How To Make a Homemade Solar Panel
The electricity bill has been increasing for many years. People install solar generators to reduce their bills. The cost of these generators is also high enough that a person near the minimum wage cannot afford it. We have solved this issue by preparing a guide to help you install the solar panels at a low cost. You can use the homemade solar panels to reduce the solar generator cost to half.
REASONS FOR HOMEMADE SOLAR PANELS
There are many reasons to make homemade solar panels. You can make them with the materials available at many DIY shops. It is better to make the solar system because it will last more than 20 years. You can rely on it in the areas of power shortage. You can use the power from the panels when the electricity is out. The cost is a crucial reason for people choosing the homemade option. If you do not want to pay high fees to the installation companies, you can make the panels by yourself. You can reduce the cost to half when you use the homemade method.
COLLECT PARTS OF PANELS
You can get most of the parts from different online shops. You need to find a local solar cell maker company to reduce the cost further. It is better to search for the cell producer in your area and contact them to buy for your DIY project. You can get the sealant and the screws from your local hardware shop. You may have to contact the glass sheet makers or seller to get a transparent and durable sheet. Finding a shop nearby is better because the glass transportation cost is high. You can get some parts from the used material shops as it will reduce the cost further. You need to test the things you buy from the used material shop to ensure everything is working. If you can get a bill and written working warranty, you can have peace of mind.
SOLAR PANEL ASSEMBLY
It can be the most complicated step of this process. You need to do some calculations to get the desired voltage. People attach the cells in special arrangements to get the desired voltage and current values. Most cells produce 0.5 volts. If you want to get a 14-volt system, you can attach 28 cells in a row. You need to solder the cells together using the soldering equipment. It can be hard to do it for beginners. You need to test it on something else if you are using it for the first time. It will help you avoid mistakes. Once you attach the back side of the cells to the connecting cables, you can fix them on the glass sheet. You can use the sealant to fix the cells on the glass. Once they are ready, you can use a glass sheet to cover the back of the cells. Using two glass sheets will protect the cells from environmental damage.
DRYING THE SEALANTS
You need to let the sealant dry for a long time to avoid the glass sheets to fall apart. You should apply a layer of sealant on the inner side of the glass sheet near the edges to fix it. The air and water should not enter from the sides. You can keep it for 24 hours for the drying process. People also apply another layer of a sealant as one layer may fail. You can apply the second sealant layer above the layer already dried. You can keep it for 3 days for the completion of the drying process. It will give more durability to your solar panels.
FIXING OUTPUT JUNCTION BOX
You need to make a junction box at the bottom of the panel to ensure you get two cables out of the solar panel. These cables can have positive or negative labels. You need to fix the positive end of the cable to the positive side of the inverter. It is crucial that you arrange all the positive cables from the junction box as adding a negative cable to the positive end will destroy the system. You can take some time to make these lines clear to prevent solar system damage. It is also crucial that your panel and the inverter are compatible.
INVERTER CONNECTION
When your solar panels are ready, you can attach the positive and negative ends of the solar panel to the accurate sides of the inverter. You should get a portable inverter to make the connection. It will give you many benefits. These inverters are small as you can install them when you do not have more space. You can get the small inverter for a lower price because most professional companies choose the latest models. It is easy to connect because you have all the positive end cables in one place due to the junction box.
OUTPUT CONFIRMATION
You can confirm the output from the display of the inverter. Some portable inverters do not come with a display meter. You need to spend some money to get an electricity measuring meter for your project. The meter should give you the values of the voltage and current. You can calculate the efficiency of the system using these values. It will also let you know if one of the solar cells not working. You can get a cheaper version of the electricity meter from online shops. It is better to get a meter with a warranty to avoid loss.
ANALYSIS OUTPUT FOR WEEKS
Checking the solar output at the start is not enough. You need to check the energy output for weeks to ensure the panels are working perfectly. The power output may drop when there is no sunlight. It should not come down without any reason. If your electricity output drops without any reason, you need to check the cell connections physically. Detaching the solar cells to find which one has the issues is also an excellent way to troubleshoot. Checking output for weeks is a better way to manage the demand and supply. You can know how many appliances you can run on this system.