DIY solar panels

DIY (do it yourself) solar panels look complicated but they really aren’t that hard to assemble. With some patience and some cheap materials, you can make your own solar panel and be on the way to energy independence!

The first step in how to build a solar panel is the solar cell. You can buy these complete with all their wires and leads or you can make them yourself from copper plates. With your first solar panel it might be a good idea to buy these cells; the process of making a cell is time consuming and can take up to an hour each just to prepare the copper plating. It takes 90 such panels to make one 16 volt solar panel so if you don’t have a lot of time to kill it’s probably best to buy your solar cells.

If cost is an issue, buying solar cells to create solar energy is still significantly cheaper than buying a solar panel manufactured in a factory. In fact, for the money you spend on one ready-made solar panel you can make ten DIY solar panels! Learning how to build a solar panel is a real money saver.

Another advantage to buying solar cells is that they come with all the wires, leads, connectors and ribbons that you’ll need to connect them within your panel. All you’ll need is a soldering gun and some silver solder!

As you’re learning how to build a solar panel, remember that this is your first one and it probably won’t look perfect. Appearances aren’t very important when it comes to saving energy but you’ll get better at it very soon. It’s the solar energy produced that’s important, not the cosmetics.

The materials for DIY solar panels, aside from the copper, are very inexpensive and easy to get from your local hardware and lumber store. A sheet of ¾” plywood about five by four feet will hold 90 cells and yield a little over 16 volts at 9 amps. You will need to insert three dividers along the five feet of board to provide stability for the glass you’ll be covering the solar panel with when you are finished building it. Be sure to drill holes in the dividers so that each row of solar cells can be connected to produce solar energy! You will also need a good all-weather sealant to prevent moisture and contaminants from compromising your solar panel.

Once you are finished with your first solar panel, you’ll probably see a lot of cosmetic faults. Don’t worry about those; you can avoid those on your next panel. We all want our energy savers to be attractive but beginning efforts sometimes aren’t pretty! The important thing is to learn to build a solar panel that is structurally sound and completely functional and collects enough solar energy to help get you off the grid!