-Cheap-Solar-Power/
Related Instructables
Create A Solar
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http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Get-Cheap-Solar-Power/
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Make a high powered solar panel from broken solar cells
by mattfelice on March 13, 2008
Intro: Make a high powered solar panel from broken solar cells
In this instructable, I will give you a practical guide to building a large solar panel from broken solar cells.
Image Notes
1. 35 watt panel 38 1/2 volt cells wired in series. 19 volts 1.85 amps.
2. Hot glue gun
3. Stove
Step 1: Tools needed
To start making solar panels from broken solar cells you need a few things.
1. 15-25 watt soldering iron
2. Light duty 60/40 electronics rosin core solder (radio shack $5.00 for a roll). You can use a silver solder, but I think its too expensive, and the difference in resistance is
minimal. So I just use regular old electronics solder.
3. Multimeter
4. Pencil eraser
5. Solar tabbing pre tinned ribbing (ebay 100 feet is like $20 bucks)
6. A good flat sturdy working surface ( I use a piece of glass, but whatever you have will do)
Image Notes
1. 60/40 rosin light core solder
2. 25 watt soldering iron
3. A small batch of random polycrystalline solar cells
http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Get-Cheap-Solar-Power/
Image Notes
1. Solar tabbing
2. cell busbar tinned and ready for tabbing
3. Many burn marks in old table
Step 2: Overview
First get some solar sells.
Solar Cell Grab Bag
Electronics goldmine Solar cells Ebay
Thats just a few examples of where you can get solar cells, but it gives you a start.
First lest discuss parallel and series wiring
Parallel wiring increases amperage and voltage stays the same. Each cell in a parallel circuit is wired positive to positive and negative to negative.
Series wiring (mostly what you will use for solar cells} increases voltage and amperage stay the same. Each cell in a series circuit is wired positive to negative, the
remaining positive and negative are you leads. You'll notice batteries in flashlights installed in series.
Now that you have your batch of solar cells we can get started!
First separate the cells in approximate similar sizes.
Remember if your wiring a group of cells together in series, the smallest cell in the circuit will dictate your panels amperage. Regardless of the size of your cells, each will
produce about .5 volts. The bigger the cell typically the more ampreage you will get. So you wouldn't want five 6" cells with one 1" cell in series, because you would loose
the amperage of the bigger cells and only output the amperage of the 1" cell. Basically try to keep the cells around the same size.
Most solar cells ( poly and mono crystalline) the positive side is the back of the cell and the negative is the front of the cell.
Step 3: Getting started
Now that you have your batch of solar cells you must determine if each cell has tabbing on the busbar. If if does continue to the next step.
If your cell has no tabbing you must first use a pencil eraser to clean the surface of the busbar. Use a gentle hand as poly and monocrystalline cells are extremely fragile.
Rubbing too hard will break the cell. Some of the dark spots on the busbar will hinder the solder from sticking so try to get these off. Don't go crazy if you can't, as long as
a descent amount of solder sticks you are OK. The more you use the eraser the better.
Next you must tin your soldering iron with a nice blob of solder, and wait a few seconds until it stops smoking(some of the rosin burns off), then run it down the busbar.
Don't beat yourself if you can't get every spot to stick as long as you can get a few spots you're good.
Now cut a piece of tabbing and use your soldering iron to melt the tabbing into the tinned busbar. Don't press down too hard let the soldering iron do the job. Thats why I
suggest using a 25 watt minimum soldering iron so that you don't feel the need to press down on the cell so much.
Now that you tinned and tabbed your first cell continue and do the rest.
Now you must solder a lead to the back of the cell. Most polycrystalline cells have a dark area on the back, this is where you solder to. MonoCrystalline cells usually have
small squares where you need to solder to. Just like before start by tinning your soldering iron with a good blob of solder and apply it to the underside of the cell directly
under the busbar (makes it easier to line up the cells later). Then cut a small 1.5 inch of tabbing and melt it into the solder.
now that you have your leads soldered to the cell you are ready to move on to the next step.
http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Get-Cheap-Solar-Power/
Image Notes
1. no tabbing on busbar
Image Notes
1. Busbar, this is where you need to intall solar tabbing wire, but first use erasor to
clean busbar.
Image Notes
1. Solar tabbing
2. cell busbar tinned and ready for tabbing
3. Many burn marks in old table
Image Notes
1. Done!
http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Get-Cheap-Solar-Power/
Step 4: Wiring the cells in series
Now we can start wiring the cells in series. Using the tab we soldered to the back of each cell will now be used to connect to the front of the next cell.
Line them up and melt the tabbing from the underside tab on one cell to the top of the next cell. Keep doing this and you can get as many volts as you want. Remember if
you don't plan on using a charge controller you will need to install a reverse flow diode on the positive side to prevent the batteries from draining during the night. You can
get them at radioshack, or ebay or where ever you choose.
Thats basically all there is to it. Then all you have to do is make an enclosure of your liking, seal it all up and you have yourself a solar panel. I used a piece of painted
plywood some pine peices for a frame and a piece of plexyglass all sealed together with silicone.
Image Notes
1. Positioned and ready to be soldered together
Image Notes
1. soldered together in series (top - to bottom +)
Step 5: You're Done
Put that bad boy in the sun and have pride when you tell people you made it yourself for pennies on the dollar.
http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Get-Cheap-Solar-Power/
Image Notes
1. 35 watt panel 38 1/2 volt cells wired in series. 19 volts 1.85 amps.
2. Hot glue gun
3. Stove
Related Instructables
using Solar
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http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Get-Cheap-Solar-Power/
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Solar phone charging system featuring sun tracking
by h2osteam on July 6, 2011
Intro: Solar phone charging system featuring sun tracking
Solar power has become quite a star in green power generation recently. Especially here in Sydney, with the help of government policies, more and more buildings have
solar power system on their rooftop.
As makers ourselves, making a small solar phone charger is becoming a fashion. There are many great entries in instructables about solar charger with portability in
mind. They are great if you spend a lot of time outdoors.
Well people, I’m proudly present this instructable to you so that you can make your very own solar powered phone charging system with sun tracking.
Why tracking?
The sun moves 15 degrees every hour, angle of the incident solar rays directly affect the power output of the solar cell. A solar tracking gives 60% more power from the
same solar cell.
Your will need
A solar cell – at least 6V, 1 Watt
A motor with gearbox
A circuit board
2x LM393 comparator IC, can be any similar comparator
A L293D H bridge motor driver IC
A IRF9450 MOSFET, or any similar P channel MOSFET
5k, 100k, 10k resistors
A 50k potentiometer
An IRF540 or similar N-MOSFET
One phototransistors (Darlington IR)
2 photocells or 2 photodiodes
Battery holder
Some 1N4004 diodes
Wires
Some sort of housing – I used my iPod touch case
And some batteries, I use NiMH here, you can also use Li-ion but the circuit may need to change
Tools:
Soldering iron
Hot glue gun and hot glue
Drill could be useful too
Image Notes
1. solar charging system
2. boost convertor
http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Get-Cheap-Solar-Power/
Step 1: Let the theory begin (too boring? Jump to next step then)
Solar cell is a current source; its output current varies with solar intensity. Therefore we can just charge a NiMH pack without additional circuit to limit the current. To
harvest maximum amount of ‘juice‘out of the solar cell, we should pick a battery pack that matches the voltage output of the cell at its maximum power point.
We will need a diode to prevent current flow into the solar cell, which may contribute a 0.7 to 1V drop. And normally solar cell’s voltage is marked using the open circuit
voltage. you may need to lower a 10% or so to get to the VMP.
If you are getting a 6V solar cell, then it is best to charge 3 NiMH in series. I have used an 8V solar cell, and I have 4 batteries charging in series, so about 2V each cell.
Step 2: Tracking circuit design
For this circuit to work the pair of photocells or photodiodes has to act as eyes, giving lm393 comparators analogue signal about the sun’s position. And this pair is better
built on a separate PCB from the main control board.
Voltage is divided through R1, 50k pot and R3, thus creating reference. The 50k variable resistor is use to set the NULL zone, or sensitivity. This way the system won’t
be tracking every second of the sun’s movement. Saving energy spending to track the sun and also save the moment when the system rotates back and forth causing by
its momentum.
The outputs of lm393 signal the H bridge chip to control the motor. Based on this design two comparators’ outputs will not be both HIGH at any given time; means there
won’t be any error signal which cause the H-bridge to short out.
To conserve energy, L293d is usually disabled. The enabling signal came from LM393, when there is a HIGH from one of the comparators the voltage at EN1 will raise
via the 1N4004 diode. Note here R6 has to be much bigger than R4 and R5.
Ground all the other inputs on L293d. this simple act can save about 20mA of current. I don’t know why L293d drain so much current on idle.
The small circuit at the left of the schematic, involving a phototransistor, a 10k resistor and a MOSFET, is designed to switch on battery power backup on the tracking
system when the sun rise from the east while the panel is still left pointing to the west.
The phototransistor has to be a Darlington pair. You can test it by using a multimeter on continuity mode, placing the + test lead to the shorter pin on the phototransistor,
and the – test lead on the longer one. It should be an open circuit when not infrared exposure. But once you turn the diode toward the sun your multimeter should peep.
This phototransistor is best place right behind the solar panel, and pointing to the east as shown below. Here the phototransistor is normally an open circuit, shutting off
the MOSFET and the current can only flow from the solar cell to the batteries via diode D3. While the sun comes from the east will shine on the phototransistor making it
a short circuit, raise the voltage across R7, and thus turn on the MOSFET. Now the diode D3 is bypassed and the current can flow from the batteries to the tracking
circuit.
As for the MOSFET, any N channel MOSFET will work. But low gate to source threshold voltage is preferred.
It is time for the all important photocell sensor. You should construct the sensor on a different board, so it can be relocated easily. Connect two of these in series, and
bend them outward slightly shown below. This configuration allows a bigger difference in solar energy on each cell, when the device is not facing the sun directly. This
difference is small, but through the amplification of the comparators, controlling the motor is possible.
http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Get-Cheap-Solar-Power/
Image Notes
1. battery backup control
2. photocells sensor
3. Sensitivity adjust
Image Notes
1. tracking circuit
2. phototransistor
3. battery backup control
Image Notes
1. photocells
http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Get-Cheap-Solar-Power/
Step 3: Harvest the solar energy
There are many possible ways to use the energy stored. I use it to charge my phone. Boost convertor is required to regulate the voltage; the construction of such circuit
will not be covered in this instructable. Designing a switch mode regulator is a tedious work, to achieve maximum efficiency also requiring a lot of tweets. It is best to buy
one. Like minty boost from adafruit, or other boost module out there. I purchased a ptn04050 module from TI, and built a small supporting circuit around it.
To protect your NiMH battery pack, it is best to have a low voltage protection circuit. You can either buy a Lipo protection module, or build one according to this
schematic.
The way the circuit function the IRF9450 acts as a switch, it only turns on when the gate-source voltage is high. As the circuit is just connected to the battery, gate-source
voltage is zero. The MOSFET does not conduct. The push button PB1 is able to connect the gate or the MOSFET to the ground temporally. Switch on the MOSFET, and
the rest of the circuit. The Vref is produce by the small circuit consist of a resistor and a BC549 NPN transistor. By tying the collector and base together on the transistor,
the voltage across the collector and the emittor is constant at 0.6V.
This circuit will sustain itself until VOUT is less then 3.4V, determined by R2 and R3. It does not use any power on idle. Great for a care-free system.
Image Notes
1. Voltage reference circuit
Image Notes
1. USB female port
2. boost convertor
Step 4: Putting all together
Now that the tracking circuit is done, secure everything in the housing you chose. Place the photocells anywhere you want as long as direct sunlight is achieved. Connect
your solar panel to the port named solar in the schematic. Then your product may look like this.
Enjoy making your own solar system, the world could be greener everyday.
Image Notes
1. battery protection circuit
http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Get-Cheap-Solar-Power/
Image Notes
1. charging my RC heli's LiPo battery
Image Notes
1. photocells
Related Instructables
Portable Sun
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http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Get-Cheap-Solar-Power/
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DIY Solar USB Charger - Altoids
by JoshuaZimmerman on April 22, 2011
Author:JoshuaZimmerman BrownDogGadgets
I'm an elementary school teacher in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. I like making random things and then teaching my students how to do the same.
If you're ever feeling the urge to donate money to a needy 4th grade science club... send me a message. All money sent will be used for SCIENCE!!!
Intro: DIY Solar USB Charger - Altoids
I've been reading a bunch of blogs this fine Earth Day morning and have noticed that most of them are posting little write ups about green solar powered USB gadget
chargers. They're all quite nice, but also quite expensive. I don't think I've seen any for less than $60, and I've not seen one that really suits my style.
Instructables has quite a few guides on how to make Solar USB Chargers, including the very well done guide on how to combine a Lady Ada Minty Boost circuit with a
solar + lithium ion battery. Great, but a bit expensive to make and not a very simple project for the weekend DIY person.
Well luckily for us I know how to make one for under $20 that is better in nearly every way and also completely fits into an Altoids Tin. Covert style.
Step 1: What You Need
Parts:
USB Charging Circuit
Solar Panel 4V or greater
AA Battery Holder
AA Rechargeable Batteries
1N914 Diode
Altoid Tin (or whatever)
Wire
Tools:
Soldering Iron
Solder
Tin Snips
Melt Glue Gun and Glue
Tape
Cost is less than $30. I can make one for under $10 when I buy parts in bulk. I have a kit available at my website BrownDogGadgets.com which has everything you
need to make this project. Also, if you're lazy, I do sell made versions in a variety of tin styles.
http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Get-Cheap-Solar-Power/
Image Notes
1. 4V @ 50 ma
2. AA NiMh 3000 ma
3. 1N914 Diode
Image Notes
1. DC to USB circuit.
Step 2: DC to USB Converter
The central brain of our project is a DC to USB converter circuit. This takes our AA power and changes it into the 5Vs we need for charging USB. There are several
ways of doing this.
1) You can make one yourself using Lady Ada's Minty Boost kit. It's $20 and requires soldering. It also charges almost every gadget under the sun, including new Apple
Products.
2) You can buy a premade circuit off ebay, or even off my website BrownDogGadgets.com. They cost around $10 but probably don't charge newer Apple products
(because Apple is a poo poo head and new iPhones and iPods don't follow USB standards).
3) You can rip one out of a cheap USB charger. eBay and or Amazon are great pleases to look. Some of them even do charge up Apple products. (Think of it as upcycling.)
Whatever you do, don't try and make a 6V or 9V circuit and then use a voltage limiter to take it back down to 5V. That's sloppy and ineficient. You can do it, and it works,
but there are far better options.
http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Get-Cheap-Solar-Power/
Image Notes
1. DC to USB circuit.
Image Notes
1. Adafruit Minty Boost
Image Notes
1. One of many AA to USB chargers. They're not cheap.
Step 3: Choose Some Batteries
What I really find annoying is that on all the commercial solar USB chargers I see their internal battery is only 1000 ma. That isn't a lot. A rechargeable AA battery has
between 2000 - 3000 ma of current in it. Once again, we can do better.
We need to use rechargeable batteries for this project. I prefer NiMh AAs over everything else because they're easy to find, cheap, and reliable. You probably even
have a few at home. Since we're using two AAs in this project our charger will have 2000 - 3000 ma of current. You could even have two sets of AAs in parallel and
boost that capacity to 4000 - 6000 ma.
An added bonus from rechargeable AAs is that you can take them out of the Solar Charger, charge them up or replace them, and be on your way.
If you're making this project into a very small container you can use a smaller NiMh battery pack. You can find these at places like American Science and Surplus as well
as many places on the web.
http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Get-Cheap-Solar-Power/
Step 4: Choose Your Solar
If we use two rechargeable AAs that put out a total of 2.4Vs we're going to need a solar panel that is at least 3 - 4Vs just to meet basic levels of charging. The higher the
voltage of our solar cell (or cells) the less light we need to charge up our batteries.
Now we're also trying to fit this into an Altoids Tin, so we're limited in space. I have found some great 4V solar cells that perfectly fit into Altoids Tins. They're the same
ones I use with my Solar AA Atoids Charger.
Sure, a bigger and better solar cell would give us added power, but it wouldn't fit into our tin. (Something that has annoyed me with nearly every Altoids Solar Guide out
there.)
You could also use a combination of several smaller cells to get your four volts. For example, 2V cells are very cheap and small on ebay. You could easily connect two
of those in a series to get your 4Vs.
Just remember that when charging NiMh batteries we don't want to throw more than 10% of their capacity at them at any one time. For instance if your battery has a
capacity of 2000 ma we can only use a solar cell that puts out 200 ma or less of current. This isn't usually a problem unless you're using a massive solar cell or a big
combination of cells. None the less, keep this in mind.
Step 5: Wire Up The Solar
First, we're going to wire up our solar panel.
I like to connect my 1N914 diode directly to the solar panel. When soldering make sure the black bar on the 1N914 diode is point away from the solar cell. The black bar
is the negative side and prevents power backflow. If we put it in wrong we're going to prevent power from flowing into our circuit!
Then attach a long wires to both the diode and negative tab on your solar cell.
Then tape it up for protection.
http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Get-Cheap-Solar-Power/
Image Notes
1. Don't forget to solder the diode.
Step 6: Connect The Battery Pack
Now we connect the solar wires to the battery pack wires.
Just connect all the positive wires (red) with all the negative wires (black).
Solder.
Easy as pie. Sweet sweet solar pie.
http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Get-Cheap-Solar-Power/
Step 7: Prepare the Charger
So the charging circuit I use also has a couple of LEDs on it. These in no way effect the USB charging and in fact are annoying. I remove them because they're useless
and a waste of power. This is why I'm cutting them off in the pictures below.
You should NOT start cutting things away unless you know what you're doing. Seriously Ben, I know you're reading this. Stop cutting now. This is how you lost a finger.
Anyways, if you've bought a cheap charger to use you have to take it out of it's plastic, and disconnect any random wires or battery packs.
What you should be mindful of is where power connects to your board. Mine has a nice little + and - sign to guide me. You need figure this out on your own depending
on your situation.
Lastly, and most importantly, you should watch out for any switches. For instance mine has a little switch on the side to go from "Light" to "Off" to "USB." I just keep mine
set to "USB" as we don't lose any power unless something is plugged in.
Image Notes
1. I cut this away for good measure.
2. I need to push this back all the way to keep it set to "USB." Yours may be
different.
Image Notes
1. Positive
2. Negative
Step 8: Solder The Charger
Now all you have to do is solder that bundle of positive, in my project red, wires to the positive point on the board. Then all the negative, in this project black, wires to the
negative point on the board.
You're done with the circuit. You can test it now.
Usually I can charge a gadget just from sun. If it's not sunny the circuit should charge via batteries.
http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Get-Cheap-Solar-Power/
Step 9: Cut Your Tin
I use Altoids Tins because they're the prefect size for this project. Plus very cute. I also enjoy mints.
Just use some tin snips to cut a hole big enough for the USB port.
If you want to be fancy you can also use a Dremel and make a nice rectangle hole in the side of the tin. I'm lazy, so I just cut it away.
Step 10: Glue Everything In
To be on the safe side I put down some electrical tape below my bare circuit board. Just to play it safe.
Now all you need to do is glue in your battery pack (though I use foam tape for that) and glue down your USB circuit.
Notice I use ample amounts of hot (melt) glue. Yummy.
Done and done.
http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Get-Cheap-Solar-Power/
Step 11: Enjoy
Now you're done. Enjoy the fact that you're being very green and clean.
Also, before someone chimes in... yes I do know batteries are not entirely green. If you want to be super green you should use some super capacitors for this project.
They last forever, are super green, but are also quite expensive.
What I like about this project is that it's simple and handy. It makes for a nice gift.
If you need any parts you can always get them from my website, BrownDogGadgets.com. All the money I make goes to doggy treats and more projects.
Thanks for reading!
http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Get-Cheap-Solar-Power/
Image Notes
1. There is enough room for the panel wires to come out through the USB hole.
Handy I think.
Image Notes
1. The only thing that gives away that this is not filled with mints.
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